Grilled London Broil with Mushroom Risotto

"I have always been a little hesitant to make risotto. Between watching Gordon Ramsay on Hell’s Kitchen scream at his chefs over the risotto and people telling me horror stories of how time consuming it is, I just stayed away from it. But today I took on the challenge and I have to say, it is time consuming but it tastes sooooo good. It went perfectly with my husband’s grilled London broil. So if I can conquer my risotto-making fear, you can too!" —Jennifer

For the London broil you'll need:

1 ½ pound London broil

½ cup Ken’s Honey Teriyaki Sauce

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper

Mix the ingredients and marinate the meat for one hour in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before putting it on the grill. Grill over medium heat for 17 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

For the risotto you'll need (serves 5):

1 ½ cups Arborio rice for risotto

5 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 small shallots, chopped

½ pound bell mushrooms, chopped

1/3 cup white table wine

4 tbsp olive oil

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp butter

Parmigano cheese grated

Chives for garnish

Heat the chicken stock in a pot. 

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the mushrooms.

Cook mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a pinch of garlic powder until brown.

Remove the mushrooms to a bowl with the liquid

In the same sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the shallots. Cook until clear.

Add the rice. When rice is almost golden add the wine.  Mix until it’s absorbed.

Using a soup ladle, add the broth, one ladle at a time.  You must continuously mix the rice, adding  broth as the liquid is absorbed. 

Once all the broth is gone and the rice is al dente, remove the pan from the heat. Add the mushrooms, butter, and parmigano cheese. Mix well.

Add the chives for garnish and serve immediately. Enjoy! 

Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts

On Sundays, Evan and I like to take a trip to Corrado’s Market in Wayne (NJ) to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables for the week. We usually pick up our weekly staples—apples, bananas, tomatoes, onions, peppers, you get the idea. But once in a while (OK, just about every time) I’ll grab something not on the list...especially if it's on sale. A few weeks ago it was sliced eggplant and this week it was Brussels sprouts. I think it was a happy reminder that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit! —Diana

You’ll need:

About 1 lb Brussels sprouts

Olive oil, enough to coat

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Pine nuts, about a handful

Smoked paprika, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the ends of the sprouts and cut in half longways. (If some of the outer leaves fall off, don’t discard them. Use them too!)

Place in large bowl and coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your judgment for the amount. I like more salt and less pepper.

Spread on baking sheet and cook on center rack for about 20 minutes, turning the sprouts over or giving the baking sheet a shake after 10 minutes. After 20 minutes add the pine nuts. If you add them at the beginning they will burn. Or you can brown the pine nuts on the stove top and then add them to the Brussels sprouts when they come out of the oven.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes, checking often. The sprouts should be dark brown when done.

Thanks Michelle for introducing me to the sweet flavor
of smoked paprika

A friend recently gave me a sample of smoked paprika, which has a slight sweet taste, so I sprinkled just a little bit on top before serving. These little sprouts barely made it to the table!