We started the day off bright and early at 6 a.m. Wes got off of his night shift at that time and headed home to pick me up for some early morning breakfast before early morning church. We had breakfast at 7 at good ol' Cup and Saucer. It was quite fun to be out in the world at such an early hour for me and in a rather empty restaurant. Church at 8 a.m. was so awesome and emotional with a baptism and some very touching testimonies of faith.
After church we headed home for some sleep. Wes settled in for a good "night's" worth of sleep while I just took a much needed nap after getting less than 6 hours of sleep the night before. While Wes slept I made the dinner table pretty, went to the grocery store, and prepped for dinner (and dessert!)
On the Menu:
Grenache Wine
Roaster Asparagus bundles
Leek, Mushroom, and Lemon Risotto
Honeydew (way out of season I know, but surprisingly quite good)
and Tiramisu for dessert
We made Tiramisu for dessert last year and have decided to make it an Easter Tradition.
Bring on the Pictures:
Putting our Easter Bunny to good use:
Warm olives with wine before dinner:
Making the Tiramisu:
1 1/2 cups espresso, 1/2 cup rum, 30 ladyfingers, 6 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 16 oz Mascarpone and you have yourself Tiramisu:
The easter bunny (AKA 8 yr old neighbor Flora) knows our address. We found this in our mailbox!
mom-look-alike
Just a little chai while I decorate and prep for dinner
Our Fanciful water jug and wine
The meal = Superb
Oh and that's a roasted Scallion wrapped around the asparagus.
mm dessert mm
Thanks Sue and Greg for the wine!
Here is the risotto recipe:
Description: A delicious risotto, packed full of flavor, this is a great recipe for an informal supper with friends.
Ingredients:
8 oz trimmed leeks
3 cups brown-cap mushrooms (the mushrooms shrink up with the heat!)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves crushed
5 tbsp butter
1 large onion
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
5 cups HOT veg stock
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon (if its a big lemon only do 1/2 the juice don't go overboard!)
2/3 cup fresh grated parm cheese
4 tbsp mixed chopped fresh chives and flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash the Leeks well, slice in half lengthways and roughly chop. Wipe the mushrooms with paper towel and roughly chop.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the leeks, mushroooms and plenty of seasoning and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened and cooked through. Remove the ingredients from the pan and set aside.
3. Add 2 tbsp butter to the pan and cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let it brown. Once onions are in the pan start heating your broth in a separate pot.
4. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Stir in more liquid as each ladleful is absorbed 20-25 minutes. Keep the stock over a gentle heat; it should be hot when you add it to the rice. The risotto will turn thick and creamy and the rice should be tender. (Katie note: after stirring the broth in by ladleful I let the last ladleful sit in there for a couple of minutes to help cook the rice the last bit it needed. Just keep an eye on your rice to ensure it doesn't burn and that its almost tender.)
6. Just before serving, stir in the leeks, mushrooms, remaining butter, grated lemon rind and the lemon juice, half the parm cheese and herbs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve. Sprinkle some parm cheese and left over herbs on top, garnish with flat leaf parsley.
The End! Enjoy!
Description: A delicious risotto, packed full of flavor, this is a great recipe for an informal supper with friends.
Ingredients:
8 oz trimmed leeks
3 cups brown-cap mushrooms (the mushrooms shrink up with the heat!)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves crushed
5 tbsp butter
1 large onion
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
5 cups HOT veg stock
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon (if its a big lemon only do 1/2 the juice don't go overboard!)
2/3 cup fresh grated parm cheese
4 tbsp mixed chopped fresh chives and flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash the Leeks well, slice in half lengthways and roughly chop. Wipe the mushrooms with paper towel and roughly chop.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the leeks, mushroooms and plenty of seasoning and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened and cooked through. Remove the ingredients from the pan and set aside.
3. Add 2 tbsp butter to the pan and cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let it brown. Once onions are in the pan start heating your broth in a separate pot.
4. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add a ladleful of stock to the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Stir in more liquid as each ladleful is absorbed 20-25 minutes. Keep the stock over a gentle heat; it should be hot when you add it to the rice. The risotto will turn thick and creamy and the rice should be tender. (Katie note: after stirring the broth in by ladleful I let the last ladleful sit in there for a couple of minutes to help cook the rice the last bit it needed. Just keep an eye on your rice to ensure it doesn't burn and that its almost tender.)
6. Just before serving, stir in the leeks, mushrooms, remaining butter, grated lemon rind and the lemon juice, half the parm cheese and herbs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve. Sprinkle some parm cheese and left over herbs on top, garnish with flat leaf parsley.
The End! Enjoy!
