Risotto Arancini stuffed with Mozzarella on top of Cherry Tomato Marinara served with Garlic Sautéed Green Beans.

Zara has been on a food strike but every time we go to Olive Garden we get these Arancini appetizers and she eats the whole thing! It's got some steps but well worth it at the end!

First I had to make the risotto early to let it cool in the fridge. You can do this the day before even or use leftover risotto from another meal. It can have other stuff in it like mushrooms or peas but I made mine just a creamy cheesy plain one. I just read the instructions on the back of the rice package. It took me about 30 minutes of stirring and I used my homemade chicken broth. I highly recommend putting the broth in a separate sauce pan and keep it warm while adding it to the risotto. At the end I added half a cup of Parmesan and a large pinch of salt to season it well before putting it in the fridge to cool for a few hours. You will need a cup and a half of cooked cool risotto for this recipe.

Meanwhile I made the marinara. First I cut up half a small onion and started sautéing that in some butter and olive oil.

Once softened and a little golden I added 3 cloves of garlic chopped and cooked that for 1 minute then added 1/2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. 1 tsp of oregano, and 1 tsp of basil. Then I poured in 1 can of tomato sauce and half the can of water.

Next I chopped up half a package of cherry tomatoes, you could use more or less but this was only for James, Zara and I so I didn't need a lot. For more flavor you could roast these for 20 minutes at 400° with olive oil salt and pepper but I just threw them in like they were for a lighter flavor.

I brought that to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes. Seasoned with salt and pepper.

When I was ready I took the 1 and 1/2 cup of cooked cheesy risotto and mixed in 1 egg and half a cup of grated Parmesan. A pinch of salt and pepper.

Then I used an ice cream scoop and scooped a golf sized ball of rice and pressed a hole in it then pushed in a cube of mozzarella that I cut from a larger ball. Then I formed the rice over the cheese and did a dredge of whisked egg in one bowl and a mixture of half a cup of Italian bread crumbs and half a cup of panko crumbs for crunch on a plate. I dipped the ball in egg then bread crumb mixture then put it back in dish to let set in fridge for a few more minutes once I finished all the balls. Sorry I didn't take pictures, my hands were way too messy!

When you are ready pour in 2 inches of your favorite oil in a pan and get it hot to medium high heat. Put in the balls and don't over crowd them. I did 2 batches.

I blanched some fresh green beans for a side dish.

Then sautéed 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced into 2 tablespoon of butter and added the blanched green beans and sautéed them for a few minutes adding lemon pepper seasoning and salt & pepper.

Delicious!

Brown the balls on all sides till perfect! Making sure to keep heat lower so they don't burn and warm all the way through so that mozzarella is nice and melty when cut into. Put on a plate with a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Reheat sauce if put in fridge.

Then I plated it with some sauce on the plate, Risotto balls on top then a dot of the sauce with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and some parsley! Sooooo good!

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup with Mini Grilled Cheese

This yummy soup was made with leftovers in my house. It was so freaking good and I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch! 

First I started with 5 small carrots washed and chopped. You would probably use 3 normal sized carrots. Half an onion, and the whites of 4 green onions minced.( it's what I had but celery would work nice here)  Add to a tablespoon of oil and some butter in a hot Dutch oven. 

Sauté till they are slightly browned then add 2 garlic cloves minced. And a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper.

Sautée that for a minute more and add a bundle of your favorite herbs tied with butcher string. I used thyme and sage cause it's what I had.

Now here you should add the rice and sautée it a little first but I forgot and added 2 tablespoons of flour and stirred that in then added 6 cups of homemade chicken stock. Then added the 1/2 a cup of rice. But it will work either way! 

Then I added 1/2 a cup of half and half cause it's what I had.

Next I added 1 large shredded chicken breast that I roasted in the oven for 25 minutes with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. You could use a rotisserie chicken as well. 

Then I added a small can of drained corn and brought the whole thing to a boil, covered and lowered the heat for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Then I made a mini grilled cheese with 2 half slices of French bread and some mexican cheese blend. So so good!!