Go-slow-risotto

I love risotto, but don't cook it as often as I'd like because it requires so much attention. Much like a toddler, you can't leave it alone for a moment, you have to stand there and STIR and STIR and STIR.  This is fine if you're Nigella Lawson and find this kind of domestic slavery appeallingly kitsch, but some of us have no au pair to watch the children and lives to be getting along with, and can't cope with needy rice at tea time.

I decided to investigate alternatives and found recipes for oven baked risottos, which sounded wonderful.  Then I thought... I've made rice pudding in the slow cooker before, so why not risotto?  It's the same principle in savoury format, surely?  So I found a recipe for an oven baked risotto and changed and tweaked and played with it... and present to you the ultimate in slatternly stodge, the slow cooked risotto.

I specify fresh or frozen veg.  I find ready chopped frozen onion a bit of a lifesaver in getting a quick start to dinners, you could also use frozen soffrito mix (onion, carrot and celery very finely chopped).  The frozen sliced peppers are great for cooking or pizzas, and using both makes this almost a storecupboard staple.  You can skip the goats cheese if you don't like it, just making it a tomato and pepper risotto (and a vegan option if you use a vegan spread instead of butter as your mantecatura). If you don't want to use wine, just up the hot water to 600ml and add it straight to the slow cooker after frying off the onion and rice.

Slow-cooked pepper and goats cheese risotto

250g arborio risotto rice
1 500g carton passata
1 vegetable stock cube
200ml white wine
450ml hot water
2-3 mixed peppers, sliced thinly, or a couple of handfuls frozen sliced peppers
1 small onion, finely chopped, or some frozen chopped onion
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
splash of olive oil.
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
 1tsp garlic powder
150g soft goats cheese
large knob butter


Heat your oil in a frying pan and saute the onion until soft.  Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to turn translucent, tip in the wine, reduce to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, add the peppers to the slow cooker.  Tip in the oniony rice and wine from the pan, add the carton of passata and dissolve the stock cube in the hot water before adding to the mix.  Stir in the garlic powder, thyme, pepper and vinegar, set the slow cooker to low and cook for 3.5 hours, or 1.5 hours on high.  Stir occasionally if you can.

After this time, add the goats cheese and butter to the slow cooker, stir until thoroughly combined, and cook for a further 20-30 minutes.  You can serve with crusty bread, garlic bread, salad, veg, or just on it's own. 

Currying Favour

Oh, I have had such a rollocking for the lack of updates lately (Miz Sally Roper, I'm talking to you) so I'm sneaking back in with a weeny twist on Mango Chicken Curry, just to ease back into the swing of it.  It's a creamy, fruity curry but it does have a little bit of a kick, and you can add chillies if you prefer a bit more heat.  My children will happily eat this* but they're used to spicy foods so for younger children or those less asbestos-tongued, just use less curry paste, or add some yoghurt, fromage frais or creme fraiche to the kids portions.  This is quick and easy, perfect weeknight fare.

I've called it Lassi chicken curry because the simmering sauce before I add it to the curry paste mix reminds me of sweet mango lassi.  Coconut milk seems to be getting really expensive these days but I've just discovered that Aldi sell it for 89p a tin - winner!

* Usually.  The small boychild was less enamoured this time round because he managed to rub it into his eye.  I'd avoid this, as a rule.  It didn't seem pleasant.


Lassi Chicken Curry

1 tin mango slices in juice or syrup, drained
1 tin coconut milk
1/2 jar Pataks Mild Curry paste
Approx 6 chicken thigh fillets, chopped up
1 punnet chestnut mushrooms, quartered
1 bag of washed baby spinach
Olive oil or low fat cooking spray

In a small separate saucepan, whizz together the mango slices and coconut milk with a hand blender until smooth.  Pop onto a low heat and let it come to a simmer gently, stirring occasionally.

Add oil or spray to the pan and fry the mushrooms for a minute or two.  Add the chopped chicken and the curry paste, stir together, and let it sizzle away for a few minutes.  Pour in the coconut mango mix and stir well.  Bring to the boil then turn down the heat, and let it simmer for approx 20 minutes whilst you cook some basmati rice.  Use the pan you simmered the coconut mix in, and don't bother rinsing it, it will lend a subtle coconutty mangoey flavour to your rice.

After 20 minutes, throw the baby spinach into the curry, stir, cook for 2 minutes, then serve.  If you would like a thicker curry, use a little cornflour paste, or some thickening granules.  If you're feeling posh you can sprinkle with dessicated coconut before serving.  As you can see, I was not having a posh day.

