Crab and samphire risotto

Ingredients 1 pint fish stock, 1 cup risotto rice, 1 white onion, 1/2 tsp dill, 1 cup brown crab meat, 1 cup white wine, 1 tbsp butter, samphire.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

I hate the smell of fish. I'm sorry, but I do. I know it's pretty pathetic for an otherwise adventurous food blogger to turn her nose up at such a basic food but I just cannot cope with it. I wish with my whole heart that I could because it's so good for you, so I was delighted to create this dish for my husband and son recently and it NOT stink my house out or require me to cook with Vick's Vapo Rub slathered under my nostrils. This is a winning dish if you're cooking that all important third date meal for someone. *winks*
All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Peel and finely dice the onion, and sautee in the butter until soft (about 10 minutes).

2) Add the rice and stir through until it becomes translucent, save for a white dot in the centre. Add a good glug of white wine and continue stirring until it has cooked off, then add the first ladleful of stock.

3) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the crab meat, samphire and dill with the second to last ladle of stock. Serve hot, finishing with an indulgent dash of cream if you wish. Remember, risotto should be soupy, not solid!

Harissa rice with grapes

Ingredients Grapes, rice, bell pepper, Smoked chillis, garlic salt, paprika, mint, rose petals, cumin, caraway seeds, olive oil.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Harissa is one of those ingredients that I just can't live without. Stir it into yoghurt for an instant dip of GLORY, spread it on sandwiches, thin with a little oil for a fabulous marinade... it is just altogether yummy. The sweet refreshing pockets of juicy grape in this otherwise spicy dish are absolute perfection.

To Make Harissa:

1) Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper, then grill until the skin is almost completely blackened. Allow it to cool, then peel off the charred skin carefully.

2) Blitz the dried, smoked chilli in a blender, then add to a mortar and pestle and grind into a relatively fine dry paste. The ratio of spices is relatively simple for my recipe, though of course you can adjust for taste. Add 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp caraway seeds and grind into the chilli. Add a teaspoon of oil.

3) Add the bell pepper, 2 or 3 mint leaves and the rose petals (about half the petals from a single red rose) into a blender and pulse, then combine the rose, mint and pepper mixture into the spice and oil paste.

4) Stir into boiled rice, adding halved grapes and serve. Beautiful hot and cold!

Super-protein chicken salad

Ingredients Roast chicken, 1 pint chicken stock, 1/2 cup spelt, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup wild rice.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 1 hour

My beloved yet insane husband is doing Tough Mudder this week (please sponsor him!), and it is up to me to pump him full of protein, lest his muscles fail him and he die.
No pressure then! This salad, using leftover roast chicken and some of the stock made from the carcass has had him salivating at lunch time and is perfect picnic fodder too!

1) Spelt takes the longest to cook at 50 minutes. Soak it in cold water for 5 minutes, drain, then add it to the pan of chicken stock, stir through and leave to simmer.

2) Wild rice takes 30 minutes, so after 20 minutes add to the spelt and stir through.

3) Quinoa takes just 15 minutes, so add to the pan 15 minutes after the wild rice, stir through and leave to cook.

4) If you'd like to serve this hot, drain away any excess stock (though after the best part of an hour it should all have been absorbed or evaporated!), stir through the leftover chicken, season and serve. Otherwise allow the grains to cool before adding the chicken.

Tequila, lime & avocado risotto

Ingredients 1 cup risotto rice, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1 lime, 1 avocado, 1 leek, 1/2 cup tequila, 30g cheddar, butter. dried chilli flakes to garnish

Serves: 2 Preparation: 45 minutes

All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time. This risotto is one of my favourite new summer recipes. The sharp tang of lime and tequila, the creamy texture of melting cheddar in combination with soft avocado... it's scrumptious and so different.

1) Zest the lime and cut in half. Squeeze the juice and stir into the tequila.

2) Slice the avocado in half and use a tablespoon to scoop it from the shell. If the avocado is ripe enough the stone will pop out with a spoon but another good method is to prick it with a knife and pull it out. Slice the avocado into chunks, and cut the cheddar into chunks roughly the same size.

3) Slice the leek and sautee the discs in a little butter until soft strands remain. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in the tequila and lime juice. Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock, the lime zest and stir through.

4) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the avocado with the second to last ladle of stock.

5) When the rice has fluffed up and has become soft, stir through the chunks of cheddar, sprinkle with the chilli flakes and serve. Remember, risotto should be soupy, not solid.

Stuffed courgette: red rice, cheddar & avocado

Ingredients 1 Courgette, 1 avocado, 1/4 cup red rice (I got mine from Millie's in Leeds), 1/4 cup cheddar, olive oil.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 35 minutes

Round courgettes are adorable - just as fresh and juicy as their longer counterpart, but in a convenient shape for stuffing. The filling was inspired by my husband mistaking the courgette for an avocado, bless him the shape and size and colour is similar enough... the red rice adds texture to the meltingly soft avocado and cheddar and makes this a great meal for a hungry tummy.

