Oyster Mushroom Risotto

I made this for a dinner party Eric and I had last night and there was none left over *so sad*. Typically, risotto is made with rice, but I was running low so I added orzo to the mix as well. I think this is the recipe -- kind of threw it together last night, so you might need to add more liquid if you find rice/pasta sticking or it is not creamy enough.

Oyster Mushroom Risotto
1/4 yellow onion finely diced
1/4 purple onion finely diced
6 garlic cloves finely diced
1 pound oyster mushroom (or any other mushroom)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
2 tbsp olive oil (I used garlic flavored)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup orzo
1 1/2 cup short grain rice
2 1/2 cups no-chicken broth (after reducing, it was slightly more than 2 cups)
3 cups water
5 asparagus (cut into bite size pieces)
1 cup frozen peas
parmesan cheese (or vegan)
seasoning (I added salt, pepper, and italian seasoning at the end with the parmesan)

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I prepared the mushroom mixture a couple of hours before the risotto

* heat olive oil. brown onion and garlic for 5 minutes on medium heat.
* add sugar and lid mixture for 10 minutes.
* clean and chop large chunks of mushroom.
* remove lid and add mushrooms to pan to brown.
* add butter, wine, soy sauce to deglaze pan.
* add 1 cup of water.
* reduce mixture by half on low heat.

* heat no-chicken broth in pan. boil and reduce for 10 minutes, set aside.
* add mushroom mixture to large skillet on medium heat.
* add orzo and rice to brown.
* add 1 cup of no-chicken broth and 1 cup of water. stir until most liquid is absorbed
* add asparagus and peas.
* add 1 cup of no-chicken broth and 1 cup of water. lid mixture and simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.
* uncover and stir. taste rice/pasta. cook until tender.
* once ready, uncover and mix parmesan (or vegan) into risotto. mixture should be creamy and delicious!

it's been a while...

yea yea i know i know...

been up to a lot of things:
- in the middle of my project
- working on finishing my last classes
- worked at our first user's conference (rave reviews)
- still working on yummy recipes

i'll update later with more info!

happy two-year to me and eric

eric and i have been together for two years. we have a wonderful afternoon planned which includes bbqing at one-mile and beers. afterwards, maybe a scrabble tournament with some of our friends. but first? must work on master's paper.

yes we can

while i'm still on the proverbial democratic fence for a president candidate - i love this video for obama. thanks amber for the link!

Banning of Hallmark Meat Packing Beef

This week, a story was revealed that a slaughterhouse in Chino, CA (not CHICO!) shows cruelty to "downer" cows (cows that are not able to walk on their own and usually left for dead) being shocked, dragged, and kick then processed for meat consumption (the jury is still out if this part is true). The video was taken by the Humane Society uncover agents and it's graphic. raw. heartbreaking.

I choose not to eat meat because I believe this is not an isolated case and this type of activity is more common than any one would want to think. What do you think happens to animals when they are processed for food? They don't just go to sleep and we gently cut them into small packages that stack nicely in the super markets cases.

While the treatment upsets me, I'm glad that it's getting some kind of publicity. I am hopeful that it will educate some people about the treatment of animals, maybe enough to not eat meat for a few days.


"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace."
Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

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link to news artcile: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/30/ST2008013001224.html

why i love working from home

the top ten reasons why i love working from home.

10. client's don't know that you haven't changed out of your pjs.
9. you can still wear you pjs even if you are in a web cam presentation (waist up baby!)
8. the commute is less than a minute.
7. i can forward my office phone to my blackberry and still keep up on calls/emails while i'm running errands.
6. no temptation to go out to lunch.
5. my office assistants are my cats.
4. no annoying "drop bys" from people i don't want to see.
3. i can yell, sing loudly, or pass wind without bothering anyone else (except my office assistants)
2. on my breaks, i can take a nap in my own bed.

and the number one reason?

1. i can compose lists like these as long as my work is done.

amazing veggie stew

i've been having a hankering for some type of veggie stew and came across this recpie and decided to try it out with a few variations:

• added zucchini and mushrooms


• did not use the turnip or celery


• substituted leeks for the onion


• browned the veggies (except peas) before adding any liquid


• used no-chicken chicken broth (no tomato like most veggie broths)


• added about 6 cups of the no-chicken broth and 2 additional cups of water


• made a bouquet of sage and added it with the bay leaves (tied a bunch of sage together with a long green part of the leek


• did not use the tamari

verdict: omg was this delish and EASY! the hardest part was cutting all the veggies and not opening the lid after the dumplings were added. eric and i could not believe how tasty this dish was and he didn't miss the chicken at all. i served it with a pinot grigio and it was perfect.

this made about 7 large servings at a measly 4 points a serving. so worth it.