• 5 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• ½ cup parmesan, grated
• 4-5 scallions, sliced
• 1 pound chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• ½ lemon juice
• 2 cups béchamel sauce
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the chicken broth into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the rice and stir briefly. Cover the pan and let simmer for 18-20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, remove from heat and let stand covered.
3. In a sauce pan – heat the remaining butter and sauté the scallions. Add sliced mushrooms, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook in low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in béchamel sauce, the remaining parmesan and heavy cream. Remove from heat.
4. In a buttered baking dish add the rice and cover with the mushroom – béchamel mixture.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Romama’s Note: Garnish the Mushroom Risotto with parmesan flakes to enhance the taste!

Related recipes:

1. Oven Baked Seafood Risotto
2. Oven Baked Cod Fillets with Potatoes
3. Oven Baked Mashed Potatoes

• 1 pound baby octopus, if fresh – washed and cleaned, if frozen – thawed
• 1 pound calamari, if fresh – washed and cleaned, if frozen – thawed
• 1 pound ink fish, if fresh – washed and cleaned, if frozen – thawed
• 1 onion, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups water
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 ½ cups Arborio rice
• ½ cup parmesan, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a pressure cooker – place octopus, calamari, ink fish, onion, carrots and celery stalk. Add salt, pepper, water and wine. Seal the pressure cooker and put it over medium heat. When the giggler starts whistling, start timing, and cook for 15 minutes. Let the pressure cooker cool and then open the lid.
3. Remove the seafood with a slotted spoon. Do not discard the seafood broth. It should be 6 ½ cups (if not add some water). Cut the seafood into bite size pieces.
4. In a deep frying pan heat olive oil. Add sliced onion and fry until soft and browning. Stir in the rice, sweating it for a few minutes. Pour in the seafood broth and let simmer for 16-18’.
5. Grease an oven-proof dish, add half the rice and arrange seafood over the rice. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan and breadcrumbs.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the pre-heated oven and serve immediately.

Romama’s Note: You can add ½ teaspoon saffron threads or powder in the seafood broth just before adding it to the rice to make up for a healthier and more tasty Seafood Rissoto!

Related recipes:

1. Oven Baked Mushroom Risotto
2. Oven Baked Cod Fillets with Potatoes
3. Oven Baked Mashed Potatoes

• 2 eggplants, peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 ½ cup white rice
• ½ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a deep skillet – heat olive oil and sauté the eggplants and garlic in low heat until softened.
3. Add rice and parsley. Sauté for a few minutes longer. Increase the heat and stir with a wooden spoon. Do not let the rice burn. Pour in the white wine, lower the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and let simmer until the wine is absorbed. Remove from heat. Add olives and mix.
4. Line a baking dish with a large piece of foil and spoon the rice in the center. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Fold over the foil and seal the edges well leaving space for heat circulation inside the packet. Use a toothpick to poke one or two holes in the center of the sealed foil pack.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Snip down the foil.

Romama’s Note: Server the Rice with Eggplants and Black Olives Baked in Foil immediately for best results!

Related recipes:

1. Golden Baked Rice
2. Rice Stuffed Vegetables
3. Shrimp Creole over Rice

• 14 ounces long grain rice
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• 5-6 scallions, sliced
• 7 ounces white whey cheese (Ricotta or the Greek Anthotiro)
• 3 ounces butter, at room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 ounces parmesan, grated
• 2 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
• Some basil leaves, to decorate

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook rice according to package instructions and let cool.
3. Combine chopped parsley and scallion slices. Add in the rice. In a bowl – using a wooden spoon stir whey cheese and butter until well combined and smooth. Stir in egg yolks, season with salt and pepper. Add the mixture in the rice and stir to combine.
4. Well butter a baking dish. Place rice in the baking dish and cover top with grated cheese.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and remove from the oven.

Romama’s Note: Decorate the Golden Baked Rice with egg slices and fresh basil leaves.

Related recipes:

1. Rice with Eggplants and Black Olives Baked in Foil
2. Meatball Rice Cake
3. Shrimp Creole over Rice

• 2 pounds of shrimps with the heads on
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 2 pounds of grated tomatoes (you can use canned tomatoes)
• ½ cup of white wine
• ½ teaspoon paprika powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Pepper
• 1 cup of canned mushrooms (optional)
• 2 cups of long grain rice
• 2 tablespoons of butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash shrimps and remove the heads. In a medium sauce pan, add 2 glasses of water, the heads and shells of the shrimps and boil them for 10 minutes. Then strain, discard the shrimp heads and save the shrimp stock for later use.
2. In a deep frying pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and green pepper until soft. Stir in tomatoes, wine, paprika, shrimp stock, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 1 hour while stirring occasionally. Add shrimps and mushrooms. If you decide to add the mushrooms, then cook for 4 to 5 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, add rice in a pot of boiling water and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain and replace in the pot. Pour the hot melted butter over the rice and spoon in a serving plate. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the rice and serve.

