Leek and Spinach Risotto

Serves 2 people

SORRY! I've not posted in so long it's unbelievable, but my camera SD card is at home and i'm at uni atm. But finally got round to making something, yay.

I was cooking for my friend as well so i had to think of something that didn't include mushrooms or tomatoes, so i was a bit stuck. But this turned out very well i think. And my friend loved it, yay. 

Ingredients:

1 shallot, finely minced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 litre of vegetable stock
6oz arborio rice
large glass of dry white wine
1 and a half large leeks, chopped up into smallish chunks
bag of baby spinach
olive oil
margerine/butter
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese/vegetarian parmesan

Equipment:

large saucepan
wooden spoon
chopping board
medium sharp knife

Method:

- Heat up around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the saucepan. Once it's hot, throw in the minced onion, garlic and the chopped leeks. Sauté on a medium heat until the onions and leeks are softened (around 5-7 minutes).

- Once they have softened so they're no longer crunchy at all, add the rice. Stir through the mix until the rice is coated with the oil. Then pour in the wine! Let it simmer and stir occasionally until the wine has reduced and the liquid has been absorbed. 

- Now start adding the stock, one ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next one. You have to stir pretty much constantly so the rice doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Every so often, check the rice by eating a couple of grains to check when it's done.
- Once the rice is mostly soft but still retains a small amount of bite in the middle, it's done! The rice should be quite loose and not overly sticky or gloopy, if it has become like this, add a little more stock to loosen it up.

- To finish, take it off the heat and stir through a large handful of the spinach, it will wilt from the heat of the risotto. Next, add a handful of grated parmesan cheese (or vegetarian alternative) and a large knob of butter/margerine. Season with pepper and a little salt, to taste. 

- Finally, serve into bowls and sprinkle parmesan over the top.

Et voila!

Mushroom risotto!

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

1 shallot

2/3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic)

Chestnut mushrooms (chopped/sliced)

Dried mixed mushrooms

Olive oil

Butter

White wine (1 small glass)

Parsley

Arborio/risotto rice (6oz)

Vegetable stock (1 litre)

Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Method:

- Boil kettle for hot water to reconstitute mushrooms, pour over mushrooms in a bowl and leave for 10-15 mins. After this time, remove the mushrooms and squeeze them out to get rid of the excess water within the mushrooms, but retain the stock to be used for later.

- Meanwhile, finely mince shallot and garlic and fry for 2-3 mins in oil and a knob of butter until the shallot begins to soften. Add most of the chopped chestnut mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 mins until they have begun to soften as well.

- Pour in the rice and stir to coat with the oil in the pan. Then add the glass of wine. Pour some more wine into the glass, and drink it!

- Simmer on a medium heat until all the rice has been absorbed. Using the mushroom stock first, add 1 ladleful to the pan and simmer until it has been absorbed. Repeat this with first the mushroom stock, then the vegetable stock, until the rice has softened but is still al denté (has a bit of bite).

- While the rice is cooking, take the remaining chestnut mushrooms and fry in a frying pan with a little oil and butter. Also chop the reconstituted mushrooms up.

- Add the reconstituted mushrooms once the rice is ready and stir in. Then finely chop some parsley, stir in with a handful of parmesan, another knob of butter, salt and pepper to taste.

- Split into bowls and top with the fried mushrooms, a sprinkle of grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

 

Et voila!