Feeling Dirty………..

Lot going on in the world of Mom on the Run. First, (warning kid bragging alert) my oldest daughter Daijia has her first middle school dance tonight. She is a 6th grader and this is the first time she is able to go. Very exciting in a young girls life

This picture was of her first day of middle school. I really need to update pictures.

My co-workers all bet that I would cry, but I am holding strong. She so independent as of late that I know that she will have a really great time with her friends. To be young again….LOL!

I decided a few nights that I wanted risotto. I have no idea where that craving came from but it was there. Listening to my palette I decided I wanted to try a different type of risotto. When perusing blogs last weekend I stumbled upon a fellow food blog (and now I can’t remember who it was to give credit to) that had tried Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis’s Dirty Risotto. Now my husband is originally from Louisiana and LOVES (I should say puffy hearts) Dirty Rice. The kids and I puffy heart risotto. Giada has infused the best of both dishes flavors into a wonderful filling dish that the whole family can enjoy I was able to work my gluten free/healthy living magic with this recipe and whip up something that was beyond the realm of delicious.

Dirty Risotto

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

–

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

 

• 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance butter)
• 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed (I used organic chicken sausage)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice (I found gluten free rice)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I omitted this)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice and stir to coat.

Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.

Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

D-E-L-I-S-H!

I had leftovers for many lunches. It was even better the day after because the flavors had even more time to mesh together. If you are looking for a great dish to feed a family this is your recipe. The best part was that it was so simple and easy to make.

I am off to finish my Friday and hope to catch up on blog reading. I had so much fun at book club that we chatted for over 2 hours. When I got home I crashed and did not get a chance to post. It was so much fun. Here is the next book we chose to read:

Anyone read this one? It looks great, I will let you know how it is.

What are some of your funky Friday plans?

We are going the Bobby Flay Burger Palace this weekend. I am so excited!! TGIF….

I Have a Bit of a Secret!

Thank you for all the compliments and questions about Dad on the Run’s Gluten Free Birthday Cake.

 

I have a bit of a confession…..1. I didn’t “really” bake the cake. I gathered all of the supplies and my good friend Amanda constructed this masterpiece and 2. The cake mix is actually from a great gluten free bakery WOW Baking Company. When I received a box of samples from WOW I was excited because everything looked so good. A little about WOW Baking Company.

“WOW BAKING COMPANY has re-defined Wheat and Gluten-Free Baked Goods.We make our products in small batches with premium all Natural ingredients creating DELICIOUS tasting Fresh baked Cookies and Brownies.”

Always with…

• Real Butter,
• Real Vanilla
• Organic Cane Juice

Always without…

1. Hydrogenated oils
2. Refined sugars
3. Artificial flavors
4. And of course wheat and gluten!

My family was not disappointed with the baked goods that we were sent. Our favorite was the chocolate chip cookie. These are probably the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted.

 

The girls were in cookie heaven. My oldest (in her best tween voice dripping with sarcasm) says “You obviously didn’t make these, they are just too good!” Thanks Daijia! To her credit I really don’t bake very well. When WOW also sent me a Cake Mix to bake myself I was so excited. It not only was easy to make but no need to measure. A Mom on the Run double thumbs up! I figured that a birthday would be a great time to use this mix.

As WOW says themselves, "Our Gourmet Yellow & Chocolate Cake Mixes bake up moist, delicious and flavorful cake that rivals the best gourmet cakes around. With premium all natural ingredients, it’s like baking from scratch – just easier! Bake a WOW amazingly delicious cake for everyone to enjoy!

So that my blog friends is how the Dad on the Run’s birthday was created. I have no shame for not baking this myself.

If you are looking for a great gluten-free alternative for baked goods than the WOW Baking Company is the right company for you.

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice about the soreness I have been feeling. I was able to squeeze in a 30 minute run/walk and 15 minutes of yoga to stretch. I am feeling a lot better tonight. My plan was to go to the gym tomorrow night but I just realized I have book club tomorrow night. We are meeting at PF Changs I can’t wait! The book that we read this month is:

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay

If you are looking for a great new book I highly recommend this one. I can’t wait to see what the other members of the book club think. I am off to comment on my favorite bloggies. Have a great Wednesday.

Help..I squatted and I Can’t Get Up :)

Our First Gluten Free Birthday Cake- Thanks Amanda!

Happy Birthday Dad on the Run!!! It is my dear husbands birthday and just wanted to give him a little shout out

 

I know you are probably picturing that poor older women from that commercial who has fallen and could not get up. Unlike her I am not hurt, I am just really sore. It hurts to walk up stairs, go to the bathroom (TMI), or lift my arms over my head. If you remember from yesterday’s post I was embarking on a new fitness class at my gym. The class was called Body Works Plus Abs which is “A weighted workout set to the rhythm of the music. This class improves overall strength and endurance through the use of dumbbells.” The class was amazing! I was little intimidated at first due to many factors: A) The class was packed. The only room left in the class was a small space in front of the teacher. B) There were a ton of new moves integrating the step with weights..ie coordination. C) Everyone in the class was in incredible in shape. I plopped myself in the that space in the front and got the most out of the 45 minutes that class was. I think we may have done 100+ lunges. After class I thought…”Hey that was not bad at all, wonder when the next class like this is.” I was doing great up until around 12:00 today and the soreness came with a vengeance and I could feel every squat I did. That is how I know I had a worked out to my full potential. I am pushing the fluids today and getting to bed early to rest my muscles.

For my husband’s birthday dinner we decided that I would cook tonight and go out to dinner on Saturday Night at a restaurant he has been dying to try, Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace.

In honor of his birthday I made meal that I knew he would enjoy and incorporate a few of his favorite flavors. This is a recipe that I found from my girl, Rachael Ray. It is a favorite in this house.

Sloppy Cubanos

 

Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/4-1/3 pound chorizo, casing removed (about 1 cup), finely chopped
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon allspice (1/3 palmful)
• 2 teaspoons paprika (2/3 palmful)
• 2 teaspoons coriander (2/3 palmful)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it- Omitted due to Gluten)
• The zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
• 4 Portuguese rolls or sub rolls
• 4 deli-cut slices Swiss cheese
• 4 large dill or half sour pickles, chopped
• 1 bag plantain or other exotic chips

Preparation

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Brown the chorizo for 2 minutes, then add the pork and brown and crumble it, 3-4 minutes.

Add onion and garlic. Season the mixture with allspice, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the sugar and Worcestershire sauce and the zest and juice of one lime.

font>

Turn to distribute, then stir in stock and tomato sauce. Simmer a couple of minutes.

 

Split and lightly toast rolls under hot broiler. Slop the mixture into rolls, then melt the Swiss cheese over top.

 

Scatter chopped pickles on the sammies and serve with a few plantain or exotic chips alongside.

I am off to celebrate with the husband. Have a great Wednesday!

 

• Share this:
• Print
• StumbleUpon
• Email
• Facebook

Tags:

« Previous Page — Next Page »