Corn, Pumpkin & Saffron Risotto

I'm back from my three day hiatus. I needed a bit of a break from writing just to well, chill the fuck out. I went to the beach yesterday for a swim and read my book for four hours. It was soooo good!

I was inspired by the Fregola, Corn and Cornbread at Duke Bistro, I needed to get me some of that corn goodness and didn't want to cough up for it (after all, I'm on my lady of leisure budget which doesn't pay as well as a full time job). I had some fresh Salmon fillets and figured a corn risotto side would go down well. I was so right...

Corn, Pumpkin & Saffron Risotto

20mins prep time, approx. 30 mins cooking time, serves 4

olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ leek thinly sliced

1 cup risotto rice

splash white wine

1L fresh chicken stock liquid

1 cup shredded pumpkin

1 cup corn (cut fresh from corn cobs)

pinch saffron

sea salt

freshly shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish and to taste (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a risotto pan with a splash of olive oil.
2. Add the leek and stir until coated.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir continuously until coated, then add a generous splash of white wine, continue stirring.
4. Pour in some of the chicken stock liquid (approx. 125ml) and stir through the rice, as it evaporates add more and continue stirring.
5. Stir through the saffron and pumpkin, then some stock. Stir in the corn.  
6. Taste and add fresh sea salt if needed.
7. Follow the basic process for risotto by alternating between adding the liquid stock and stirring. Do this until the rice is almost cooked and there is still liquid left in the pan so the risotto is sloppy. If the 1L stock is not enough, add warm water until the risotto is ready.
8. Turn the heat off and serve immediately.
9. If desired, add Parmesan to taste and garnish.

Tips

• Next time I'd whizz the corn to shred it to pieces so it releases that corn creaminess.
• You will need to stir continuously until the dish is cooked/finished. Risotto should never be left unattended or unstirred. Continuously stirring releases the rice's glutinous quality which is what makes the risotto creamy.
• Risotto should be sloppy or soupy i.e runny, as opposed to dry. Also it should be slightly crunchy. Once the heat is turned off, the rice will continue to absorb the liquid and cook through, so by the time its served; its ready. In the picture above, I had let the risotto sit for approx. 15mins (not advised) hence why all the liquid had been absorbed. Risotto is best served immediately.

Quick Vegetarian Curry

I had some veggies in my fridge close to expiration, so it was time to use those puppies up. I started with the intention of making "ladero" which means oily in Greek (basically veggies with a sauce of olive oil and usually tomato) but things changed. Inspired by my new Moroccan cookbook, I decided to use some spices to spice the dish up and to make something a little different to what I'd usually make.

Quick Vegetarian Curry
15 mins prep time, 40 mins cooking time

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup tomato puree

½-¾ cup water

1 large onion, chopped chunky

2 large potatoes

½ butternut pumpkin

500g string beans, cleaned (washed and stalks/ends cut off)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon hot curry powder

2 teaspoons chicken stock powder

generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

freshly ground sea salt to taste

1. Chop the potato and pumpkin into decent bite size chunks (not too small and not too big, so they cook easily).
2. Heat a saute or dutch oven pan, add olive oil, onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add pumpkin pieces and stir for a few mins. Then potato. Season with salt, pepper and chicken stock powder, then paprika and curry powders, stir well.
3. Add water and tomato puree, stir until mixed.
4. Place lid on pan, heat on low and cook for approx. 10 minutes until the potato and pumpkin soften. Add a dash more water if pan is dry. Place string beans on top, then put lid back on. Cook for 15 mins.
5. Stir the beans in so they start getting coated with the sauce, but be careful not to break them. Cook for a further 15 mins with the lid on. Switch heat off and ready to serve.

Popeye food

Today I was feeling low in energy and slightly under the weather, feels like my iron is low. I wasn’t in the mood to spend a long time in the kitchen and really wanted something nourishing, comforting and fast.

 Warm salad of silver beet, double potatoes and mushroom

10 mins prep time, 15 mins cooking, serves 1 person for main/2 people as side salad

1 medium size potato, peeled and washed

1 medium size sweet potato, peeled and washed

4-5 large silver beet leaves chopped into strips

5 button mushrooms, thickly sliced

Pinch of ground cumin seed

Pinch oregano

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Dash olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon

Small handful of walnuts

1. Cut the potato and sweet potato into decent sized cubes or chunks, and then steam (approx. 10 mins) until cooked.
2. Heat a frying pan, add the olive oil, toss in the mushrooms and stir, cook for 1 min. Add the silver beet and continue stirring until cooked for approx. 4 mins. Toss in the steamed potato and sweet potato, then the cumin and oregano and stir through. Turn heat off.
3. Add freshly cracked sea salt and pepper. Place on serving plate, drizzle the lemon juice on top and extra olive oil if needed. Crush the walnuts in your hand and sprinkle on top as garnish.
4. Eat immediately on its own as a main meal. Alternatively as a side salad with either steak or chicken or fish.