Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese & Dried Cranberries

adopted via: www.plantingsandpairing.com/pumpkin-risotto-with-goat-cheese-dried-cranberries/

Ingredients:

• 4 cups bone broth or vegetable stock
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the stock and pumpkin over medium heat. bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and keep warm.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the foaming subsides, add the shallot and salt. Cook until softened.
3. Add the thyme and rice and cook for one minute longer.
4. Add the white wine vinegar and a ladle of warm stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated. Add another ladle of stock, and continue cooking until evaporated again. Continue cooking, adding a ladle of stock at a time, and allowing to evaporate in between each addition. Cook until the rice is done, but has a bite to it, it should be creamy in texture, and will take about 25-30 minutes.
5. Mix in the Parmesan, half of the parsley, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Top with the remaining parsley, goat cheese, and dried cranberries.
7. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Muffins

adopted via: https://pinchofyum.com/favorite-pumpkin-muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (less 1 or 2 tbsp for altitude)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of cinnamon 
• pinch of salt
• chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats for about 10 seconds to get them mostly smooth
3. Add all the ingredients (sans chocolate chips) and pulse until mixed
4. Stir in the chocolate chips
5. Transfer to a greased muffin tin
6. Bake for ~15-minutes

Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken & Rice Soup) - Serves 6

From: Gimmesomeoven.com

Grade Level - 3, in Ducbee's Opinion (Time-consuming prep)

(1 - easiest, 5 - difficult)

Ingredients
1 tbsp Avocado Oil or Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 large poblano pepper, cored and diced
1 small white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp aji amarillo paste (or 1 serrano or jalapeno, cored and diced)
5 cloves garlic
6 c chicken stock, divided (5 and 1)
2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, diced small (others are okay, but this is the best texture for soup)
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup white or brown rice
1/2 cup peas

2 tsp ground cumin

1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

Optional: extra garnishes of chopped fresh cilantro, scallions, manchego cheese

Equipment/Other:
Stock pot

Food processor or large blender

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high.
2. Add the diced poblano and onion, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent.
3. Stir in the aji amarillo paste (or diced serrano or jalapeno) and garlic. Continue sauteeing for 1-2 more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the entire mixture to the food processor or blender.
4. Return the stockpot to the heat. Add 5 cups chicken stock, cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice, peas, cumin, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a low simmer.
5. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, ro until the potatoes are fork-tender and the rice is cooked.
6. In the blender (once the soup is nearly ready), add the cilantro leaves and lime juice and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to the blender with the pepper & onion mixture. Puree for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth.
7. Stir the cilantro mixture into the soup. 
8. Taste and season with a generous pinch (or more) of salt and black pepper as needed.
9. Serve immediately with optional garnishes.

*Feel free to add 1/2 cup whole kernel corn and/or diced red bell pepper. If soup is too thick, add extra cup of stock.

Vietnamese Steamed Egg Casserole (Trứng Hấp) - Serves 4 to 6

Adapted From: EatWithEmily.com and SimplyABlog

Grade Level - 3, in Ducbee's Opinion (Minimum 1 hour)

(1 - easiest, 5 - difficult)

Casserole Meatloaf Ingredients
3 eggs
3 to 4 egg whites (yolks will be used in the Glaze below)
1/2 to 3/4 lb of ground pork
50 grams or 1/2 bundle vermicelli bean thread (glass) noodles
1/3 cup dried shredded wood ear mushrooms or black fungus (or 5 whole)
1/2 yellow or white onion
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Egg Glaze Ingredients
3 to 4 egg yolks (Whites are used in the Meatloaf above)
1 tsp fish sauce
Scallions, chopped

Equipment/Other:
Large pot with lid, or steamer
Square baking dish or ramekins that fit inside the pot

Directions

1. Soak noodles in hot water in a bowl for 15 minutes.  Do the same with the fungus in a separate bowl.
2. Cut the now-soft noodles into 1"-2" pieces. 
3. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients of the Meatloaf Ingredients. Mix well (spatula or wooden spoon work great).  Pour the mixture into the baking dish or ramekins.
4. Prepare the pot with the steam basket. If you don't have a steam basket, put a plate inside the pot.  Put the baking dish or ramekins on top of the plate inside the pot.  Add water to the pot (be careful not to spill into the meatloaf!) until it reaches the bottom of the meatloaf dish or up to halfway up the sides.
5. Cover the entire thing with a lid.
6. Bring to just a boil, then regulate the temperature so that the water can boil but it does not spill into the meatloaf.  Steam for 30 minutes.  **HINT: The egg is done when you test with skewer in the center of the dish, and no water comes out of that hole**
7. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients of the egg glaze.
8. Lift the lid off the pot and pour the glaze over the meatloaf.  Spread it out so that it covers the entire surface.  Scatter chopped scallions on top.
9. Steam with the lid back on for another 5 to 10 minutes until the egg glaze is set.
10. Remove the dish from the pot and set it aside to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
11. Best served with rice and nuoc cham garnished with slices from a red Thai pepper.

