Tag: red wine vinegar

Categories
Main Dish Side Dish

Prepare to be mesme‘riced’ by creamy risotto

Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.
Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.

Joey and I have a shared joke when we go out to eat about which one of us “won” dinner, especially when we’re trying someplace new.

A few weeks ago, Joey definitely won. He ordered a special that included fish (which I was not all that interested in) on top of an absolutely amazing mushroom and roasted red pepper risotto.

It was creamy and flavorful, and before we pulled into the driveway at home, I had already managed to find a similar-looking recipe online to try.

Plus, this crossed something off my food bucket list, since the first time I tried to make risotto, it ended up being a little crunchy and not the deliciously creamy rice dish it was supposed to be. This was going to be my risotto redemption.

I found this recipe on the blog “The Genetic Chef” by Natalie Gregory. You can find the original post at https://www.thegeneticchef.com/red-pepper-risotto/. I added extra garlic in my version.

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Red Pepper Risotto

Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword apple butter, Arborio rice, chicken stock, dry white wine, fresh garlic, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, red bell pepper, red wine vinegar, risotto, sweet onion, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 cups chicken stock divided
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • About 20 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to start the risotto, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the whole peppers on it.
  • Turn your oven broiler on high, and place the peppers under it, letting the peppers char. Turn them to char them on all sides. (Watch them carefully.)
  • When they’re charred all the way around, carefully place them in a glass bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it set until they’re cool enough to handle easily.
  • When you’re ready to start, pull off as much of the charred skin as you can, slice the peppers into quarters and remove the stem and seeds.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until they are soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic and saute for a couple minutes.
  • While the onions cook, add the peppers and approximately half of the stock to a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the rice into the skillet with the onions, and stir to coat it in the remaining oil.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high, and pour in the wine. Stirring regularly, let the wine completely evaporate, and then add in the pepper/stock mixture.
  • Pour the rest of the stock into the food processor/blender cup to rinse the rest of the peppers out of it, and pour it into the skillet, as well.
  • Add salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Stir in the red wine vinegar.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally and letting it cook for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
  • We sauteed some sliced baby bella mushrooms and shrimp and served that on top of our risotto to make it a full meal.

This was really, really good. Roasting the peppers added a ton of flavor to the dish, and the risotto came out creamy and starchy and delicious. It was a great pairing for the shrimp and mushrooms.

It would also be great if you wanted to slice up and saute some rope sausage. Also, if you’re into spice, you might want to add some cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch.

I told Joey this would have to make an appearance for a dinner party sometime. It felt luxurious and was a great meal.

Joey might have “won” dinner when we were out at the restaurant, but we were both winners while eating this risotto at home—and we didn’t even need to leave a tip.

This piece first appeared in print March 27, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Salad Side Dish

Customizable pasta dish is worth every ‘penne’

Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.
Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.

I’ve written before that I have some random, mostly mild food allergies that make certain recipes difficult for me.

Specifically, tomatoes cause me trouble, and I have to limit how often I include them in my diet, no matter how much I love them.

Because of that, I’m sympathetic to readers who sometimes email me and ask if I’d be willing to throw something gluten free or dairy free into the paper so they can try a new recipe, too. I definitely sympathize with people who have much more serious food intolerances than I do; it’s tough to keep food interesting.

With that said, the recipe I included this week can easily be made gluten free, dairy free and vegan, if you so desire. You’ll only need to do a few quick swaps or deletions to make it happen, and it’s all ingredients that you can easily find in your local grocery store.

This comes from the blog “Strength and Sunshine” by Rebecca Pytell. You can find the original post at https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-greek-pasta-salad-vegan/. I changed up the ingredients and proportions a bit and added extra garlic, too.

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Greek Pasta Salad

Greek pasta salad is extremely customizable for all kinds of diets and preferences, with lots of fresh vegetables and a light, flavorful dressing.
Course Salad
Keyword black olives, English cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, gluten-free, green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, mozzarella, oregano, penne pasta, red bell pepper, red onion, red wine vinegar, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 English cucumber cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces black or Kalamata olives halved
  • 16 ounces mozzarella cheese cubed
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare all of the vegetables and cheese and add to a very large serving bowl.
  • While you prepare the veggies, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain it and run cold water over the pasta.
  • Add the cold, drained pasta to the bowl and stir to combine the ingredients.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper with a fork, and then pour it over top of the pasta mixture.
  • Toss to evenly coat all of the ingredients with the oil mixture, cover, and let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Serve cold or at room temperature, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

If you go to the original recipe author for this, you’ll notice that I left a pint of tomatoes out of my version (for obvious reasons). I also decided to use whole grain pasta in mine, which made me feel like it was a bit healthier, too.

This was a great lunch, and it makes a ton of food. I’ve been eating on this salad all week long for lunch, and it’s been fabulous. It is lightly dressed and has lots of different flavors with all the vegetables.

I also hope it fits the bill for something new for those of you who have some food intolerances. With the weather warming up, a good pasta salad is a great recipe to have on hand, and nobody should have to miss out on a good lunch.

This piece first appeared in print on April 14, 2022.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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