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. 

Pepper Poppers

If you've been following my culinary adventures for a while, you probably know that Daddy's (my father-in-law) diet revolves around anything spicy. So he rarely eats the French dishes (except for the desserts) or Vietnamese meals I prepare for the rest of our family. So today, I prepared pepper popper appetizers. Who doesn't like fried food? Not even Daddy could say no. I prepared mild ones using mini tri-colored peppers and jalapeno peppers, and a couple of really spicy ones just for him.

Mini peppers are hollowed out, stuffed with a cheese mixture, breaded and deep-fried. You can't go wrong!

Roast Beef Pot Pie Recipe

As I expected, two people weren't able to finish the 1½ pound pot roast I prepared yesterday. So what to do with the leftovers? Make pot pie, of course! Especially since it's National Pot Pie Month.

I took the leftover beef and gravy and added frozen peas and carrots. I used store-bought puff pastry and made pot pies. The flakiness from the crust and the creamy filling made the most delicious meal. I prepared them in individual metal tins so each person gets more puff pastry. How could anyone resist?

I served the pot pies with whole baby corn. I was able to find some at my local Asian market despite the season (check for Melissa's baby corn brand).  

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.

Mac and Cheese Shepherd's Pie Recipe

We've been experiencing rainy days in the Bay Area and I thought a little comfort food would warm us up. I couldn't decide between a shepherd's pie or mac and cheese, so I went for a combination of the two.

To keep the dish vegetarian, I prepared the bottom layer with a mixture of vegetarian protein crumble, tomatoes and onions; you could opt for regular ground beef if you prefer. Instead of topping the dish with mashed potatoes as you would in a standard shepherd's pie recipe, I added creamy mac and cheese. Needless to say, the richness of the dish was a huge hit even baby Aria asked for more!