Tomatillo Risotto Appetizer Recipe

This is my take on a Mexican-inspired risotto flavored with tomatillo. I prepared salsa verde and added it to creamy risotto. I spooned the risotto onto blue tortilla chips and topped them with salsa verde and crumbled queso fresco as a reminder of the flavor.

I recently received a goodie box of a selection of Queso Del Valle and Karoun cheeses. I’m a huge fan of their products and with Cinco De Mayo just around the corner, I’ll be sharing recipes all week using the cheeses. I’m not a master of authentic Mexican cuisine, but I love Mexican ingredients and flavors and use them often in fusion dishes like this one. 

Stuffed Arancini Recipe (Stuffed and Fried Risotto Balls)

If you entertain as much as we do, you'll find this masala burger-stuffed arancini a great help when you're preparing a cocktail party. This appetizer is prepared in three steps: first making risotto, which I flavored with delicious saffron our friend Jasmine brought back from Iran (Thanks! I love you, Jasmine!), then preparing masala-flavored beef and Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) and finally forming and frying the stuffed risotto balls (arancini).

I serve these with a bowl of marinara sauce: the acidity of the sauce balances the richness of the risotto balls nicely.

Meyer Lemon Risotto Recipe

This is the time of the year when my husband Lulu brings me lots and lots of citrus from our garden. I'm always most excited about the lemons from our Meyer lemon tree. If you go to the market, you'll notice how expensive this variety of lemon is. It was such a treat when Lulu came inside a couple of days ago with about 50 Meyer lemons. It’s a small dwarf tree and hasn’t produced nearly as much in the past, but boy did it make up for it this year!

In honor of our bounty, I have a few recipes I’m going to dust off and make, such as Meyer lemon mousse, lemon curd, lemon cake and a few jars of marmalade. I also tried to  think of a savory dish I could make, and Lulu suggested I adapt the lemon pasta sauce I made in the past (that recipe in turn was from Ina Garten) and turn it into a risotto. 

This evening, I made the Meyer lemon flavored risotto and it was such a hit. I used a combination of garlic, shallots, butter and half and half in the dish, so really, how could it go wrong?

Sweet Potato Risotto Recipe

With Valentine's Day coming up soon, I thought I'd share with you an easy gourmet potato dish. This recipe didn't make it to my "Haute Potato" cookbook, but it is one of my favorites, nonetheless.

Sweet potatoes are roasted then added to pre-cooked Arborio rice. The finishing touch fot his risotto is a dollop of truffle butter. I recently discovered Thierry Farges' Aux Délices des Bois brand of truffle butter at the Fancy Food Show, and it's amazingly flavorful. You should definitely give this a try! 

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto (Ajvar Recipe)

This risotto recipe gets its rich flavor and color from ajvar, a Serbian mix of puréed roasted bell peppers, eggplant, garlic and chiles. It’s very versatile, easy to make and stores very well.

I prepared the sauce a day in advance. You'll likely have some leftover ajvar after making the risotto, which can be used on toast or as filling in puff pastry appetizers.