shrimp risotto with bacon and corn

Back during the heat of summer I made this dish.  It was 101° and the heat index was 110°.  I hadn't been cooking much because I just didn't feel like it.  But this day I was hungry for something different and in the mood for rice.  I wanted to make a pot pie recipe I found but didn't have puff pastry on hand so I decided on this.  I had just bought some fresh local corn, and I had all the rest of the ingredients for this dish.  This turned out so good, will make it again, but maybe leave out the bacon.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chicken broth (or as needed)

4 slices bacon, halved widthwise then lengthwise into 4 mini slices each (16 pieces)

12 jumbo shrimp (16-20 count), peeled, deveined and tails removed

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup corn kernels, if fresh, blanched or thawed if frozen

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cayenne pepper, to taste

1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Place broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Cook bacon strips in a sauté, frying or other shallow pan over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving bacon drippings. Crumble half of the strips into small pieces. Reserve remaining strips for garnish.

Season shrimp with salt and black pepper. Add shrimp to bacon drippings and cook 1-2 minutes per side or until pink and firm. Transfer to the plate with the bacon. Wipe out pan.

Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the onion 4-5 minutes or until softened, being careful not to brown the onion. Add the red bell pepper and cook 2-3 more minutes.

Stir in the garlic and rice and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring slowly but constantly, until the rice is slightly translucent, being careful not to brown it. Add the wine and cook, stirring until evaporated. Add the chicken broth in stages, about a full soup ladle at a time and continuing to stir until the rice is creamy and has reached the al dente stage, about 18 to 20 minutes. (You may not need all the broth.)

Stir in the crumbled bacon, shrimp, corn kernels, heavy cream, cayenne pepper, cheese and parsley. Heat through. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with bacon strips. Serve immediately with more grated cheese if desired.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
Donna

Chocolate, coconut cranberry bundt cake

I have so many whole cranberries in the freezer I'm always looking for something new to do with them.  This cake sounded really yummy.  I took this to my friends house one Saturday back in September when I went to her house for one of our crafting sessions.  I always try to bring some sort of treat because my friend really doesn't like to bake.

Adapted from the here
ingredients:

1.5 cup all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 lemons -zest only 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups fresh cranberries -or dried (I used frozen whole and cooked down, then cooled") 6 oz dark chocholate -roughly, chopped (use what you like) 1 package  cream cheese -softened 3/4 cup coconut oil 1.25 cup sugar 1.5 tsp vanilla extract 3 eggs - Pam Baking spray -for greasing pan before the icing

Instructions: 

1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, lemon zest, shredded coconut, salt, cranberries and chocolate. Lay to one side for later. Spray bundt pan with Pam. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In stand mixer, mix cream cheese and coconut oil until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add sugar to cream cheese mixture and blend until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add vanilla & coconut extract to mixture and blend about 30 seconds or so.
5. Add eggs (one at a time) to mixture, blending each until just combined.
6. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, blending until just combined, about 1-2 minutes.
7. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake about 60 minutes, or until wooden skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for about 30-40 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire rack. 

Icing:

4 oz soft cream cheese

1/2 cp confectionery sugar (make as tart of sweet as you like)

2/3 TBL soft butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 TBL half n half

Combine above for icing, mix with electric mixer  and get to the consistency you like.

This was an easy and great cake to make.  Will probably make it again sometime.

Thanks for stopping by,  have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to DO ALL the things You L♥ve.

Donna