{thirsty thursday} — risotto balls and creamy avocado dip w/ a seasonal red hoptober ale

these were absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!!  perfect for the football game, easy to make {if you can stand making the risotto ahead of time earlier in the week}, and out-of-this-world delicious! a coworker suggested this recipe to me when i told her i was trying my hand at risotto… i was eager to try BOTH!

here is my recipe for the mushroom/leek risotto that is beginning this dish. start with that – and 2 eggs and some breadcrumbs… i had *just enough* to make these :

that’s it.  pretty simple so far, huh?  oh, and grab yourself an avocado if you don’t have one around the house, and about a 1/4 cup organic whole milk – for our dip.

coat a medium-sized pan with a little less than 1/2 inch of high-temp cooking oil. i used good ol’ EVOO. heat on low while you prepare the balls 🙂

mold the risotto {which ought to be nice and sticky} into ping-pong sized balls… or smaller, or bigger, whatever you prefer.  i would say i had about 1.5-2 cups leftover from my risotto – which made about a dozen balls.

in one bowl, beat two eggs together and in the other, mix some breadcrumbs with a little S&P.

coat with egg…

then smother in breadcrumbs…

then drop them in the oil, and turn up the heat to about medium.  be careful, watch the oil for splattering…

once brown on one side, flip them over and continue frying. mine held together quite well, i was happy…

i spooned a little oil over the tops as they finished cooking – why not?!

when the outside is nice and crispy, they are ready to go.

i didn’t photograph the avocado dip, because i kind of made it up at the last minute.  i was like, “this needs a dip!” and i grabbed an avocado that needed to be eaten and mixed it with a little whole milk and VIOLA!  a delicious easy and healthy dip for my risotto balls.

just perfect, if i may say so myself.

YUMMY!

i washed it down with more than one of these absolutely wonderful seasonal ales from my favourite brewery – new belgium – right here in colorado.  i love how they describe this beer :

“Fall is here and with it our seasonal ale, Red Hoptober. Shining like autumn leaves in a globe glass this beer pours a dark and lovely garnet as it builds a bright, inviting head. The Eldorado hops are bold and present with a distinct, piney flavor while the caramel malt and roasted barley provide a backbone to stand Red Hoptober upright. Centennial and Cascade hops offer hints of citrus, tickling the nose, while the tongue carries a subtle, roasty tone that pairs pleasantly with the warming bite of bitter. Red Hoptober is perfect for shortening days and campfire nights.”

perfect description… it’s been a little chilly here at night and crisp in the morning… this beer is perfect for those first football games where peyton manning reminds me why i started liking it all in the first place –

Broncos-31/ Steelers-19/me-woohoo!

have a great weekend, ya’ll!

Tags: ale, beer, easy, entertaining, football food, new belgium brewery, risotto balls, seasonal, thirsty thursday