Risotto is a side dish originating from Northern Italy consisting of rice, parmesan cheese, white wine, and vegetable stock. This dish is very versatile and is really up to the chef’s creation for adding or subtracting ingredients. For having such simple ingredients risotto is one of the harder dishes to make. It takes a lot of focused attention for a long time, but this dish is worth the wait.

I chose to do garlic parmesan risotto, because there are no two better flavors that complement the foods of Italy. I started with four cups of vegetable stock; chicken stock can be used, I decided to make my dish vegetarian. The recipe that I followed required half of a medium onion, four cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of butter, four cups of vegetable stock, a fourth cup of dry white wine, one cup of arborio rice, one cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, three tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley. 

To begin heat the vegetable stock in microwave, and keep it warm. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until fragrant. After that add the garlic and cook for just one minute longer. Add the rice to the skillet, then quickly add the white wine to coat the rice. Let rice simmer until the wine is absorbed. Add one ladle full of stock and stir frequently until absorbed. Repeat this until almost all the stock has been used. When the last ladle of stock is used add parsley. Only let the stock halfway absorb then add the parmesan cheese. Let the rest of the stock absorb and cheese melt until creamy, not soupy. Serve with an extra garnish of parsley and parmesan.

The next time I use this recipe I am going to add a little less parmesan, I thought the creaminess was overpowering. I am also going to try adding some mushrooms and use scallions instead of a white onion. Overall this recipe was really yummy

This bruschetta pasta salad has a twist of my own from the original recipe. The original recipe called for one pound of orecchiette pasta, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved, 1/4 cup of torn basil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper. The twist off this recipe is adding more balsamic vinegar and olive oil, adding onions, and garlic powder rather than minced garlic, and Italian seasoning.

To begin, in a large pot bring water to boil and cook 1 pound orecchiette pasta according to the directions on the package. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Feather cut half of a red onion and soak in the small bowl of the vinaigrette to caramelize. While the onions are marinating halve a pint of cherry tomatoes. In a large bowl combine the cooked orecchiette pasta, cherry tomatoes, onions, and vinaigrette. Mix well and add salt or garlic powder as needed. Add 1/4 cup of fresh torn basil for garnish. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve cold.

Make sure to add enough olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the seasonings will stick to the pasta. If this happens you will taste the individual seasoning itself rather than the seasonings as a whole.

This is a great side dish to almost any meal. I usually serve this dish at a barbeque during the warmer months. A refreshing colder dish that pairs well with good burger. 

As the weather gets cooler the farther we progress into fall, the weather is cooling down to the perfects temperatures to grill out. A perfect side dish to burgers or hot dogs is grilled brussel sprouts.

To make the brussel sprouts, wash them in a strainer, cut them in half and set aside. For the marinade in a large bowl combine three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one-fourth a cup of balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of grainy mustard or yellow mustard, two tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes (optional), and kosher salt to taste. Toss halved brussel sprouts in marinade until evenly coated. Thread brussel sprouts onto metal skewers.

Heat grill to high, and grill the sprouts turning them frequently. Cook for about ten minutes or until they are tender and cooked all the way through. Garnish with a fourth a cup of parmesan cheese while hot and on skewers so it can melt on the sprouts. After the sprouts are off the skewers, garnish with the other forth a cup of parmesan, and enjoy.

If you like a little spice I would definitely add a little of the crushed red pepper flakes, it adds a small hint of spice but it is not overpowering. One thing that I would change about this recipe is adding a little garlic salt. The pinch of regular kosher salt tasted fine but garlic salt or powder could enhance this dish. Also be sure to let the brussel sprouts sit and marinate for a few minutes in the bowl marinating, stirring every few minutes. They will naturally soak up the marinade evenly. An alternative to parmesan cheese is shredded mozzarella. I think that the mozzarella would melt better over the sprouts. These brussel sprouts do not have to be grilled outside. The first time I made these brussel sprouts I grilled them on skewers. The second time I made them I used a grill pan and cook them in the oven. They turned out almost the exact same but the oven baked sprouts were missing that smokey grill flavor. 

I made a basic vegetable fried rice with carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, eggs, celery and green onions. To begin, cook the white rice as directed on the package. Chill in the freezer, covered for 15-20 minutes. Hot rice will clump. In the meantime, chop up the vegetables. Heat pan on medium-high and place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic in the pan. Place the vegetables in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes or until flagrant. Add chilled fried rice into the pan with the veggies along with a tablespoon and a half of butter to fry the rice and vegetables. Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce to rice. Garnish with chopped, fresh parsley and serve hot. Add soy sauce or sesame oil to taste. This is my take from another recipe, the original used more butter. I thought the taste of butter was overpowering in the original recipe, so I switched from sauteeing the vegetables in butter to olive oil. I like fried rice because of how versatile of a dish it can be. I am a vegetarian so I kept all meat proteins out of this dish. If desired any protein can be added like shrimp, chicken, or beef to transform it to a new dish.

Crab rangoon would be a perfect side dish to complement this meal. I did not make crab ran goons for this dish but they are very simple to make. Personally I like to bake my crab ran goons rather than fry, so I feel less guilty when I eat them. All the ingredients needed is wonton wrappers, garlic salt, worcestershire sauce, green onion, imitation crab mean, and cream cheese. To bake the crab rangoon, mix all ingredients except wonton wrappers in a bowl. Put 2 teaspoons of the mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper, fold together to seal. Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.