Mushroom Risotto

This is Jamie Oliver's recipe. What I like about this is the way how the mushrooms are prepared, instead of mixing the mushrooms in the risotto at the beginning of cooking,  it is saute separately. I used a mix of Dried Cepes (Porcini), Morille, Girolle and fresh Champignon de Paris. They are first saute in olive oil and mince garlic, throw in chopped parsley at the very last minute and scoop it on top of the risotto. Easy, tasty and no fuss :)

Jamie said "No button mushroom please!!" but I don't want to blow up my budget for just one meal, so I used button mushrooms to add volume. Of course,  it would be tastier to use fresh wild mushrooms but looking at the price of over 15 - 25 euro per kilo (gulp), I prefer to use a 4 euro per kilo button mushrooms :)

Here's what you need for 4 servings:

30g               Dried Porcini, Morille and Girolle (I didn't use a lot of Porcini coz I don't want it to be too strong)
300g             Fresh Champignon de Paris (Button Mushrooms)
3 gloves        Garlic (minced)
1 medium      Onion (chopped)
2 sticks         Celery (chopped)
300g             Risotto Rice
some             Parsley (Chopped)
150ml           White wine
50g               Parmesan Cheese (grated)
1L                 Hot chicken stock ( I used chicken cubes)
1 tbsp            Butter

1. First in a sauce pan boil some hot water, when it starts to boil throw in a chicken cube and your dried mushrooms then lower down the heat to a simmer. Once the mushrooms are soft, fish out, chopped and keep a side. Keep the liquid in a low simmer.
2. In a large pan, lightly fried the chopped onion and celery without browning them. Once the onion is ready, turn up the heat and add in the rice. Give it a good stir then add in the white wine. Keep stirring until the rice absorb all the wine.
3. Now add in the hot chicken stock, laddleful by laddleful. Make sure the rice absorbed all the liquid before add in another laddleful of stock. Keep stirring until rice cooked to your likeness.
4. Meanwhile, fried all the mushrooms in a very hot pan with a tbsp of olive oil. They might gives out some liquid which you can add it into the stock for cooking the rice. Once the mushrooms are dried, add in another spoon of olive oil, chopped garlic and gives them a good stir, season with salt and pepper then add in the chopped parsley.
5. Take off risotto from heat, check the seasoning, add in a tbsp of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese.
6. Serve your risotto topped with grilled mushrooms, sprinkle with some extra Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Hope you like this recipe. I am sharing this with Weekend potluck , This week's craving

Mushrooms hunting

The other day we went mushrooms hunting.  This is not some activity that I grow up with but I have such love with the nature that I would like to learn as well as sharing this special experience with my boy. So we hopped in our boots, put on our rain coat and went to the cellar to look for Mamie's (grandma) basket plus a little knife in hand... We went hunting for mushrooms.

It was everywhere if you actually pay attention! Although it was drizzling (well, since 10 days non-stop) we had such fun.. it was really like treasure hunting, as mushrooms come in different shape and sizes. We actually need to keep a shape eye to spot them.

 Of course not all of them are edible. Luckily, there is always a pharmacy around the corner..and the Pharmacist knows how to identified. I did borrow a book from the library about mushrooms too.

 So here's a few tips on what you have to do when go mushroom hunting:

1. Always use a basket but not plastic bags as mushrooms need to breath.
2. If you don't know a certain type of mushroom, it's always good to pick the mushrooms with it's roots then keep it in a separate container to avoid contamination. 
3. If it is some edible mushrooms that you know, always use a knife to cut it so it will grow again at the same spot the next year.
4. Always verify with your local pharmacy even though you think you know the mushrooms to avoid poisoning.
5. For those white button mushrooms like the one shown above (bottom left), they are actually inedible cause the pharmacist and also the book taught me a trick..lightly scratch the mushroom with your nails if you see it turn bridge yellow throw it away. They are not poisonous but they are indigestible. 
6. Only eat mushrooms that you have positively identified yourself. As others might make a mistake and it might just be deadly.
7. Separate each and every type of mushroom so that the pharmacist can identified easily.

Cost for the activity?? Zero..

The experience to learn and discover together with my boy plus an afternoon away from TV and computer games?? Priceless!! 

Happy weekend everybody,
xoxoxo Sylvia

Sharing this experience with Simple Things Sunday 

Random: After Rain

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass;

 it's about learning to dance in the rain."

Vivian Greene

Sharing with Simple things sunday, Tuesday around the world

Random: Fun

Watching little angle having fun...

This is what makes Simple Things Sunday special and a special moment for Tuesday around the world . Also sharing this precious moment with friends at Finangle Foto Bow series too..

Have a great week...

xoxoxo

Nyonya

Couleurs d'Automne

Autumn has finally here. The nature has all the signs to announce the arrival of Autumn.

Cooler mornings and cooler nights, shorter days too. Slowly we add layers to keep us warm, we put on boots to walk over puddles, we admire the constance changing colour of the nature... Here's a few clicks from me and I hope you enjoy Autumn as much as I do...

Autumn is poetic...& romantic..

Sharing this with: Show off your shot, Tuesday around the world, Wordless Wednesday