Pterodactyl for dinner.

My family discovered the wonder that is teriyaki sauce on a self catering holiday in Florida, back when I was in my early teens.  We were all instantly hooked, and very quickly nicknamed it, as tight knit little clans do.  Or maybe they don't, and we're all just a bit weird.  It's nice that we have each other, in that case.  Anyway, Pterodactyl Sauce was born, and Pterodactyl Sauce it will always be, and every summer we will barbecue up some Pterodactyl goodness.  Maybe you have to know us.

From the legend of Pterodactyl, and now cooking for my own family, these tasty skewers were created.  I make my own teriyaki sauce, because it's better than bottled.  This is sweeter than regular teriyaki, to get the requisite stickyness and thick glossy gorgeousness.  Super versatile, they make a delicious midweek family tea, but also barbecue beautifully, and made in large quantities are perfect for gatherings.  The rice dish that I serve alongside can be served hot, or as a cold salad at a barbecue or party.

Sweet Teriyaki Pork Skewers - makes 6-8 skewers

You will need about 8 skewers - I prefer flat metal ones, but you can use wooden, just be sure to soak them thoroughly, especially if you're barbecuing.


1 large mugful of pineapple juice
750g pork, ready cut stir fry strips or tenderloin cut into thin strips
1/2 cupful mirin (sweet rice wine - from Asian section of a large supermarket)
1/2 cupful dark soy sauce (you can use reduced salt version if cooking for little snarflings)
1/2 cupful loosely packed soft brown sugar
1 tbsp oil - groundnut or vegetable, NOT olive.


Cut up your pork, if you need to, or tip your packs of ready cut pork into a bowl.  Pour over the pineapple juice, cover with cling film, and pop in the fridge to marinate for at least 6 hours.

When ready to cook, put the mirin and soy sauce in a pan over a medium heat. When it's warm, tip in the sugar and oil.  Bring to the boil then reduce the heat right down and let it simmer, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes.  Turn the oven on to preheat, approximately 190oC/170o fan.

Meanwhile, take your skewers and thread your pork strips onto them.  Curl the strips into C or S shapes depending on length, doubling the strip over on itself to make a neat kebab.  You'll see what I mean from the pictures below.  Lay them onto a baking tray, if you have any scrappy bits that won't thread, just spread them on the tray.  Take your teriyaki sauce, which by now should be thicker and beautifully shiny, and brush/dab liberally all over the pork skewers, both sides.  Dab some on your scrappy bits too.  Those are your chef''s treat.  Keep a little sauce back.

Pop into your preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until they look cooked and are sizzly.  Take them out, baste with the reserved sauce, and return to the oven for 2 minutes.  Or, of course, cook on a barbecue, basting regularly until cooked through.



Prawn fried rice

1.5 cups dry rice of your choosing - I like Basmati or you could try a sticky rice like Thai Jasmine
1 courgette
1 sweet red pointed pepper or regular red bell pepper
1 medium free range egg, well beaten
150g small ready cooked prawns, drained if in brine or defrosted if frozen
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil

Pop your rice on to boil and cook it as per the pack instructions.

Meanwhile, cut your pepper and courgette into very small dice.  Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a wok or large frying pan, and add the pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes then add the courgette.  Cook together for a few minutes more until al dente.  Take your beaten egg and slowly pour into the pan in a thin ribbon, stirring with the other hand all the while, then give a really good stir before throwing in your prawns.  Cook together for 1minute then push the mixture out to the sides and pour the remaining tbsp of oil into the resulting well.  Drain your cooked rice, add your rice to the pan and stir well.  Mix your mirin with the sugar and tip over the rice, stirring well to coat, then turn off the heat and serve immediately.

A note about rice - it's really not a great idea to leave warm rice sitting around growing gakky bacteria at a rapid rate.  SO, either make sure you time your rice to be ready to drain and add immediately to the dish OR cool it immediately by running under cold water and putting in the fridge until ready to use, then giving it a few extra minutes in the pan to reheat until PIPING HOT.  If you go with the second option, any leftover rice CANNOT be reheated, but you may chill it quickly and serve it cold.  If your plan is to serve it cold, I'd suggest cooking and immediately chilling the rice, storing in the fridge, then cooling and refrigerating the vegetable, egg and prawn mix then combining the two and adding the mirin dressing once fully cold.

That's quite enough CAPITAL EMPHASIS FOR FOOD HYGIENE.  SHOW ME THE DINNER!

The raw coated skewers, showing how they're threaded.

And the finished yummers.