Creamy Shrimp and Vegetable Risotto

I love making risotto, especially when I am home with my family. People often get nervous making risotto because they feel like it might be difficult or will take too much time. As long as you cook it on low to medium heat and keep adding the liquid in slowly, the rice will cook and turn into a creamy and delicious dish. I have tried various proteins and vegetable combinations, but this one is my favorite!

 

What You Need:

2 Cups of Arborio Rice

2 Tablespoons Butter, Separated

1/2 Cup of White Wine

5-6 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Bag of Spinach, Chopped

Package of Mushrooms, Chopped

Olive Oil

1 Pound of Shrimp, Uncooked

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Basil

What To Do:

In a large saucepan, add in the Arborio rice and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat to toast the rice.

Add in the white wine, salt and pepper to taste while stirring constantly.

When the wine is absorbed, slowly add in 1/2 cup of chicken or veggie stock. Keep stirring and when that is absorbed, continue adding in 1/2 cup of broth until the rice is no longer crunchy and is smooth. Sometimes you will need a little less broth or more.

While the rice is cooking, in another saucepan, add in a drizzle of olive oil and spinach. Season with salt and pepper and when the spinach is cooked, transfer to a plate. Drizzle on some more olive oil and cook the mushrooms. Transfer to a plate when finished and add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and when the shrimp starts to turn pink on the one side, flip them over. Undercook the shrimp a bit because the shrimp will finish cooking in the risotto. Cut the shrimp and add to the risotto when all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft.

Add the vegetables and stir to incorporate all the ingredients. Add in the rest of the butter and a sprinkle or two of Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle the top with some fresh basil and a pinch of cheese. Enjoy!

Foil Baked Tilapia

Tilapia is a very versatile fish. It takes on whatever flavors you pair it with. I find it fun to play around with different flavor combinations and types of vegetables mixed in.

What You Need:

Tilapia

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

Spinach

Lemon or Lime Juice

Olive Oil (or any type you prefer)

Trader Joes 12 Spice Seasoning

Salt and Pepper

Foil

 

What To Do:

Make a foil dish/pocket for your tilapia. Pour a little olive oil on the bottom and layer on top a bed of spinach. Remember that the spinach will decrease in size, so add extra.

Put a handful of tomatoes on top of the spinach. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Coat the tilapia with seasoning (as much as you would like) and put it on top of the vegetables. Add a few drops of lemon or lime juice and cook at 400 for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your tilapia).

When it is done (fish is flakey when you put a fork in it), you can eat it right out of the foil dish or place it on rice. A nice sauce will form from the juicy tomatoes, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Enjoy 🙂

xoxo Jenn

Crunchy Breaded Tilapia

I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Holiday Season!  Happy New Year! Sorry for the lack of posts lately but I have been super busy with the holidays.  I have some great recipes that were tested during the month of December and I can’t wait to share them! 

I love seafood! Thank goodness I am not allergic to seafood (knock on wood!).   My mom has discovered that if you put on a thin layer of mayonnaise on the tilapia (and you can do this with chicken), it helps keep the moisture in.

 

What You Need:

Tilapia

Mayonnaise

Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I like to season my bread crumbs with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. (I don’t really measure this mixture. It depends on how much you are making but typically I will do two parts bread crumbs and one part parmesan cheese).

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the tilapia (both sides) and put in the bread crumbs.

Sprinkle a thin layer of olive oil in your pan and put the tilapia on top. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil on top and cook for about 20 minutes. You know the tilapia is done when the bread crumbs are crunchy and the fish is flaky.

I paired the tilapia with a delicious salad that has kale, slaw, lettuce, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon with a citrus white balsamic. Yum!