1) Slice the courgette in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon drizzle it with olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

2) Cover the rice with water and cook on the hob for 30 minutes before straining.

3) Slice the avocado in half and use a tablespoon to scoop it from the shell. If the avocado is ripe enough the stone will pop out with a spoon but another good method is to prick it with a knife and pull it out. Slice the avocado into chunks and stir into the rice along with the cheddar, grated. Spoon the filling into the courgette and return to the oven for 1 minute before serving.

Sweet potato chilli

Ingredients 3 sweet potatoes, 300g Quorn mince, 400g mixed beans: kidney beans, pinto beans, haricot beans, cannellini beans and black eyed beans, 1 cup rice,

2 tablespoons Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt, olive oil, 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, ground ginger.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

A good chilli brings tears to the eyes; tears of spice, tears of joy. This approach involves roasting the sweet potatoes in dry spices, infusing the soft flesh with raw flavour power, then adding beans and Quorn to give this a protein and texture kick. Creamy yoghurt rice to round it off makes this a perfect supper when you need a little warmth and comfort.

1) Peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks. Add to an ovenproof dish with a lid. Add the spices and shake the dish with the lid on. Add a good glug of olive oil and shake again to coat the sweet potato with spices and roast in the oven at 220 degrees for 45 minutes.

2) Add the rice to a pan of hot water and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool.

3) Stir in the beans and Quorn and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Stir the yoghurt into the rice and serve with the hot chilli.

Nettle & yoghurt risotto

Ingredients 1 cup risotto rice, 1 white onion,  1 pint vegetable stock, 100ml Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt, 150g nettles, butter

Serves: 2 Preparation: 45 minutes

All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time. This risotto has the peppery freshness of nettles (which were late in season this year due to the snow) and a wonderful tang of yoghurt - a light change from my tendency towards rich, creamy risotto flavour combinations.

1) To prepare the nettles, pick them carefully by cutting through the lowest part of the stem with secateurs or good scissors, then pick them up by the stems and pop them in your foraging bag/basket. Pour into a colander and run under cold water until any bugs have been washed away. You can use rubber gloves to protect your hands when picking the leaves from the stems but years of cooking burns have given me asbestos fingers and a few stings in you really don't much notice the tingle any more. Drop the leaves in boiling water, stir once, then pour back into the colander. Plunge into ice water to stop the leaves cooking and retain their colour. Strain and set aside.

2) Dice the onion and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in the wine.

3) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

4) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the nettles with the second to last ladle of stock.

5) When the rice has fluffed up and has become soft, stir through the yoghurt and serve.

Moroccan roast vegetable salad

Ingredients 1 sweet potato, 1 carrot, 1 tsp garam marsala, 1 tsp coriander, olive oil, 2 oranges, 1/4 cup sultanas, 1 cup wild rice, Quorn "chicken" pieces

 
Serves: 2 Preparation: 1 hour

Well my little toasties, it has been quite some time since I have updated this blog. Everything Goes With Toast will be 2 years old in March, which is coincidentally the same month I will be giving birth to my Starchild, and the same month David Bowie releases his first album in 10 years. A month of excitement all round! Due to the whirlwind of pregnancy I have neglected this horribly, but I hope this lovely Eastern spiced rice salad will make up for it.

1) Peel the carrot and cut into chunks, then cut the sweet potato into equal sized chunks. Add to a casserole dish along with the juice and zest of 1 orange, a teaspoon of garam marsala and a teaspoon of olive oil. Put the lid on the dish and shake thoroughly to coat the vegetables, then roast at 180 degrees for 30 minutes, shaking again after 15 minutes.

2) Add the Quorn pieces and shake to coat with flavour. Roast for a further 30 minutes.

3) Juice the other orange and put the sultanas into the juice to plump up. Set aside.

4) Rinse the rice and put on to boil. When the rice is cooked, strain the water away and add the sultanas and orange juice.

5) Add the coriander to the casserole dish and shake to coat the Quorn and vegetables, then serve the vegetables with the rice.

Pancetta, leek & gruyere risotto

Ingredients 1 cup risotto rice, 1 cup cider, 1 white onion, 1 pint ham stock, 1 leek, 100g pancetta, 100g gruyere

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30 minutes

Piggy bits, leek and some sort of cheese have been combined many times in this blog. There is a good reason for this - it's delicious comfort food for people who eat meat, and what is more comforting than a risotto?! All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Dice the leek and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in the cider.

2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

3) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the pancetta with the second to last ladle of stock.

4) Stir through the grated gruyere and serve.

