Roasted Chicken Leg with Snap Pea Risotto

Don't worry, I didn't die.

It's been a crazy few weeks for me starting with a work holiday party, Christmas, New Years', moving, adopting two cats(!), and taking on a few projects at work. I've been pretty uninspired in the kitchen lately, but today is cold (the mid-50s), and I was craving some comfort food.

Ok, so let's rewind a little bit. In the middle of December, my company had their annual Christmas party at a very nice venue in the city. I ended up renting a dress from Rent the Runway, and it was a great experience overall. My friend Jen did my makeup, and if you EVER need your makeup done for an event or just want to feel extra glam for the day, I highly recommend her.

The next day I went and did glass blowing and welding with my friend Astrid and my CEO Bruce. I got to pick an event, and it was a lot of fun! It was also the coldest weekend in Austin and we were in a garage with torches melting glass down and trying to mold it into shapes. I'm not very crafty, especially with molten glass, but it was fun!
A week later, it was Christmas and New Years'. I was in the middle of packing up one apartment getting ready to move to my new apartment. My family came down, and for Christmas Eve I made lobster mac & cheese, and for Christmas Dinner we had stuffed cornish game hens. Not sure I'll do game hens again anytime soon, but the mac & cheese is always a crowd-pleaser.

Then it was my birthday, and I have to say it was the best birthday yet. Almost all of my friends in town came out and celebrated. I'm not one to get super emotional or anything, but it made me feel really at home seeing everyone out and going above and beyond to make my birthday special. They really have become my family and it's the best group of people around.

After settling into my apartment, I realized something was missing. Growing up, I always had pets. Cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, fish, a guinea pig - we had just about everything. I've been in Austin for a while now, and I was missing that animal bond. So, after three years of subliminal persuasion, I adopted not one but TWO cats - Franklin and Wallis. Franklin is blind, when he was very young, he had a terrible eye infection, so the veterinarian took his eyes out, but is very adventurous and has no idea he should be able to see. Wallis is my little bobtail cat who's quite shy at first but will warm up to you and loves chasing the laser through the apartment. Adopting them was hands down the best decision I've made since moving here.

Franklin the Daredevil

Wallis, the cautious companion

It's been a whirlwind, to say the least, but things seem to be calming down which is fine by me.
Comfort food to me is steak and potatoes, but I've been fortunate enough to have that twice this week, so I figured I would calm down with the red meat consumption and go for something a little lighter but just as delicious.

Seared Chicken Leg
Ingredients
3 full chicken legs, skin on & bone-in
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425

In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter down over medium heat. Once fully melted, turn heat up to high, and add in chicken legs skin side down. Let sear for 3-4 minutes on one side until they are a beautiful golden brown color. Flip over, and put the cast iron pan into the oven. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is at least 165-degrees Fahrenheit.

Snap Pea Risotto
2 Tablespoons butter
1-2 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 bottle of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
4 cups reduced-sodium Chicken Stock
1 1/2 lb Sugar Snap Peas, steamed & chopped.

In a deep 4 quart saute pan, melt the butter and toast the garlic over medium heat. At the same time, heat your stock and wine in a separate saucepan, so it stays warm. Once the garlic becomes aromatic and turns a warm brown color, add in all of the dry Arborio rice. Let that toast for a minute or two, and then start adding in the liquid one cup at a time. Stir constantly. This process can take some time, so be patient. Once all the liquid absorbs into the rice, fold in the sugar snap peas. Serve immediately.