Risotto

one of my (many) favourites. so versatile. comfy food at its best, you only need to have your risotto rice - round grain, preferably italian, i use arborio or carnaroli - and onions in stock, no pantry should be devoid of it.

being spontaneous a quick look in the fridge or the pantry tells you what could add to your risotto and fill your stomach in 30 minutes. the possibilities are endless and even in summer, when salad and fruit dominate the menus, the odd cool evening calls for this italian masterpiece.

there are as many variations of risotto, as there are cooks in italy a saying goes, so let me give you my version.

1 onion chopped and a little olive oil started on low heat till the onion turns translucent. add the rice, a cup per person, let it also gain heat. deglaze with a little white wine (to add a some acidity and roundness), then pour in vegetable stock cup after cup, let the rice absorb the liquid in between. this happens on low heat, the mix barely bubbling, stirring it all occasionally. in the process the rice will loose its starch to the liquid turning it into a creamy consistency. 

you can add the ingredients of your choice (e.g. spinach, carrots, peas, herbs,...) now and let it cook together until all the parts seamlessly grew to a creamy risotto, or fry them apart in an extra pan (zucchini, fennel, mushrooms,...) and mix it together when ready. 

classic recipes would ask for butter and parmesan now, but that actually makes the result heavier and heftier, so i am omitting these in order to keep my dish delicately light and vegan.

for the version you see here i had some beetroot left in the fridge (precooked in the oven a day earlier) and i fried some mushrooms up to be placed on top. finished with a little evoo 

and balsamic, which perfects this dish' all around eathiness. enjoy!

Leftovers

I love leftovers - they make great dinners! 

they sometimes end up thrown together being a one pot (or one 
pan - don't limit yourself) wonder, but most of the time they turn out to be a form of mezze - an oriental starter selection 
- usually large enough to make a main course obsolete.

everyone picks what he or she likes and it's a feast 
for the tastebuds. it's also a cool way to try new 
and adventurous combinations in a small batch. enjoy!

roasted melanzani w tahin - asian style potato salad w mint and peas and a mustard apple dressing - panfried mushrooms (the two round parts of a stem are perfect fake scallops) - green beans with chestnut cracker crumbs (I should run a post on that chest-nut bread - comes from france and is amazing!) - tomato hummus