Red rice burgers

Ingredients 1 cup Red rice, 1 bell pepper, white onion, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, butter, 1 garlic clove, 1 egg

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

I went to London as a teenager on a theatre trip with some school friends, and on the final night, I ordered a brown rice burger for dinner. It was the first time I'd ever had one and to this day it remains one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. It took me 14 years to dare to recreate it (with my own spin, naturally) as I was worried that it would never live up to the glorious burger of my memory. I'm pleased to say that this spicy, juicy burger is even better. Give it a try.

1) Cover the rice with salted boiling water and, stirring frequently, simmer for 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

2) Remove the core and seeds from a bell pepper and finely dice it. Peel and finely dice a white onion, and crush a clove of garlic.

3) Fry off the onion in a little butter, then add the pepper and garlic along with the spices and sizzle on a low heat for 20 minutes until completely soft.

4) Add the cooked rice, straining off any remaining water in the pan and stir to incorporate. Set aside to cool just enough for you to be able to handle the mixture.

5) Whisk an egg and stir into the rice, then form patties with your hands, or by pressing into a circle mould. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees and serve with salad and the condiments of your choice in a bread bap.

Pea & lemon risotto with parmeggian tuiles

Ingredients     2 lemons (juice and zest), 100g peas, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1 cup risotto rice, leek, butter, parmigiano, peashoots to garnish,

Serves: 2 Preparation: 25 minutes


All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time. My only possible complaint about this fresh, summery risotto is that the damn lemons bleach the colour of the peas! That's it - this is a wonderful dish that I can return to time and time again. Parmeggian tuiles are a great way to introduce a savoury note and despite being the easiest thing to make in the world, they always seem to impress!


1) To make the parmeggian tuiles, spoon a fine layer of grated parmeggian onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, using a circular stencil. Bake for 5 minutes until a golden biscuit has formed, then as they begin to cool, peel away the baking parchment from underneath.


2) Slice the leek and sautee in a little butteruntil soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in the juice of 1 lemon.
3) Once the lemon cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and half of the lemon zest and stir through.

4) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the peas with the second to last ladle of stock.

5) Serve garnished with lemon zest, peashoots and the tuiles.

Pesto & mozzarella sartu

Ingredients Risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano - I would recommend carnaroli), white onion, vegetable stock, butter, mozzarella, old bread, Basil, basil oil, garlic, pine nuts, parmeggian, lemon.

Sartu is a sort of kiev made from risotto - baked in a bowl to form a crust on the outside and a soft gooey filling.

1) Prepare the bowl by rubbing butter on the inside, then coating with breadcrumbs (blitz old bread in a blender to form crumbs). Put the bowl in the fridge.

2) To make pesto:  add a good handful of fresh basil leaves to a mortar bowl and grind to a fine pulp. Sautee 1 crushed clove of garlic in basil oil and add to the mortar bowl along with a pinch of salt and a handful of pine nuts. Grind thoroughly, adding lemon juice, basil oil and parmeggian to taste.


3) To make the risotto crust, finely dice a white onion and sizzle in a pan with some basil oil. Add the rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre. Pour in a glug of vermouth and stir as it cooks off.

4) Add the first ladle of vegetable stock and stir through. Continue to stir the risotto, adding stock one ladle at a time as it cooks off. Once the risotto is ready, set aside to cool a little.

5) Take the crumbed bowl from the fridge and spoon a layer of risotto over the crumbs. Press firmly against the sides and imagine you're building an igloo! This has to stand up under its own weight so it needs to have firm sides.

6) Spoon the pesto into the centre and top with a good handful of grated mozarella, then pack more risotto down over the filling. This will form the base of the sartu so make sure it is flat.

7) Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn it over onto a plate and cut into it to serve.

Cauliflower, saffron and gruyere risotto

Ingredients 1/3 cauliflower, 2 cups risotto rice, pinch saffron, 30g gruyere, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1/4 leek, butter.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes



Saffron is an incredibly complex flavour - the scent makes me think of rusting iron and sweetpeas and it works so, so well with cauliflower which has a musky, sweet flavour when cooked well (overcooked it becomes sulphuric and bitter) and really contrasts with the nutty, caramel tones of the gruyere.
All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time. 



1) Prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and slicing the stem to the base. Slice the cauliflower into thirds and then cut one piece into thick slices, and then chunks.


2) Finely dice the leek and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the cauliflower, risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of vermouth.


2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.


3) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the saffron to the last ladle of stock. 


5) Stir through the grated gruyere, finish with freshly grated black pepper and serve.