Romama’s Note: Feel free to cook the rice whichever way you usually do for the Shrimp Creole over Rice.

Related recipes:

1. Tagliatelle with Shrimp Sauce
2. Delicious Green Shrimp Sandwiches
3. Meatball Rice Cake

For the meatballs:

• 2/3 pound ground beef
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons parmesan, grated
• Flour to coat the meatballs
• Oil to fry the meatballs

For the rest:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 ½ ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, grated
• 3 ounces bacon slices, cut in ½ inch pieces
• 1 8ounce can tomato sauce
• 14 ounces uncooked rice
• Butter to butter the pan
• Breadcrumbs to coat the pan
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups of béchamel sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Cook rice following package instructions and let it cool down.
3. In a bowl – mix the ground beef, the egg yolk, the parsley, the parmesan and some salt and pepper. Knead the mixture and shape into meatballs. Fry the meatballs.
4. In a frying pan – heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat some oil and sauté the onion and bacon. Stir the tomato sauce and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Add béchamel sauce to the rice.
7. Butter a cake pan and coat with bread crumbs. Start by layering rice with béchamel sauce, then meatballs with mushrooms, then rice again, then tomato sauce with bacon. Repeat layering until you have used up all the ingredients.
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and turn it over on your serving plate.

Romama’s Note: A Meatball Rice Cake always tastes better when served warm!

Related recipes:

1. Shrimp Creole over Rice
2. Golden Baked Rice
3. Rice Stuffed Vegetables

• 5 medium sized tomatoes
• 5 medium sized green bell peppers
• 15 tablespoons of short grain rice
• ¾ cup of chopped parsley
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• 2 potatoes, peeled-cut into wedges (about 8 to 10 per potato)
• 1 cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice tomato and pepper tops to create a lid. Leave a little amount still attached so that the lid is not completely removed. With a teaspoon, scoop out the pulp of the tomatoes. Chop and reserve. Remove the seeds of the peppers.
3. In a frying pan, heat half of the olive oil and sauté the onion. When softened, add chopped tomato pulp. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add rice and parsley and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon, fill tomatoes and peppers with the rice stuffing until ¾ full. Place in a 2 to 3 inch deep baking dish. The tomatoes should be placed up-side down and peppers on their sides. Fill the gaps in between with the potato wedges. Pour tomato sauce, water, and the remaining olive oil in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hour. Add some more water during baking if necessary. When slightly blackened, turn tomatoes and peppers to roast evenly. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Romama’s Note: Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers can be served warm or at room temperature and are also excellent the second day.

Related recipes:

1. Rice Stuffed Vegetables
2. Sliced and Stuffed Colorful Potatoes
3. Meat and Egg Stuffed Picnic Bread

• 2 ½ tablespoons of short grain rice for each vegetable
• 2 large onions, peeled
• 2 potatoes, peeled
• 2 large zucchinis
• 2 large tomatoes
• 2 medium sized eggplants
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, grated
• 1 cup of chopped parsley
• ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup more of olive oil to drizzle before baking
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse all vegetables well. Trim both ends of the zucchinis and cut in half crosswise. Trim stems off peppers. Slice off the top and clean out the seeds. Trim stem end of eggplants. Slice a piece off the eggplants lengthwise and set aside to use as a cap. Repeat the same steps with the potatoes. Cut a thin slice of the top of each onion. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and boil onions for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and let them cool down for 5 minutes.
2. With a small spoon, scoop out the zucchini pulp into a bowl, leaving ¼ inch around the interior wall. Repeat these steps with the eggplants. Slice through the top of the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp into the bowl. Carefully hollow out the onions leaving a ½ inch shell. Place removed onion in the bowl.
3. Grate all the removed pulps in the bowl. In a large frying pan, add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook until translucent over medium – high heat. Stir in grated pulps, rice, chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow for all the flavors to combine. Remove from heat. Grate 1 or 2 tomatoes and add in the stuffing as it should be a little runny.
4. In a baking pan, place vegetables comfortably. Close it without squashing the vegetables. Using a tablespoon, fill the vegetables to within ½ inch of the top, as the rice will expand when cooked, so you do not want to overfill or it will start dripping out. Place the tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and onions up side down and the peppers and zucchinis on their sides. Drizzle with ½ cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add enough water into the baking pan in order to cover half of the vegetables’ height.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are soft and have become to char on the outside. You should carefully turn all the vegetables once so that they can char all over. This slight blackening is a key flavor in the recipe! Remove from the oven, allow the stuffed vegetables to stand for 15 minutes, and serve.

Romama’s Note: You can choose the number and types of vegetables according to your liking and the size of your pan. However, you should always try to fill the pan in order to let the flavors mix with each other.

Romama’s 2^nd Note: Rice Stuffed Vegetables are served warm or at room temperature and remain a wonderful dish for a second day as well!

Related recipes:

1. Rice with Eggplants and Black Olives Baked in Foil
2. Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers
3. Shrimp Creole over Rice