roasted tomato risotto

we’re about to go away for a week on a scottish jaunt – glasgow, fort william and the isle of skye – so menu planning is all about using things up.

we had a big bowl of tomatoes, fresh from the garden, which needed to be finished so i decided it was time to get over the mental block i have when it comes to tomato risotto.

as there were so many tomatoes i halved and roasted them a la skye (gyngell, not the island) and then stirred them into a simple risotto, along with some double-podded broad beans. my garnish of crispy pancetta worked wonderfully with the risotto but sadly didn’t do much to make the photo look appealing.

trust me though, it is a terrific way to get through a glut of tomatoes. 

pea and peppered mackerel risotto

 

despite my love of smoked mackerel i had never thought to put it in a risotto, preferring the cleaner flavours and texture of a pilaf. i gave it a try recently though, adding some peas from the garden, and the result was surprisingly good.

the creamy richness of the risotto balanced well with the peppery smoked fish, with the peas and lemon adding some freshness and stopping it being too rich. having said that, if you’re making this when the weather is a little chilly, it is a very comforting dish.

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prawn and courgette risotto

 

i feel like i’m in a bit of a rut with my cooking – despite the fact that the weather is brightening up i’m still craving comfort food, particularly pasta. which you’ve probably noticed given i’ve posted three pasta recipes in the last 10 days!

in an attempt to get myself thinking about more spring-like food and away from the pasta section of my cupboard i decided that prawns plus the lighter herbs mint and basil should be my focus. this risotto is wonderfully light and indicative of warmer times to come

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leek and pancetta risotto

i often turn to risotto if i’m tired or stressed. the acts of chopping and stirring are hugely soothing and the need to open a bottle of wine as part of the recipe also adds to the experience!

leek and pancetta risotto is a combination i stopped making after one attempt which was very mediocre. however, an abundance of leeks in the fridge, which were starting to look very tired and in need of using up, made me try again.

this time it was really delicious – using lots of leek is, i think, the key, this recipe used four leeks for a two person risotto – and it’s going back on the menu!

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sausage, butternut squash and spinach risotto

having had angela hartnett's orecchiette with sausage, fennel and flat-leaf parsley for supper and only used up half a pack of sausages, i needed a plan for the remaining two. throw some spinach that was on its last legs and half a butternut squash into the equation and i had a risotto in the making.

normally i would roast my butternut squash while making the risotto and then stir it in at the end. this time i decided to experiment with adding uncooked squash to the risotto pan and cooking it with the rice. this actually worked surprisingly well and as well as being healthier as the oil that i'd normally use for roasting the squash was not required, it also gave the dish a fresher flavour.

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