Almond & asparagus risotto

Ingredients Asparagus, 75g almond slivers, 1 pint vegetable stock, 50g gruyere, 1 1/2 cups risotto rice, onion, butter, vermouth.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

This might just be the best risotto I have ever created. Toasted almond and asparagus are perfect partners - the nutty, buttery flavour components of both ingredients fuse together perfectly and the triple hit of the nutty, caramel flavour of gruyere makes this risotto a completely hedonistic treat.
All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Finely dice the onion and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of vermouth.
2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

3) In a seperate pan, lightly toast the almond slivers, shaking and turning the pan until they just turn golden brown. Keeping a few to garnish the risotto, crush the toasted almonds in a mortar and pestle until they resemble fine crumbs.4) Continue adding the stock to the risotto, one ladle at a time, adding the ground almonds and aspragus with the second to last ladle of stock.
5) Stir through the grated gruyere, finish with freshly grated black pepper and the remaining toasted almonds and serve.

If you don't have any almonds, you could stir in a teaspoon of almond butter instead.

Pea & asparagus risotto

Ingredients 1 pint vegetable or ham stock, 125g asparagus, 75g peas, 1 1/2 cups risotto rice, 1 tbsp chopped mint, 1 white onion, vermouth, butter.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes

Pea and mint risotto is a real favourite of mine - whether I give it savoury notes with a little gruyere or parmeggian, or whether I keep it fresh and clean, I never get bored of it. Adding asparagus seems to enhance the freshness of the peas, whilst adding the more complex, nutty savoury notes that I would usually get from the cheese. Perfect if you don't do dairy or are trying to cut down! All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Finely dice the onion and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of vermouth.
2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

3) Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time, adding the mint, peas and aspragus with the second to last ladle of stock.

4) Finish with freshly grated black pepper and serve.

Fennel & goats cheese risotto

Ingredients   Fennel, risotto rice, goats cheese,  cream, leek, vegetable stock, vermouth

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes


I adore fennel - the liquorice taste which is so prevalent when it's raw, adds a fresh dimension to a rich dish so I think this is perfect to balance the goats cheese in this risotto. All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.

1) Finely dice the leek and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of vermouth.


2) Once the alcohol cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.

3) Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time, adding the sliced fennel with the second to last ladle of stock. Crumble through the goats cheese and stir through.
4) Finish with a little cream and freshly grated black pepper and serve.

Turkey risotto

Ingredients    Roast turkey, turkey carcass, water,  risotto rice, double cream, brandy, butter, leek

Serves: 2 Preparation: 30


Perfect for leftover Christmas turkey, this is a great way to use up your meat and use the carcass too for making stock. All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol (in this case brandy to give it that extra Christmassy flavour) and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.


1) To make the stock: Pick the meat from the turkey carcass and set aside, then add the carcass into a stock pot and cover with water. Allow to boil for 1-2 hours, strain away the turkey and allow to cool. Skim off the fat from the surface and then the stock is ready to use. If you don't want to make turkey stock, you can use chicken stock instead.


2) To make the risotto: Finely dice the like and sautee in a little butter until soft. Add the risotto rice and stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of brandy.


3) Once the brandy cooks off, add the first ladle of stock and stir through.


4) Continue adding the stock, one ladle at a time, adding the turkey with the final ladle of stock.


5) Finish with a little cream and freshly grated black pepper and serve.

Red rice with roast aubergine

Ingredients     150g red Camargue rice, 1   aubergine, passata tomatoes, oregano, coriander, salt, olive oil, 1 pint vegetable stock.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 40 minutes


Camargue red rice is the most recently discovered variety of rice and is very similar to those used in risotto like arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano because it's unmilled which gives it the sticky starch releasing quality. It's grown in in the wetlands of the Camargue in the South of France (hence the name). It has a dark reddy-brown colour with a really intense nutty taste so I complemented this with roast aubergine - the perfect combination.


1) Slice the top from the aubergine, slice it in half lengthways and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200.


2) Unlike making risotto, you don't need to make it in three stages, adding a ladle at a time. It can be fully submerged and will still become sticky and create a creamy sauce. Stir the rice as it cooks, then add passata tomatoes and finely chopped oregano once the stock has cooked off.


3) Dice the cooked aubergine and stir it into the rice, then serve.

Pork & apple rice salad

Ingredients      Basil oil, pistachio, basil, pork    strips, apple, long grain rice, wild rice, lime.

1) Mix the rice together and boil for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.


2) Peel and core 2 apples and dice the fruit. Warm a little basil oil in a frying pan and add the apples, stirring through until they begin to soften. Add the pork strips and sizzle until cooked.


3) Crush a handful of pistacho nuts in a mortar and pestle and add 2 handfulls of roughly chopped basil. Grind the basil into the nuts until it forms a paste. Stir through some basil oil, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.


4) Stir the pesto through the rice and add the pork and apples.

Pea & mint rice salad

Ingredients   Almond butter, garden peas, mint,  wild rice, long grain rice, goats cheese.

1) Mix the rice together and boil for 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add in the peas.


2) Strain the rice and stir through with almond butter. Slice the goats cheese into chunks and sprinkle with chopped mint. Serve hot or cold.