Recipe Box: Mushroom Risotto

Yesterday I made my first ever risotto. Yum! I'm looking forward to making many more ;)

This recipe makes a huge amount of risotto and rice should not be reheated so if you're cooking for two then I would definitely halve all of the below ingredients.

Ingredients

• 315g Aburrio rice.
• 950ml chicken or vegetable stock.
• 4 tbsp butter.
• 2 shallots, chopped. 
• 120g white wine. 
• 150g frozen peas.
• 150g broccoli, chopped.
• 250g shitake mushrooms, chopped.
• 43g almonds, chopped.

To the kitchen!

• Rinse the rice in a bowl and drain and rinse several times to get rid of all the rice dust. Set aside.
• Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. 
• Melt the butter on a high heat in a deep frying pan and then add the shallots, cooking for four or five minutes or until the onion is soft. 
• Stir the drained rice into the butter until it's all nicely coated and cook for two minutes. 
• Pour in the white wine and cook on high for about three minutes or until all of the alcohol has burnt off. 
• Stir in the stock little by little and then add the peas, broccoli and mushrooms and continue to cook on a medium heat. 
• Meanwhile, lightly toast the almonds until nicely browned. 
• Once the rice is tender, serve up and sprinkle the almonds over the risotto. 
• Enjoy! :)

Hannah xo

Recipe Box: Tomato and Basil Gnocchi

 Mmmm... Gnocci. One of my favourites! But what to have with it? Well, here's a simple suggestion. It should be enough for around four servings.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 onion, chopped.
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped.
• 30g fresh basil.
• 800g chopped tomatoes.
• 1 tsp brown sugar. 
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. 
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs. 
• 1000g gnocchi.
• 25g pine nuts. 
• 2 tbsp cheese, grated.

To the kitchen! 

• Preheat the oven to 200oC.
• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion until softened for around 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. 
• Stir in half of the basil, the chopped tomatoes, the sugar, the Worcestershire sauce and the mixed herbs. 
• Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. 
• Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi by boiling it in another pan for a few minutes until the gnocchi rises to the surface of the water. 
• Lightly toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan. 
• Stir the gnocchi through the sauce.
• Serve up into four bowls and top with the pine nuts, cheese and the remaining basil.
• Enjoy!

Hannah xo