Crispy Risotto Bites with Spicy Marinara

Here's the little treat I made for myself the day I found out I got into dental school. I just took some leftover risotto that I had in the fridge and warmed it up just slightly. I heated some oil and rolled little bits of the risotto in breadcrumbs. I fried them on both sides until they were golden and then served over some spicy marina (fra diavolo-esque) I made last week.

To make that you just blend a can of crushed tomato, 3 cloves garlic, one medium onion and salt/pepper/and Cayenne pepper. Heat over the stove and freeze any you don't plan on using within a week. I plan to use the extra that I made in a stew in the upcoming weeks.

These are kind of addictive - possibly because they are all teeny and bite sized and crispity crunchity.

Just Fry It

The other day my roommate had a leftover plantain and so graciously allowed me to try my hand at frying it. Now, the plantain was ripe, really ripe, so it really should have been boiled or grilled, but I wanted something crispy, so I decided to slice it up and fry it. Normally I shy away from frying things because of the amount of oil you need to use. Probably had something to do with the fact that I worry the oil will seep inside me if I even look at it. But I put all this aside because the desire for a sweet something overpowered my irrational fear of getting fat without actually ingestion. Thank you, Dr. Grider.

I couldn't help it - I had to try the plantain raw - it tasted delicious! I loved how it was a little starchy and had some bite to it. My mom and I share a weird love of under-ripe bananas and mealy nectarines.

So I filled up a deep frying pan with a inch of oil and gently plopped the slices in, being careful (and unsuccessful) to not let the oil splatter onto my skin.

Watch them carefully because they'll darken quickly. Set on a paper towel to drain any excess oil - honestly not much stays if they are allowed to crisp up. Sprinkle with salt to bring out the flavor.