Goblins in My Kitchen.... And a Steel Cut Oat Risotto Recipe

Happy Halloween, everyone! Halloween is one of my FAVORITE days, but this year I'm kind of bummed because #1) I have to work late tomorrow and will miss the throngs of children that haunt my neighborhood one day a year and #2) I don't have anything even remotely resembling an excuse to dress up. So I guess my witch hat will just gather some dust until next year.

Tonight I think I was visited by goblins in during my dinner prep. On the menu: sirloin steak and organic brown rice risotto with peas. After weeping my way through onion chopping, I measured my rice into the pan. As you do with risotto, I stirred the dry rice with the onions for a couple of minutes before adding the dash of white wine. But I kept noticing these little black specs that can only be described as miniature mouse droppings. So I kind of freaked out and even Googled "black specs in rice." Deciding that something was NOT right, I pulled out the bag of rice and poured it into a large glass bowl. At this point I discovered the rice was INFESTED with these tiny black bugs. I have to admit that I'd put so much time in prep to this point that I actually had the split second urge to count them as an extra source of protein and continue, but my better judgement took hold and I dumped the whole pan into the garbage.

If I'm nothing else, I think I'm resourceful so I scoured my cabinets (almost completely bare of because of my quest to eat mostly unprocessed foods) and found a container of steel cut oats. So here is my recipe for steel-but oat risotto (which I honestly think turned out better than a brown rice version would have!)

2 cups uncooked steel cut oats
32 oz. (approx.) chicken stock, warmed in a separate pan
dash of white wine (maybe 1/4 cup? I don't measure)
1-2 onions
fresh or frozen peas (uncooked)
one lemon
pat of butter
good quality Parmesan cheese
salt (I didn't need it) and pepper

Melt butter in pan over med-low heat. Add onions and sweat them (you don't want them brown, just soft) for about 5 minutes. Add oats and stir around for another 5 minutes. Add dash of white wine and stir until it's absorbed. Start adding broth (about a ladle at a time until it's absorbed) and stir constantly for about 15-20 minutes. When oats are creamy and al-dente, add peas. Squeeze in half your lemon, grate pepper and grate your cheese (however cheesy you like it.) YUM! I'd say it stands up to arborio rice any day.

I have had a SUPER productive day. I got up this morning and made a huge batch of peppermint and tea tree soap, did my grocery shopping, went for a 2.5 mile run (it was SO beautiful outside,) chopped and froze my weekly supply of veggies (makes cooking easier through the week,) and made tonight's dinner plus a giant pot of bean soup for tomorrow's dinner. The one thing I DIDN'T do (yet) is paint. Above is my latest finished painting... yes, I KNOW it is another vase. I'm going to force myself to branch out and at least try to resist the urge to add another vase to my series, but I "see" in shapes and colors and I just keep gravitating back to the same idea. But it's time to move on. And so I shall.

Okay! I just remembered I forgot my laundry in the washer! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Halloween and don't get turned into a frog.

Renee :)