Halloween Special Pumpkin Risotto

First time I made this, it was great, second time I got cocky and didn't follow the recipe, was a mess that was. Lesson learned. 


    •    1 medium sized pumpkin

    •    1 onion, finely chopped
    •    2 garlic cloves, sliced
    •    big knob of butter
    •    pinch thyme
    •    125ml sweet sherry
    •    risotto rice (about 250g)
    •    veg stock
    •    handful of grated grana padano cheese


    1.    Slice the top off the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds to create a bowl and most importantly scoop out the flesh. If you are not planning to use the pumpkin as a serving bowl then mission is much easier, just slice and dice the pumpkin.
    2.    Put pumpkin, onion and garlic in a large pan with a big knob of butter and cook really gently until the pumpkin is soft, this takes about 20 minutes.
    3.    Heat up a saucepan of stock and keep on a simmer.
    4.    Add the rice to the pumpkin and stir, let it cook for about 2 minutes then add the sherry.
    5.    Start to gradually add your stock one ladle at a time making sure the liquid is absorbed before adding the next one.
    6.    Continue to cook and add stock until the rice is done. Once the rice is cooked remove from the heat, add the grana padano, stir and cover, let sit for 5 minutes.
    7.    Serve in pumpkin or in a bowl with more grated cheese.

Leek, Wine & Parmesan Risotto

• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 3 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 250g Arborio rice
• 1 glass (or two) white wine
• 750ml good vegetable stock
• 25g Parmesan (veg option can be found in shops these days), finely grated 

This is dead easy but there is one thing you need to be careful with: if you are planning to drink the rest of the white wine, buy a good quality bottle. I bought an average one and now I am writing this with a toddler running around my feet, trying to grab my laptop while I 'm typing and a banging headache.
Bring the stock to a simmer. Heat a large wide pan and add half the butter and the olive oil. Add the spring onions, leeks and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Then add the rice and stir to coat. Tip in the wine and bubble until reduced. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring until the rice is tender with a little bite and oozy. When the rice is almost done, stir in the Parmesan and the rest of butter and season. Serve with green salad.

Horseradish & Leeks Pasta Bake

2-3 cups grated Parmesan cheese  

1 medium horseradish root

3 large leeks, chopped 

tomato sauce (I always go for putanesca but there are plenty around)

300g pasta

Cook pasta to within half the suggested by the packaging cooking instructions time. Drain and drizzle with olive oil and hold in bowl covered with plastic wrap. Peel and grate horseradish root on box grater or in food processor. 
Scrub with a stiff brush and peel off the dark skin before using the root. When grating horseradish, it is easiest to use a food processor. Cut the peeled root into cubes and pulse to the desired consistency. The fumes will be quite strong and can actually burn your nose and eyes. Be sure to open a window, remove the lid at arm's length, and turn your head away. If you are brave enough to grate it yourself make sure you are extra careful.

This needs to be done immediately before using. Horseradish will discolor if grated too far in advance. Mix finely grated horseradish with chopped leeks and 2 cups of the grated cheese adding salt and pepper.
In large casserole, layer tomato sauce, pasta and horseradish mixture. Finish by topping with tomato sauce and grated cheese. Mixture should be somewhat soupy. Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Uncover and cook 10 more minutes. Serve with extra grated cheese.

BBQ Snacks

Summer is finally here. There is a BBQ frenzy this week as rumors around town claim rain is back next weekend.
So, in the mean time, use shorter skewers for these antipasto kebabs, perfect to avoid oily hands.
Sun dried and fresh baby tomatoes, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, halloumi, feta, peppers, even big caper berries.

To Have And Have Another

Yes, everyone around is drinking Hemingway cocktails at the moment.
Here is an easy guide to successful making:

2 oz white rum

1/2 oz ounce fresh grapefruit

3/4 oz fresh lime juiced

1/4 oz Maraschino liquer

a pinch of brown sugar

1 cherry, slice of grapefruit (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the optional into a shaker over ice.

Shake hard

Strain

Serve up with a cherry or slice of grapefruit 

Drink

Repeat procedure

Be happy 

Vegan Paella

It is always a pleasant challenge to cook for vegan friends and Paul is the latest to join the vegan club. So we had him and his girlfriend over for dinner last night. I found three different recipes for vegan paella online and made this by combining all. Yes, one of them was an apparently well known Gwyneth Paltrow recipe. Do not let that little fact put you off - she cooks better than she acts - this is so nutritious and tasty, carnivores will love it too.
Ready in 35 minutes.


1 red, and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips

olive oil

½ Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cayenne

250g easy cook rice

100ml sherry (optional)

1 tsp saffron strands

500ml boiling vegan stock

Sea salt200g tender stem broccoli

200g organic nice mushrooms

200g sweet peas

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

a jar  of artichokes

200g broad beans

roughly chopped parsley

4 lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the oil in a paella or other shallow frying pan and fry the onion. When golden add the peppers and mushrooms and fry for about 8 minutes over medium heat until soft.  Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add all the spices, stir, add the rice and the green beans and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the sherry and saffron, boil down for a minute, then add the stock and a third of a teaspoon of salt. 

Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 7 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 

Taste and add salt if needed then scatter the artichokes, kidney beans and broccoli over the rice and cook for another 7 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. 

You can also replace rice with quinoa and get even more big vegan smiles. 

Drunk Mushrooms

Lets assume you do not mind peeling onions and garlic cloves. Good. So keep on reading then. If you also do not mind Ouzo in your food then go for it.
It is an old Ottolenghi recipe that I decided to turn Greek, mostly because a few ingredients were missing from my supply cupboard.
It is unusual but very tasty.

olive oil

80g butter

25 shallots, peeled

25 garlic cloves, peeled

dried thyme 

2 cinnamon sticks

200g portobello or oyster mushrooms, chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

100g buna-shimeji or wild mushrooms

pinch of chilli flakes

200ml vegetable stock

1¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

100ml Ouzo

dried parsley & dried oregano

250g ricotta or (hard to find in the UK) Manouri cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

Heat the olive oil and two-thirds of the butter in a large pan and gently sauté the shallots, garlic cloves, thyme and cinnamon for about five minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the portobello and chestnut mushrooms, stir well so the mushrooms pick up the oil, and cook for a couple of minutes on a medium-high heat. Add the buna-shimeji and chilli flakes, and cook for a further minute.
Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer over a high heat for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost disappeared, and the shallots and garlic are cooked through. Season, then pour in the Ouzo. Cook for a minute or two to allow the alcohol to evaporate, then stir through the remaining butter and all the chopped herbs.
Mix the ricotta (or manouri) with the lemon zest in a small bowl. Divide the warm mushrooms between four plates and top each serving with a quarter of the ricotta mixture. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with watercress or other leafy salad and rice.