Right away, I knew I wanted to use gruyere. I believe I used Swiss last time. I was trying to cut back on my grocery bills, and Dorie included Swiss in her list of suggested cheeses, so I thought it would be fine. I suspect it was a major contributor to the stale flavor.
I used the max suggested broth to cook the rice, since last time it was too solid. To brighten up the flavor, I took myself up on my own suggestion to include lemon zest (cooked with extra garlic and onions), and I squeezed the lemon juice into the rice right before serving. I liked the idea in Dorie's sidebar to stuff red peppers with the rice, but didn't have the patience to cook the whole shebang for an additional 45 minutes. Instead, I roasted red peppers on their own in just a few minutes, and plopped the rice on top of them. Much easier.
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| haha that looks like cottage cheese. |
Conclusion: Liked it.
I've had that same feeling a couple times where the recipe didn't turn out, and while I didn't know exactly what went wrong, I was pretty sure that my version was not how the recipe was meant to taste. Good for you for giving it another go and I like your pairing idea. I think Dorie's stuffed peppers sounded great, but my husband will not eat bell peppers in any shape or color so I had to find something else.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the cheese! (I am not a Swiss cheese fan, so if I can blame the cheese...)
ReplyDeleteGlad this one made the "like" list!
Haha, it's really hard to miss the spinach as it was all over the rice ;-). Thought about the stuffed peppers too, but nah, no time and even less patience. Your idea to roast the peppers and top item with the rice was brilliant, next time I'll do just that.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea with the lemon juice. I used two cheeses with mine, and I think that was a good addition as there was more of a flavor profile.
ReplyDeleteHappy French Friday!
I usually cut the amount of ingredients, but since I knew it was risotto, I made the full amount but added mushrooms as well! Your dish looks great with the red peppers. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the lemon zest. SO many ideas to try!!
ReplyDeleteLemon zest great addition . Glad you liked it this time it was a winner in our home.
ReplyDeleteNice idea for adding the peppers. I added more liquid...more broth and more cream and next time I will add a bit more. This rice really absorbs liquid and your idea for lemon juice/zest is a great way to add a little more.
ReplyDeleteGood for you giving this recipe another chance! You crack me up with your comment carb brick, not a pretty picture! I also liked the addition of roasted peppers, way to add a bright flavor and dress it up with some color;-)
ReplyDeleteIt somehow taste better when bake them in bell peppers :) and I like your version of adding the roasted peppers on them..and a great way to garnish the rice with them :)
ReplyDeleteLove your post. I bet the rice was fantastic on top of those peppers! :)
ReplyDeleteglad you were willing to give it a second go! and I'm also (double)glad you liked it after all that trouble! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you tried it again and had success! The lemon zest and juice sound like a nice addition. I'll bet the flavors popped. I stuffed the leftovers into the peppers and baked them for an hour. No way I had time for that on the first night, but I like your idea of cooking them first and just serving the rice over the cooked peppers. So many good ideas in this group!
ReplyDeleteWe loved this dish! Even my youngest, who isn't normally a fan of spinach, asked for seconds.
ReplyDeleteHow funny about, Charlie! Kids can spot greens a mile away. :) Great idea to slice the peppers and roast them. You still get that wonderful flavor of the pepper with the rice.
ReplyDeleteSo funny! I had the same cheese-type issue the first time I made the rice. And my daughter saw the spinach going in and asked what SHE was having for dinner, since she wasn't going to eat that! Oh well, more for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Matt!
ReplyDeleteI found it perfect as a side dish but way too rich for a main.
My husband thinks the same thing, meat is always the main course. I, however, reheated the leftovers and they were great on their own for dinner. I like the idea of roasting the peppers on the side. When I make this again for a quick dinner, I will try that! Great post!
ReplyDeleteGlad you gave it another chance! It looks delicious :)
ReplyDeletemmmm. Lemon. I'm never unhappy when I add a bit of lemon juice or zest to a dish. Good call. Yours looks delicious with the roasted peppers.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant variations! I'm glad the recipe worked out for your this time.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the roasted red pepper stacks to hold the rice. Brilliant! I think I would have liked this a lot more if I had a contrasting texture to the extreme creaminess.
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