dinner recipe – T.W.O.

With the holidays being over, cooking sounds like the last thing to do. Well not for T.W.O.! We are excited to share recipes with you and this year we are kicking off the Recipe of the Day with Meyer Lemon Risotto. A co-worker gifted this fabulous Buvette cookbook during a Christmas exchange. It is one of her favorite restaurants in New York (also in Paris) and we can’t wait to go to Buvette after making this fabulous dish. T.W.O. added mushrooms to our dish to step it up. Flavor not needed though if you don’t like mushrooms. Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Risotto

(as seen in the Buvette cookbook)

Ingredients:
– 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
– 1 shallot, chopped
– 1 cup risotto rice (or Arborio)
– 1/4 cup dry white wine
– 3-4 cups boiling water
– 2 Meyer lemons
– 1 sprig fresh basil
– 1 small box of crimnini mushrooms, sliced
– 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano
– Salt

Directions:
1. Warm 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns opaque and starts to make a popping noise. (1-2 minutes)
3. Add the white wine and pinch of salt. Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated. (about 2 minutes)
4. Add a cup of boiling water and cook, stirring continuously, until the water has nearly evaporated. Add more water when the surface of the rice is coated with small bubbles. Repeat with the second cup of water and add the lemon zest and mushrooms.
5. Add a third cup of water and the basil sprig and cook until the liquid is almost gone. Test the rice and make sure it is cooked. If not, add some more water. This process should take about 20 minutes.
6. Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and add the cheese. Season the risotto with salt and pepper and serve!

Standing in the fresh produce section and thinking to ourselves, what shall T.W.O. make for dinner tonight?! Well, it’s November and the weather in Southern California is 85 degree so all these Fall recipes didn’t sound appetizing in this heat. We walked down the aisles and decided on lettuce wraps. Random? Maybe! It was a good choice though for this warm night. Below is a simple recipe for those “what to cook nights?” that will have your family wanting seconds.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
– red leaf cabbage
– ground turkey
– crimini mushrooms
– 2 cups rice noodles
– white rice (cooked)
– 1 cup shredded carrots
– 3 cloves garlic
– 1/2 Maui sweet onion, chopped
– 2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
– 1/4 cup green onions, diced

For the Spicy Peanut Sauce:
– 1/2 cup Justin’s Peanut Butter
– Juice from 1 lemon
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1 1/2 Tablespoons sriracha
– 2 Tablespoons almond or cocnut milk
– 1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
– 1/4-1/2 cup hot water (depending on desired consistency)

Directions:
1. In a pan sauté the onions and garlic. Add the ground turkey. Cook until done.
2. While the ground turkey is cooking, prep the peanut sauce. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add more or less water depending n desired consistency. Set aside.
3. Cook the rice noodles as directed. Set aside.
4. Chop the green onions and wash the cabbage.
5. Assemble the lettuce wraps with the noodles, turkey mixture and top with the peanut sauce and green onions. Add the white rice to the plate.