Aioli! I have a shorter, better, method... no one has time for one drop at a time

DriveBy recipe, it's a QUICKIE!!!  

I always have a batch of aioli in my fridge.  This is the short and sweet method, you're going to love it, go make it... here's the link to the video and recipe... let me know how you love it!  

https://youtu.be/dY3JkHM0ZKM

/enjoy

Aioli My version is quick, easy, delicious, flavorful, garlicky, creamy, smooth. 5 minutes and a few ingredients and you'll be delighted and hooked. Use it as a side for absolutely everything

Ah...Aioli, add it to any menu item and increase the cost of the dish by double.  You can hae chicken with mayonnaise and it's chicken salad... serve it with aioli and it's suddenly an "amuse bouche" moment with lightly poached chicken with garlic aioli (?) and herbs d'jour.  You'd pay way more for the second item!  OH and imagine when your friends come by, leftover potatoes and mayo? or Smashed roast new potatoes fried crispy in duck fat with homemade aioli dipping sauce.  MMM  I may not be able to continue with this post, I may have to go make that.  Oh and what is it? it's garlic mayonnaise.  Seeing "garlic aioli" on any menu drives me insane, sort of like "salt salt cod" ? really?  BUT, as per usual, I digress

I like ailo with seafood, meat, chicken, vegetables, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks.  I like to dip veggies (cooked or raw) or bread or chips or roasted potatoes in it.  I put it over risotto or pasta or anything.  Yeah, it's sort of the workhorse of all sauces but still maintains a fru fru status.

You can get it two ways (ok, you can do it a million ways but this is the short version)  You can either (a) buy mayonnaise, chop up garlic and add it with a little lemon.  Fabulous.  or you can (b) make a quick batch that is so much easier, more delicious and richer than you can imagine.  Oh and (b) takes the same amount of time as (a) so really, it's a no brainer. 

Ok, here we go, we're making my aioli.  Mine isn't traditional at all but I tell you what, I'll put it up against the fidgety versions any day of the week.  You can also use this as a jumping off point to take it any direction you like.  Add herbs, mustards, no garlic and have straight up mayo.  Use this as a base and get your creative on! 

TRACY'S AIOLI

1 egg *yep the whole egg
1 cup oil (I like 1/2 veggie, 1/2 olive oil but you can use all olive oil or all vegetable oil if you want)
2-6 garlic cloves, the garlicky you want it, the more you add
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 Tblsp vinegar or lemon juice (I use lemon juice from a bottle ;))

Here we go, directions and pics: 

Obtain one Cuisinart food processor :)  Add the egg and whip like crazy
  
whip the egg like mad to get it a little foamy.  Add the salt and pepper and sugar and whip again.  Add the garlic cloves and pulse till they disintegrate.
  
With the machine running, drizzle the oil SLOWLY through the tube till about half is used up. I turn it off to add the lemon juice or vinegar down the tube then start it up again and continue with the rest of the oil.
   
OH look how thick and lovely that is! Transfer the aioli to jars and shove them in the fridge.  They last about a week.  FABULOUS
 



There you go, aioli in a minute and a half.  Better than anything store bought, cheaper and way more satisfying.  

I made mine today to dip the leaves of an artichoke I pressure cooked. :) I'm going to use some later tonight to top our shrimp pasta.  Yeah, it's good to be here today. 

/enjoy

Risotto , my way

QUICKIE DINNER TIME

I didn't want to cook tonight, it's Friday, I'm tired.  I had arborio rice in the pantry and some bacon, some cooked (pressure cooked) broccoli and some leftover poached chicken.  BINGO! 

Risotto is a method, not a recipe. I use the equation, however much rice you use (I had 2 cups so I used 2 cups) be sure you have 4 times the amount of hot stock (I poached a chicken in the pressure cooker yesterday and had that stock)

Fry some bacon, I used half a 12 oz packet.  Save the crispy bacon aside and drain about half the fat.  Fry half an onion in the bacon fat until soft but not colored.  Add the rice and fry it around for a minute or so then add a glass of white wine.  

Cook the wine into the rice then start adding hot stock, 2 ladles at a time and cook over medium high heat, stirring, until the rice absorbs the liquid.  I like to stand at the pot, with a very large glass of wine, listening to music or watching the news while I stir gently, this isn't hard work. 

Keep going until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes?  When you're happy with the rice, add one more ladle of stock, a large knob of butter, the cooked broccoli and crispy bacon and stir around.  

Pile it onto a plate, add some poached chicken, shredded, on top and a large dollop of the homemade aioli I'll tell you how to make another time on top of that.  Put a little parsley on top to chef it up and serve.

      

If you don't have arborio rice in your pantry all the time, shame on you.  You can always make a variation of risotto for dinner with anything you have left over.  I keep stock in my freezer all the time and in a pinch, you CAN cut it half with water so there's no excuse whatsoever for not making this, often.  

*purists insist I should have mounds of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top but I didn't have any and was not going to let THAT stop me from making this for a rich, delicious, creamy, crispy, filling, joy giving dinner*

/make risotto