Courgette Zucchini And Chicken Risotto Recipes

ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente.
• When almost finished, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously. Stir in basil and 3 tablespoons cheese just before serving. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

ROASTED CHICKEN, ZUCCHINI, AND RICOTTA SANDWICHES ON FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Mix zucchini and salt in medium bowl. Transfer to colander; set over bowl. Let stand 15 minutes to drain liquid from zucchini. Rinse and drain zucchini. Squeeze zucchini to remove liquid.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and sauté 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Add ricotta, Parmesan and lemon peel to zucchini. Stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Preheat broiler. Arrange focaccia pieces cut side up on baking sheet. Broil focaccia just until lightly toasted. Spread ricotta mixture generously over 8 focaccia pieces. Broil until ricotta mixture is heated through and beginning to brown in spots, about 4 minutes.
• Top 4 focaccia pieces with tomato slices, then with chicken slices, dividing equally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with remaining 4 focaccia pieces, ricotta-mixture side down. Cut sandwiches diagonally in half and serve.

COURGETTE & LEMON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a deep frying pan. Add the onion and fry gently until softened for about 8 mins, then add the garlic and stir for 1 min. Stir in the rice to coat it in the buttery onions and garlic for 1-2 mins.
• Dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre of boiling water, then add a ladle of the stock to the rice, along with the lemon juice and thyme. Bubble over a medium heat, stirring constantly. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle of stock and keep stirring. Tip in the courgette and keep adding the stock, stirring every now and then until the rice is just tender and creamy.
• To serve, stir in some seasoning, the lemon zest, Parmesan and crème fraîche.

COURGETTE (ZUCCHINI) AND CHICKEN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put the oil and onion in a large pan over a low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Add the courgette and continue to cook until that is also slightly transparent.
• Add the rice and stir until each grain is covered with oil.
• Then add the liquid a ladle at a time, alternating between stock and white wine, and stirring until each ladleful has been fully absorbed before adding the next. You may not need all the liquid, or you may need a little more. You may use boiling water if you run out of stock and wine.
• Once the rice is cooked through and loose (the Italians call it "on the wave" to describe how liquid it should be), stir through the cooked chicken and parmesan.
• Season and serve immediately.

SPICY CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• Prepare chicken by dicing into approximately 1 inch cubes and slice zucchini into small cubes, roughly the same length as a grain of rice. Rusticness is the key here though so don't worry about the odd lump here and there.
• Make up chicken stock with 1 pint boiling water.
• Start by preparing the glaze for the chicken; mix together a pinch of salt, dash of ground pepper, the spices, 1 crushed garlic clove, honey, crushed ginger root and 1 tbsp olive oil and a twist of lime. Put to one side.
• For the risotto, melt the butter in a large heavy pan over a medium to high flame. Add remaining crushed garlic clove and add rice. Coat the rice in the butter for approximately a minute and a half. keep stirring to prevent sticking.
• Add a splash of white wine and stir for a further 15 or so seconds.
• Add half the chicken stock and leave to simmer on a medium flame for 3 minutes. Just before adding remaining chicken stock, add diced zucchini. Leave covered for 5 minutes, then keep checking to see the moistness of the rice for a further few minutes, it should be sticky and creamy, if it gets dry, add a little water. The rice should not be totally soft when served, but "al dente.".
• In a separate frying pan, add a little olive oil and leave to heat. Add chicken and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds. Add glaze prepared earlier and fry until cooked all the way through.
• Take off heat, stir chicken through and serve! Wonderful with a large glass of white wine.

CREAMY COURGETTE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a sturdy frying pan, add the onion and gently fry until softened. Stir in the grated courgettes and rice, increase the heat and sizzle while stirring for 1-2 mins.
• Add the lemon juice and a ladle of hot stock, and bubble over a medium-high heat while stirring constantly. When the liquid has just about been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock. Keep cooking like this for 20-25 mins until the rice is just tender and is creamy. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and some seasoning, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and set aside for 5 mins while you cook the remaining courgettes.
• Heat the remaining butter and a splash of oil in a small frying pan. Add the diced courgettes, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins until golden and just softened. Divide the risotto between shallow bowls or plates, then scatter with the diced courgettes and any buttery juices, the pine nuts and a few pinches of lemon zest.