(Ri)Sotto Voce

But more about the recipe later......

Where has the time gone?? I have been busy and tired. Busy with a birthday, busy with a boatload of cupcakes, busy with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (again) and busy watching new DVDs,though without our memory aids it's a wonder MrsDrWho and I ever get anything done!!

Harki is still well and thoroughly vaccinated, though Gilly jumped on her yesterday and hurt her leg. Peri is starving because she is on a diet too. The weather has been stormy and wild again, but we still go for a walk and they both still hop into the creek. They love the water!!!

Lorelai Gilmore is mortally and totally afraid of the new broom and the bag of pine bark. She is not afraid of anything else, and regularly performs death defying feats, which is why I am keeping the front windows closed. Poor long suffering Peri.

The Labradors have been helping me do this:

 

The coin purses are almost on their way. I am a slow assembler!!!

Now, to Curtis Stone and Coles' first Feed Your Family for under $10 recipe:

Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients

8 cups vegetable stock (Massel Ultracube)

 

1 brown onion

 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 

3 sprigs fresh thyme

 

200g mushrooms

 

2 cups Riviana arborio rice

 

4 tbsp Coles butter, chopped

 

½ cup Coles shredded parmesan cheese

 

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

1 tbsp Coles lemon juice

 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Pantry:

2 tbsp olive oil (from pantry)

¾ cup dry white wine (optional)

 

 

1. Bring vegetable stock to a low simmer in a large saucepan. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and thyme leaves (discard stem), and sauté for 2 minutes, or until onions are tender but not browned. Add the rice and sauté for 30 seconds to coat with the oil. Stir in the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until it has been absorbed. Then continue adding one ladle of stock at a time until each addition has been absorbed. If 8 cups of stock is poured in at one time it may make it gluggy. You may not need to use all the stock. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al denté (the centre of each grain should be slightly firm).

2. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Remove risotto from heat, and add butter, grated parmesan. Stir until butter has melted. Finally stir in parsley, and lemon juice, and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Serve the risotto in 4 warmed serving bowls. Garnish with the shaved parmesan and serve. 

Serving suggestion: Serve with a side salad of rocket with balsamic dressing.

Ingredients: The recipe wasn't clear about which packet of rice to buy, so I bought the larger one to be safe. There was no fresh parsley to be found in the store at all.

Method: This is not a meal you would whip up quickly after a long day at work. I stood at the stove stirring and chopping and stirring some more for about 45 minutes all up. You can't leave the pan with this risotto. Personally, I like the mushrooms to be sautéed a little before they are added at the end, I think they taste different. There are some much quicker risotto recipes for the oven or microwave.

Taste & Presentation: This was not my favourite risotto, I made it strictly to the recipe, but I like a richer stock, more cheese and cooked mushrooms. The picture on the recipe card shows the risotto topped with shaved parmesan. This is not included in the cost, neither is the side salad and dressing.

Cost Effectiveness: The herbs are very expensive, $2-95 a bunch, and you only use a small amount so you really have to freeze them to make sure you can use them again, but the recipe came in under budget. The risotto made 1 3/4 cups for each of the four serves, and I am not sure that it is enough by itself to feed a growing teenager?? The addition of the salad and extra shaved parmesan would enhance the whole 'meal' experience.

I give this 6/10.

The postman brought us a bag of Luxury from Bendigo, four balls of 8ply Leaf. The blanket underneath is new Op Shopped for The Labradors. It was nice and clean this morning until someone or other put their grubby paws all over it!!!

 

Next time, my exciting Lino printing adventures and Recipe #2!!!!

Comments

[Rose Red]

I have to admit, I've never made a risotto - all that standing and stirring puts me off. I really should try it now that I can watch tv from the kitchen (bit of an abomination I suppose but I don't care!)

And I love your front window! Stained glass? I'd be looking at the window, not out of it!

[Donyale]

'Lorelai Gilmore is mortally and totally afraid of the new broom and the bag of pine bark'....heh heh this made me snork out loud. As did your as ever clever title (whew - that rhymes)....I await the postie - come on Cindy.....hurry up.

[Michelle]

woo hoo!!! new yarns from Bendigo!! I love love love their new luxury yarn. What are you going to make?

[Tinkingbell]

I love making risotto - and find the stirring sort of soothing (and I make everyone else do any running around - because I can't leave dinner!)

The dogs are dorable as ever - and I laughed myself sick at the memory aid - a high level of self awareness there!

[inkberryblue]

I really like Bendigo's Luxury wool too ~ I saw someone's on the weekend. It was the Purple Storm colour...which was not green, Cindy, but it was gorgeous none the less! It felt lovely too. I think I'd like to make a beret and some fingerless gloves out of it.
The girls looks gorgeous...and I love your stained glass windows. Is there a story behind them?

[Jan]

I too don't mind stirring risotto. However, there is a cheat's way which works almost as well. Add all the liquid, cover and put in oven at about !90 deg. Still works amazingly well.

[Linda]

it's so great you are road testing the recipes I really apreciate it and will await the next one with anticipation!!! thanks for doing it. and yes you are right it is of course a Harry Potter scarf!!!!!!Our house is Harry mad, well Bel and I anyway, Shayne and Zoe can live without it I suppose

[sasha]

Ooooh the yarn looks delish! What are your plans for its future? I'll be keeping an eye out in the post for a little envelope - thank you AGAIN! I'm a very spoilt knitter :) and very grateful too xo

[Laurie (Moo!)]

The risotto recipe looks pretty yummy. I've never made any but the thought of creamy and cheesy is a strong push.

Lucky Labs, getting a new blankie. Grubby paws seem like a mark of approval.

[drkms]

mmm bendigo luxury. so soft! so stretchy (be careful with blocking she says!) and a lovely colour, even if its green:) i am so looking forward to my upside down cup cake purse. i wish i could sew something in return. and hugs to puppies xx

[lynne s of oz]

Ah yes, the new broom. And the bag of pine bark. LOL
http://bea-blacksheep.blogspot.com/ has a problem with hungry/bored dogs too. Hers are bulldogs.

[Ann]

Thanks for the review of the recipe. My girls love risotto & I cooked it frequently using my own recipe with whatever ingredients I have but our favorite is mushroom & spinach.