One Last Winter Dinner: Roast Turkey Breast with Wild Mushroom Risotto

I know we're getting into BBQ season but tonight I made one last winter dish: roast turkey breast with a wild mushroom risotto. The turkey has an onion, parsley, garlic, butter, marjoram, thyme mixture stuffed under the skin. I basted it with one of my infused olives oils- orange peel, rosemary, thyme and red pepper flake.

Here is the prep for the herb rub:

Chop 1 small onion and put it into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from a lemon in thin strips. Add the lemon zest to the food processor. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the 1/4 c sage, 1/4 c parsley, 2TBSP olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste. Separate the skin from the turkey breast and stuff in the herb mixture.

The risotto recipe was adapted from Epicurious.com:

Wild Mushroom Risotto

5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add porcini and simmer until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to plate. Cool mushrooms and chop finely. Cover broth and keep warm over very low heat.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and both herbs; sauté 4 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup hot broth; simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add crimini mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and both herbs; sauté 4 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup hot broth; simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

Ravioli Caprese & Spicy Mozzarella Meatballs

One of my favorite FoodTV chef's in Giada De Laurentiis. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and has a catering company in LA. I often use her recipes as a starting point for my own dinners, and sometimes I copy her 100%. Her Ravioli Caprese is one of those perfect recipes that I don't tweak at all... it's perfection! The ravioli's are stuffed with ricotta, basil and rotisserie chicken. I make a simple marinara sauce and pair it with Giada's Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs.

Ravioli Caprese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 cup very hot water

Filling:

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup finely shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the flour and the water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6-inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 19-inch rectangle. Place 9 rounded teaspoons of filling about 1-inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares and press down around the edges again with your fingertips to seal. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli.

Pour the olive oil over the cooked ravioli. Add the basil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat and serve immediately.