spring dinner Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

I just wanted to squeeze in a quick post since we haven’t had any this week! My husband accidentally left our DSLR in the trunk of his car earlier this week and today our laptop is getting a little TLC at the Apple store. My mom also was visiting us earlier this week. Is that enough excuses for you because I’m sure I could come up with a few more?

I made this meal plan for this week starting on Monday. We have started to get some warmer days in so I have included a lot more fish and grilling recipes than I did for the winter. I’ve already made the salmon burgers and fish tacos this week and they were both really, really good! I will definitely be making them both again hopefully many times this upcoming summer. I’m also looking forward to trying some new recipes in the second half of the week.

Day 1: Salmon Burgers with Lemon Dill Mayo from The Picky Palate Cookbook
Day 2: Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Aioli, side of chips and guacamole from Tide and Thyme (I have linked to this recipe before- you must try it soon if you have not already!)
Day 3: Take-out (late afternoon doctor’s appointment)
Day 4: Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce and Garlic Rice Pilaf, from Annie’s Eats
Day 5: Spice-Rubbed NY Strip Steaks with Avocado Lime Salsa and Corn Muffins from Cooking Light, April 2013
Day 6: Panko-Crusted Cod with Tomato Basil Relish from Cooking Light, April 2013
Day 7: Chili Lime Shrimp Skewers over Garlic Butter Quinoa from The Picky Palate Cookbook

What’s on your menu for the week? Are you passing over the soup recipes yet and trading them in for some grilling time?

This is one of my favorite recipes that I make. Not necessarily my favorite to make, but it’s my favorite to eat after I prepare it. For those of you that have made risotto before, you know that it is labor-intensive but the end result are something to feel proud about. I have made this recipe a bunch of times but never during the daylight to be able to get a good photo of it. My favorite main course to make with this particular risotto is Chicken Francese. I’ll give you my recipe in a future post.

Today I made the asparagus risotto for lunch for my boyfriend and me, which was the first time I have made it on it’s own. It was delicious as ever and even filling as the main entree. Risottos at restaurants can get really unhealthy with the abundance of creams and cheeses that are commonly in them. You don’t need all that to make a good risotto. This recipe is actually one of the healthiest recipes I have made of risotto and it tastes like it is loaded with cream and cheese. The lemon juice and zest add a great lemony flavor to the risotto, but is not overwhelming.

Asparagus Risotto

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Serves: 6- One Cup

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus
1 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine
zest from 1 lemon
4 cups of fat free chicken broth
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by rinsing the asparagus, breaking off the tough bottoms and cutting into ½ inch pieces. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep on the side. Blanch asparagus pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately drain asparagus and then submerge into ice water; set aside.
In a Dutch oven or medium sized pot melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add onions to butter and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add in rice and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in lemon juice and wine, stir until evaporated. In a separate pot, bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a simmer, keep on low heat.
Add ½ cup of broth at a time and continuously stir until absorbed. Repeat, a half cup at a time stirring constantly, until there is no more broth remaining. This should take about 20 minutes for all the broth to be absorbed. The rice will be creamy yet slightly chewy. Mix in Parmesan cheese until combined. Then stir in asparagus and lemon zest, and then salt and pepper to taste .

Weight Watchers Points Plus- 5 PointsPlus per serving

Source- Adapted from Weight Watchers Online and Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book
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