Leek & Pancetta Risotto

I always get a sense of satisfaction when I'm able to make dinner entirely from ingredients I already have lurking in the back of my fridge, especially when they're as tasty as this risotto! I already had the leeks and creme fraiche from the salmon with creamy greens and I always make sure I have stock, rice and Parmesan, so I only had to buy the pancetta. I'm a recent convert to risotto, as whenever I've had it in a restaurant it's been greasy and stodgy, so it's nice to make it at home and be reminded of how delicious and comforting a creamy bowl of risotto can be.

Serves 2
150g arborio rice
2 small leeks, sliced
1 courgette, diced
Small pack pancetta
1 tbsp creme fraiche
100ml white wine
500ml chicken stock
25g Parmesan

1. Fry the courgette and leeks in a little oil, until soft. Add the pancetta and turn up the heat a little, until it is cooked through and crisp
2. Stir in the rice and gently fry until the edges go clear. Add the wine and turn up the heat, let it simmer until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice
3. In the meantime, make up 500ml of hot stock. Gradually add a ladleful at a time, waiting until it has been absorbed before adding any more
4. Once the rice has plumped out and is almost ready, add the creme fraiche and Parmesan. Turn the heat right down and put a lid on the risotto and leave to steam for 3 minutes. Season and serve!

Adding the stock:

 Rice cooking away:

Tasty-licious!

Pea Risotto with Flaked Salmon

In an attempt to eat more fish, I decided to cook salmon on Thursday evening. You're meant to have two portions of oily fish per week but normally I struggle to eat one, I'm not sure why as I love salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel. I suppose it's because fish isn't something I'd normally pick up for a quick and easy dinner and it can often be quite expensive. Whenever I make the effort it's always worth it, so I'm going to try to post a few fish recipes a month in a bid to help get some more tasty fish into my diet!

This is a recipe of my own devising, but I'm sure it's hardly original! It's just a basic risotto, with the addition of peas, courgette, lemon and creme fraiche. It's worth using petite pois rather than garden peas, as they're so much sweeter. It would also have been nice with a little pancetta, but Sainsbury's in Stokey was sadly lacking.

Serves 2
2 skinless salmon fillets
100g arborio rice
1 small onion/3 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic gloves, crushed
1 courgette, chopped
200g frozen petite pois
100ml dry white wine
500ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1/2 a lemon, juiced
25g grated Parmesan

Method:

1. Heat some oil in a pan and slowly cook the onion and garlic until golden. Add the courgette and allow to soften. 
2. Meanwhile put 3/4 of the peas, the creme fraiche, seasoning and a little stock into a food processor and whizz until smooth. 
3. Stir the rice into the onions and allow to cook for 1 minute. Next add the white wine and wait for it to be absorbed by the rice. Gradually add a ladleful of the stock to the mixture, stirring continuously.
4. Continue adding the stock to the rice until it is tender. When the rice is almost done, mix the pea puree, whole peas and Parmesan into the rice. Turn the heat off and put a lid on the rice, leave to steam for 3 minutes; this should help to make the risotto creamy (according to my madre).
5. Flake the salmon over the top, either using pre-prepared roast salmon or cooking it yourself. Serve with a green salad.

Risotto cooking:

The finished article: