Sunday, January 24, 2010

Baked Potato Risotto, Sauteed Shiitakes, Breaded Tofu, Broccoli Puree, Roasted Endive


Baked Potato Risotto, Sauteed Shiitakes, Breaded Tofu, Broccoli Puree, Roasted Endive

A bountiful shopping trip led to this meal. The idea was to create a risotto with small diced potatoes in place of the arborio rice and flavor it with all the traditional baked potato toppings. The shiitakes were flavored with liquid smoke to emulate crispy bacon (preferably you would smoke the mushrooms yourself, but who am i kidding, thats not as simple as splashing some liquid smoke deliciousness all over the fried mushrooms). The roasted endive was sort of an afterthought but it turned out to be super delicious.

Baked Potato Risotto

1 small sweet onion, fine dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
splash of white wine
salt
4 starchy potatoes, cut into small dice (a bit bigger than rice)
vegetable stock
cashew cream ( 1/2 cup raw cashews pureed with 1 cup water)
green onions
chives
lemon juice
pepper

Saute the onions in garlic in a few glugs of olive oil over medium heat. After about 5 minutes deglaze the pan with the white wine, reduce for a few minutes, then add the potatoes. Season generously with salt. Then add just enough vegetable stock to cover but have some of the potatoes sticking out. Then let the potatoes cook until they absorb most of the broth, then add more broth and do the same again. Repeat until the potatoes are cooked through and a creamy sauce begins to form. Before serving, add the cashew cream, chives and green onions. Season with pepper and add a bit of lemon juice to cut the richness. Serve with smoky sauteed mushrooms.

Enjoy!