Tonight I decided to make the Orange-Balsamic Chicken and Lemon Risotto that Mary over at Life in a Small Town told us about earlier in the week. These were originally Rachael Ray recipes so this afternoon I went to the Food Network website and studied the recipes to make sure that I had everything that I needed and to read some of the reviews for any tips on preparation.
I gathered the ingredients for the chicken together....
We normally only eat white meat chicken around here but I had some wonderful boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I thought would be perfect for this dish....and I was right. I didn't have poultry seasoning so I left that out. I seasoned the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper only. I used spinach instead of arugula and I used some marmalade that mother-in-law recently made instead of buying that at the store. I'm not sure if it was just orange or if it was a combination of citrus fruits. Either way, it worked just fine. The chicken was fabulous.
Next for the risotto.....
When I gathered my ingredients for the risotto, I realized that I didn't have any fresh mint. The reviews on the Food Network site were mixed on whether or not this was a good addition so I wasn't too concerned about not having any. I had everything else. The reviews were, also, mixed about the amount of lemon used in the dish. The majority seemed to think that it was way too tart so they recommended scaling back the amount of juice and fruit added. I went ahead and took their advice knowing that we wouldn't want it to be too "lemon-y". I only used the juice of half of a lemon instead of the whole one. I ended up using all of the fruit of the lemon; but, in retrospect, I might have enjoyed it more if I had only used half of that at the most. Next time I might even leave the fruit of the lemon out and just use the zest and juice. I love tangy lemon in desserts and on seafood; but for other dishes, I enjoy a more subtle lemon flavor.
Mary's son plated his a lot prettier than I did mine! |
I was thinking during dinner that the risotto would be perfect for risotto cakes. The tangy lemon would be perfect coated in panko. I think it would be wonderful with some sort of seafood....maybe the roasted shrimp that I've been seeing around the blogosphere or broiled scallops or even grilled fish. I have some leftover risotto so I might try to make a few cakes tomorrow and see how they turn out. I'll let you know.
Thanks, Mary, for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. I'm definitely going to make this again.
Have a great weekend!
This sounds delicious! I love orange glazed chicken and I really like risotto. This looks like something I will have to make. Havae a great night my friend!
ReplyDeleteMama Hen
Lemon Risotto? Sounds delicious! Have a great weekend!! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed that you made these on a hot plate! They sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteYou are a culinary dynamo!! I couldn't fix all that in a fully equipped kitchen, much less on a hot plate! Looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteBoy, does this look and sound delicious. I love orange! We're having your 'grilled chicken pesto' tonight for dinner. I was hoping to have it earlier, but I'm just not getting to it. Can't wait! :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, you really made me want a bite ! !
ReplyDelete{{{HUGS}}...ps...I think I will keep Uncle D around another 48 years...lol
Oh Girlfriend, it's a good thing I just had lunch 'cause otherwise looking at your photos would have made me hungry! It looks wonderful and I bet it was. (Did I miss something...why are you having to cook on a hot plate?)
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend.
Hugs,
Kat
This looks out of this world good!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you're making meals like this on a hot plate ~ kudos! It all looks so good.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Pat
Glad it worked out! I don't think YS put in the meat of the lemon...not real sure, though, since I didn't watch him make it!
ReplyDelete