pots & vans

When Maria suggested risotto for dinner tonight I felt bored with the flavour combination that has become my default. So I tried a new set of flavours and very happy with the end result. We were cooking for 4 tonight but obviously halve the quantities for 2. A keeper for sure. Servings 4 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula and wooden spoon (I find I use two stirrers with risotto because the rice tends to stick.) Grater for parmesan \ Strainer for olives Ingredients olive oil 1x leek, chopped 1x green capsicum, chopped 1½  cup arborio rice cup of cheap wine wine chicken stock, ~700ml (2 x cubes) 5x free range chicken thighs 6x medium size handful of Swiss brown mushrooms, chopped 1x jar of pitted Sicilian olives 1x cup of chopped parsley parmesan, small pile grated (for a bit of punch) butter, 2 x knobs (for creaminess) pepper to taste Method Cooking risotto requ...

I read somewhere once that paella was party food. Not in the same way party pies and frankfurters are, but in the sense that when you put a paella dish on the table, its invites a celebratory mood. Indeed it does. I've got my good mate Gavan to thank for getting me onto paella, and the sofrito he shared with me is the key to this recipe ... magic juice. Some recipes integrate the sofrito into the dish. I like this approach because we make enough of it to store in small containers in the freezer (sometimes twice the recipe below), so when the the occasion calls for paella, the preparation effort is drastically reduced. We keep a paella dish in the van, so when we leave home for a decent stint, the sofrito from the freezer comes with us. Perhaps like no other dish, I was determined to figure out how to cook paella properly, and in particular, how to end up with socarrat, one of the most important parts of an authentic paella, and for me, an indicator that I was getting the hang of it...

Today was New Brighton Farmers Market day which meant we had a little container of smoked mushrooms from Wollumbin Gourmet Mushroom. Time for some mushroom risotto we reckoned. Of course you don't need these special mushrooms to make this recipe, but if you are lucky enough to be able to jag some, then they will add a stack of flavour to this simple but layered risotto. Thanks Gav & Jules for the tip to try these mushrooms when we were here last year. As is becoming our custom, we wandered out along the breakwall before dinner and were treated to a gorgeous sunset. We had been awake early this morning and decided to get to the beach to see the sunrise, but were foiled by the clouds - all was forgiven. It was nice walking back to the van, starting to think about this dish and anticipating the smells and tastes.  Servings 2 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula ...

Risotto is comfort food and is a go-to favourite for us in the van. It's easy to make, ingredients can be flexible depending on what is in the fridge, and it can taste so good, especially when the weather is cool. Servings 2 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula and wooden spoon (I find I use two stirrers with risotto because the rice tends to stick.) Ingredients olive oil 1x small onion, diced ½ red capsicum, chopped ¾ cup arborio rice cup of cheap wine wine chicken stock, ~700ml (2 x cubes) handful of mushrooms, chopped good bunch of kale, de-stalked and chopped 2x Italian sausages, cut into pieces parmesan, small pile grated (for a bit of punch) butter, 2 x knobs (for creaminess) pepper to taste Method Cooking risotto requires continual attention, so I prepare all the ingredients beforehand. Once everything has been gathered and chopped ... Bring the stock to t...