Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Mushroom and Thyme Risotto

This risotto was really delicious.  I made this yesterday and it came out wonderful. Once you get the risotto method down, you can make a risotto with almost any combination of ingredients.  In this recipe I used beef stock to give the risotto a rich flavor and darker color.  The mushrooms absorbed all of the wonderful flavors and the thyme was a nice complement. I served this with steak and it worked so well.  Don't be afraid to make your own risotto or check this one out, especially if you love mushrooms like me! 


Mushroom and Thyme Risotto
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4 cups beef broth (or stock for more flavor)
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- fresh thyme leaves
- 4 tbs butter, divided
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper


Start by prepping all of your ingredients, it will make everything much easier if you're ready to add them when you need them.  You'll need to dice the onion, slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and pull the thyme leaves from their stems.  Add the beef stock to a pot and heat over medium-high heat. You want this to be boiling or very close to it, so it can cook the rice immediately when it is introduced to the risotto.


Add 2 tbs of butter to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and half of your thyme; saute for about one minute.  


Once the garlic is fragrant, but not browned, add the rice to the pan. Stir so that the aromatics can infuse the rice, but do not let the rice brown.  


Pour the white wine into the pan and stir.  Allow all of the wine to evaporate, then add about 2/3 cup stock to the pan.  


Stir often, adding stock when the liquid in the pan has been absorbed by the rice.  Continue stirring and adding liquid until you have added all of the stock or the rice is cooked through.  

Swirl in the remaining butter and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with thyme and serve immediately. Serves 4. 

 source: Newlywed McGee original



Friday, January 7, 2011

Back to reality

And we're back... I've been MIA for a few days, as we've been gone on vacation. We're back now and it's back to work and reality now.

Last week, we spent a few days relaxing at my grandparent's beach house at Ocean Isle and then we flew to New York to visit Kevin's family.  I enjoyed getting to play around with my new camera while we were there.  There's never a shortage of sea gulls to photograph, especially if you have a piece of bread to entice them with.  They show up so quickly, even if there are none in sight!  Here are some pictures of our time there.







 I didn't take many pictures while we were in New York, but you can see one of us in the city below.  We had a great time and loved seeing lots of Kevin's family members.  We also ate some wonderful meals!  We're not very big on sightseeing & typical stuff in NYC (we've been many times before) so this time we decided we were mostly interested in eating and visiting cool restaurants, haha.  I'll blog soon about our experiences at two restaurants in the city... they were delish and awesome! :)

Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Year in Review

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  2010 was really a memorable one for us and so much has happened since last January 1st.  Here are some of the highlights, big and small that made our year so special.

January
- Wedding planning was in high gear, with invites, favors, reception details, oh my!
- Darcy's first big snow

February
- Valentines day, although I can't remember what we did! oops, ;)

March
- Celebrated our 6 year anniversary of dating
- Kevin's birthday at La Residence in Chapel Hill for dinner, sooo good! We must go back.

April
- Had a wonderful bridal shower, hosted by my MOH Sarah.


- Bachelorette party with some of the most amazing girls!


May
- Married the love of my life/most amazing person on May 22!


- Had the most amazing wedding/reception and loved seeing all of our family and friends




- Went to Paris for a fabulous honeymoon!




-  Fell in love with Parisian macarons


June 
- Started this newlywed blog!
Newlywed McGees

- Celebrated our dog Darcy's first birthday!


- Ate a huge plate of sushi for my 23rd birthday!


- Went to California for the first time for a BME conference

- Changed my name to officially become a McGee!

July 
- Moved into our new apartment


- Bought new furniture and decorated a lot!




August
- Received our wedding video from our videographer
http://newlywedmcgees.blogspot.com/2010/08/our-wedding-video.html

- Hosted a fabulous dinner party for Sarah's birthday



















- Made Parisian macarons from scratch successfully


September
- Baked & cooked a lot of food


- NCSU football games and tailgating!


- Ordered 12 rolls with Angela and friends at Sushi Love in Durham

(haha, yes this is a highlight! I thought it was crazy!)

October
- Recreated Vichyssoise soup from our honeymoon cooking class


- Made the infamous Lemon Drop Jello Shots ;)


- And did more tailgating with friends!


- Dressed Darcy up like a cow for Halloween!


November
- Decorated for Fall!


- Discovered an amazing recipe for Pigs in a Blanket, which I'm obsessed with


- Spent Thanksgiving with our families


- Made a delish pumpkin cheesecake and macarons




- Decorated for the holidays and Christmas!




December
- Sent Christmas cards to family and friends


- Lots of holiday baking!















- Hosted our anual holiday party


- Celebrated our first married Christmas!


- Spent Christmas with our families!




- Made red velvet cheesecake cake, which was a huge hit!


- More than 6-7 inches of snow the day after Christmas!!!




- Went to the beach for a few days of relaxation


I hope everyone had a wonderful 2010! Best wishes for an even better 2011!!

Happy New Year!!!  :)
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