Prosciutto & Sticky Rice Cakes

I had so much fun creating (and eating!) my Risotto with Prosciutto di Parma recipe that I decided to make another dish featuring the delicious Parma Ham. I have made sticky rice cakes before with different veggies, but incorporating the Prosciutto this time took it to a whole new level! It is topped with a poached egg, and when the egg is broken into, the soft yolk becomes the sauce for the cake. Sounds good huh? :) These are perfect for brunch, or whenever you feel for them!

PROSCIUTTO & STICKY RICE CAKES


6 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, chopped

4 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 cups cooked sticky white rice

1 cup panko bread crumbs

4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

7 eggs



1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 3 of the prosciutto slices onto a greased baking sheet. Bake until almost completely crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside for later use.

2. Chop remaining 3 slices of prosciutto. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Saute shallot and chopped prosciutto for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine sticky rice and the cooked prosciutto, shallot and mushrooms. Add panko bread crumbs, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lightly beat 1 of the eggs and add that to the bowl.

4. Moisten hands with water to reduce sticking. Using your hands, form 6 round cakes from the mixture, each about 1/2 inch thick.

5. Heat the remaining 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook sticky rice cakes until golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes per side.

6. In a large pot, heat 4 inches of water to boiling. Reduce the heat so the water gently simmers. Break 1 egg into a cup. Hold the cup close to the water and slip in each egg gently. Repeat with the 5 remaining eggs. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the whites are set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and let drain.

7. To serve, place a sticky rice cake on a plate and top with a poached egg. Crumble the reserved crispy prosciutto and garnish the top of each egg. Serves 3-6.



For more info on Prosciutto di Parma, visit http://legendsfromeurope.com/about/products/.

Risotto with Prosciutto di Parma

Who doesn't love a good creamy risotto? I do for sure! Challenged to make a recipe featuring Prosciutto di Parma, I knew a risotto would make a wonderful vehicle for it. Prosciutto di Parma, also known as Parma Ham, is a deliciously famous ham cured near Parma, Italy. I found it at my local store where the friendly meat guy shaved a few slices off for me.

Starting off, the prosciutto is sauteed along with shallots, so its full-bodied flavor is infused into the dish. The saltiness goes so well with the creamy risotto, sweet raisins and fragrant basil. The dish is topped with toasted pine nuts and crumbled crispy prosciutto. Delicious!



RISOTTO WITH PROSCIUTTO AND BASIL


6 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small shallot, chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

3 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

7 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 cup pine nuts



1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place 3 of the prosciutto slices onto a greased baking sheet. Bake until almost completely crisp, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside.

2. Chop remaining 3 slices of prosciutto. In a medium pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallot and chopped prosciutto. Saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add rice and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Continue stirring until liquid is almost all absorbed.

4. Gradually stir in remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until almost all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

5. When the final 1/4 cup of chicken stock is added, stir in basil, raisins, sea salt and pepper. When rice is slightly firm (but not mushy), about 25-30 minutes, remove from heat. Risotto should be thick and creamy.

6. In a small pan, toast pine nuts over medium heat until slightly browned, about 3 minutes.

7. Crumble or chop crispy prosciutto slices. Plate risotto and top with toasted pine nuts and crispy prosciutto. Serves 2-3.

I Scream for Dim Sum!

I'm back after a long hiatus, which included pregnancy and giving birth to my second child. The hubby and I have a new baby boy! Bugs is just thrilled to be a big bro and constantly gives the baby kisses.

So in an effort to restart our monthly date nights and get a bit of a break form the boys, we enlisted the help of some close friends to babysit so the hubby and I went out to eat. I chose the spot this month (as I always do haha), Chinese dim sum at Hong Kong City BBQ in Tamarac. We had never been there but I checked out some online reviews and they were pretty good, so we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant was pretty interesting, as you walk in you are greeted by a case of hanging barbecued meats, such as whole ducks and chickens. Their dim sum is actually different from what I'm used to, they don't push the carts filled with selections but cook it to order. Check out our orders below!

My handsome dinner date!

The menu

Steamed BBQ Pork Buns...yum! These are the best!

Shrimp Toast...delicious!

Stuffed Bean Curd Skin

Sticky Rice in a Lotus Leaf...I should have asked if the leaf was edible lol, did not eat it. But it did give the (very) sticky rice inside a nice flavor. There were also bits of pork and shrimp mixed into the rice. 

Beef Tripe with Ginger & Scallion Sauce...surprisingly really liked this one! Tripe is very chewy and has a weird "prickly" texture for lack of  a better word. The sauce was more like a broth and very flavorful. 

Steamed Chicken Mushroom Bun

Fried Stuff Eggplant...we could identify shrimp in the filling, topped with an oyster sauce. So good!