Green Risotto

I found this recipe on a local cooking show and just barely was able to try it. You may remember my mishap with the peas: this was that day.

The cook is British, so the measurements are by weight. I’ve included my notes, as always.

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp olive oil
250g (9oz) peas, fresh or frozen
100g (4 oz) spinach (destalk if the leaves are large)
950ml (1 pt 12 fl oz) vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g (12 oz) risotto rice
150ml (5 fl. oz) white wine (I omitted the wine and used extra stock)
100g (4 oz) Parmesan cheese to serve

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180'C/gas 4. (I cooked mine entirely on the stove top, so you can bake if you like, or not).
Heat half the olive oil in an oven-proof saucepan.
Add the peas and spinach and cook, stirring all the time, for 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.

Add about 50ml of the stock and puree in a blender or food processor.
Set aside.
In the same saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid and sweat over a gentle heat until soft but not colored.
Add the risotto rice and stir it around in the saucepan for a minute, then add the remaining stock and the wine.
Stir and bring it up to the boil, cover with the lid and place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.(Again, I did mine entirely on the stove, like you would normal risotto: adding the stock and stirring until it dissolves, then adding more , repeating until the rice is cooked, then continue with the recipe.)
Stir in the vegetable puree and set aside with the lid on.

To serve
Serve the risotto in warm bowls topped with Parmesan.(I mixed my cheese in with the pureed spinach and peas, but do as you please).

Green Risotto: Not for the faint of heart!

Marry Me Toffee

Yes, this is the actual title of the recipe. It comes from Jane Sharrock’s “Who Wants Candy?” Cookbook. The title of the recipe has no punctuation so I get to imagine it for myself. One option is, “Marry me, toffee!” like in the old joke. “I love this!” “If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?”

Another option (and my personal favorite) is, “Marry Me!” Toffee (a la Arrested Development).

But however you do it, it’s delicious.

 

I’ve had trouble with recipes from this cookbook before, and so I was pleased when this one turned out so well.

Ingredients:

2-2 1/2 cups of chopped, toasted almonds

6, 1.5 oz Hershey’s chocolate bars (I used 9 oz. of Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate bars. I’m sure you could use whatever, just keep it unmelted).

1 pound of good quality butter – margarine doesn’t work.

2 cups granulated sugar

3 Tbls water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

1. Scatter a little over half the almonds (I used dry roasted almonds instead of toasting them myself) over two baking sheets (the book reads, one large and one small to medium. I used two medium ones and it worked fine). Reserve the remaining almonds for the top. Break the chocolate into pieces.

2. In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. One it begins to boil, stir constantly and cook to the hard crack stage, 300 degrees.

3. Remove from heat, quickly stir in vanilla. Immediately pour over the almonds on the baking sheets. the candy won’t go all the way to edge of the sheet. Immediately place the chocolate onto the candy roughly evenly spaced. Let the chocolate melt for a few minutes, then use a spatula to spread it evenly over the surface of the candy.

4. Sprinkle the reserved almonds over the chocolate, pressing into the chocolate if desired. Let it all cool to room temperature before cutting (I used a pizza cutter, but you can break it by hand, too). It will keep for a week or two in an airtight container at room temperature.