Polenta with Basil & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

From: washingtonpost.com

Grade Level - 2, in Ducbee's Opinion

(1 - easiest, 5 - difficult)

Ingredients
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 oz cherry tomatoes
2-oz Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1.5 c half-and-half
1 cup dried polenta
2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 large basil leaves
Crushed red pepper flakes

Optional: 1 onion, eggs

Equipment/Other:
Aluminum Foil
Baking Sheet

Directions

1. Position oven rack 4" to 6" from broiler.  Preheat the broiler.
2. Line a rimmed quarter baking sheet with foil, then place the tomatoes on it and drizzle with oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Broil for 6 minutes until some are charred and have burst. 
3. Grate the cheese.
4. Meanwhile, combine the broth and half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a biol, then gradually add the polenta; reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, whisking, until thickened.  It may spatter.
5. Turn off the heat, then stir in the butter and most of the cheese, until well incorporated. Taste and season lightly with salt, keeping in mind that more cheese will be added at the end.
6. Stack, roll, and cut the basil into thin ribbons (chiffonade - do this late in the process as the shreds can darken quickly).
7. Divide the polenta among individual shallow bowls or plates. Top each with some basil, roasted tomatoes and their juices, some red pepper flakes, and remaining cheese.  Drizzle with a bit more oil.
8. Serve hot.

OPTIONAL:

• Caramelize onions over medium-low to medium heat with butter for 20 minutes.  Add this to the dish in Step 7.
• Fry or poach eggs without breaking the yolk.  Top this on the dish in Step 7.

Ma's Vietnamese Egg Rolls - Makes 100

From Ma's estimation in June 2004:

INGREDIENTS

• Egg Roll wrap (4 packages, or 100 wrappers), thawed inside their bags
• 1 lb to 1 lb 4 oz ground pork
• 1 jicama, about 1 lb (or substitute daikon radish), chopped into thin strips
• 1/4 small green cabbage, chopped small
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped small (not minced)
• 2 medium carrots, shredded or grated
• 1 mien roll (bean thread glass vermicelli noodle bundle), soaked
• 2 eggs, divided
• Canola oil
• 3/4 tsp Salt or Garlic salt
• 1 to 1.5 tsp Ground Pepper
• 2 x 48 oz Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Upon grating/shredding/mandolin of the carrots and jicama, allow them to dry out a little bit on a towel for up to 1.5 hours. See VIDEO #A below
2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables together.  Cut the soaked mien into 3 portions and add to vegetables.  
3. In a medium bowl, mix meat with salt and pepper.  Add to the large bowl of vegetables and noodles. Add an egg to make mixture sticky (optional); mix with hands.  
4. Slit one end of the Egg Roll wrap packages.  Remove the wraps and peel them apart, taking care not to tear them.  Stack them on top of each other and put about half back inside the package. Important: this is to prevent drying (you will remove them when you finish with the first half).  With the first half, set aside in a flat pile to make the rolls. See VIDEO #B below
5. Crack an egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. This will be the "glue" to seal the rolls.
6. Scoop a spoonful (about 1.5 tbsp) of stuffing and place it near the corner of one wrap.  Fold that corner over the stuffing to generously cover it, then fold in the sides like an envelope. Roll  the stuffed end away from you (TIGHTLY roll but without tearing the sheet) just until only a small triangle at the top remains.  Brush the triangle with a small bit of egg to form the glue, then complete the roll.  Set aside on a tray. See VIDEO #C below
7. Repeat above until mixture is used up. 
8. Deep fry for 10 minutes in enough canola oil to cover the egg rolls at 375 degrees F.
9. Remove and let cool on a tray lined with paper towel to soak up the oil.

VIDEO #A:

VIDEO #B:

VIDEO #C:

*Canola oil can fry about 8 to 10 batches of egg rolls (it's different depending on what you fry); after this, the oil produces toxins and free radicals (and loses its flavor).  Do not dump oil into the sink.  When done cooking, let the oil cool, then pour it into a sealed container and properly dispose with hazardous waste.  

**You can make the raw rolls ahead of time and freeze to deep fry another day - 16 rolls fit into 1-gal bag