Squashed Risotto

It was Wednesday, it was January it had rained (again) and spring seemed rather a long way away. As is the way at this time of year it was dark by the time I got home from work, although to be fair as I was leaving the office the last vestiges of daylight were clinging to the rooftops of Rawmarsh as I climbed into the car.

Rather than making something quick from, to borrow one of my secretary's catchphrases, "out the freezer" I decided to treat myself to making a dish I would usually reserve for the weekend when I had more time on my hands.

It was a recipe I learned from my dad in the days when I lived at home. The ingredients I used were as follows:

1. 8 ounces of risotto rice.
2. 3 cloves of garlic.
3. Half a red onion.
4. 1 litre of vegetable stock.
5. Teaspoon of paprika.
6. Teaspoon of white pepper.
7. Half the flesh of a butternut squash.
8. Half a bottle of red wine.
9. 10 ounces quorn pieces.
10. 3 ounces of grated Red Leicester cheese.
11. Salad leaves to garnish.

The album on my MP3 player was something that was a little downbeat to say it was the middle of the working week and I tend during this time to listen to energetic music to keep me pumped up and in the zone for the challenges of the day job. The album was Radiohead's 2003 effort Hail to the Thief that had arrived in the post earlier in the day. It is an album that combines their nascent guitar driven work with their, at the time, more recent dalliances with the world of electronica. The project is a real success and beneath the fog of electric swirls and Thom Yorke's wintry whine is hidden a great record that rewards repeated listens.

As I had not had time, or cash, to invest in a Le Cresceut since I moved to my new place I had to use the wok and I covered the bottom of it with rapeseed oil. Next I diced the garlic and onion and fried them gently for around five minutes together with the paprika and the white pepper.

After five minutes I added the butternut squash pieces, quorn pieces and the rice and another five minutes of frying, whilst constantly stirring the ingredients to stop them sticking, ensued. I then emptied half a bottle of red wine into the wok and stirred it into the food steadily until it had been absorbed. I used a Riocha Wine which had a rich taste to say the least.

After the wine was absorbed I poured in half of the vegetable stock and stirred it in until it too was absorbed. Next came the second half of the vegetable stock and when around two thirds of this had been absorbed I added the grated Red Leicester which ensured that, once it had melted, the risotto was thick and not overly runny.

I then served it with some salad leaves to garnish as well. The trick with risotto is making sure that you have some surplus liquid so it is not overly dry while at the same time ensuring the risotto rice is fully cooked and not unecessary al dente. This was something I managed to achieve with this dish, which proved to be real comfort food on a dark winter's night that left me in a positive and energetic frame of mind for work the next day.

The red wine gave the Quorn Pieces and the risotto rice a claret hue and a rich taste.

Scrambling Spinach

The mild weather returned towards January's end and as a result it suddenly became easier to get out of bed in the morning and the sunshine returned too which is always as bonus at this time of year.

That said towards the end of the month the weather was better for walking in and one of my closest friends and I on a Sunday, not far from payday, took to the hills with our respective dogs for a long, cathartic walk where we shared our recent experiences and set the world to rights. It was after a post-walk cup of tea that I decided to prepare a healthy but rich lunch that was one step beyond my usual Sunday Lunchtime fare of cheese and biscuits.

The dish I settled upon was scrambled eggs with spinach which is a simple dish to make and very healthy. The ingredients I used where as follows:

Three eggs
Four ounces of light margarine.
Three tablespoons of semi-skimmed milk
A tablespoon of dried Tarragon.
A tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
Half a tablespoon of squeezed mustard.
One ounce of grated cheese.
Two handfuls of spinach.

The album on my MP3 player was one I bought at the start of my second year at university, nearly fourteen years ago, being Love's 1967 effort Da Capo. This album is best categorised as a psychedlic record and it encapsulates both the best and the excessive elements of this sub-genre. On one hand you have the first six songs that are short, sharp and memorable as well as ground-breaking. However this is balanced out by the nineteen minute jam which closes the record that is typical psychedelic excess although having said that it is much more interesting than many similar jams by other artists as it includes amongst other things a saxophone solo.

I broke the three eggs in a mixing bowl and then whisked them together very rapidly. In the meantime I melted the margarine into a sauce pan and once it had melted I added the Tarragon to it. Then came the whisked eggs followed by the milk, white vine vinegar and the mustard. While keeping everything on a low heat I stirred it constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture had thickened.

After this I put the spinach into the mixture and once it had blended in sufficiently I added the grated cheese and melted this into what was now scrambled eggs with spinach. Soon the dish was ready to serve and I added some more spinach to the top of it for decorative purposes.

Spinach has plenty of iron in it and it also gave the meal a fresh taste that was offset by the richness of the eggs and margarine, albeit low fat margarine, while the tarragon, vinegar and mustard added a matureness to the meal that worked very well.

More interesting than your average Sunday Snack complete with decorative spinach leaves