Risotto with peppers
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Ingredients / Shopping List

300g long grain or Arborio rice

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 clove garlic

500ml cold water with veg stock cube

250ml white wine

Salt and ground black pepper

1 tblsp white wine vinegar

25g grated parmesan

25g butter

Prep Time:   0:15
Cook Time:   0:35
Serves:   4

Prep to Cook:

Deep sided pan or stir-fry wok, sieve, wooden spatula, measuring jug, vegetable knife and chopping board, garlic press

Prep:   Wash the rice in a sieve under running water and drain.

Melt butter in the pan and stir in crushed garlic and seasoning.

Boil kettle and dissolve stock cube in water.

Add the rice and stir rice until it is coated.

Add the stock with the white wine.

Stir well and gently bring to the boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking.

Dice the peppers.  Cut in half remove seeds and slice.  Turn slices and cut again.

Add more stock as the mixture thickens, cooking gently until the rice is cooked.

Gentle cooking is needed, risotto may take up to 30 minutes to cook.

Test a cooled rice grain to check the texture is soft with no hard centre left.

Gradually stir in the diced vegetables, more seasoning and grated parmesan.

Allow the heat of the rice and pan to heat the vegetables.

Check the flavours.

Serve with chopped coriander sprinkled over the surface and drizzle with olive oil.

Check it out !

A simple risotto is cheap and nourishing.  Use other vegetables such as mushrooms, peas and sweetcorn to change the textures.  Top with crushed crisps!

Cooks Know How: The secret in making risotto is to get the rice to cook thoroughly.  It should not be rushed.  Take your time, make more stock than you think you need and gradually spoon it into the rice mixture as it swells. Control the heat so that the rice does not burn or stick to the pan.  Covering the risotto pan with a light piece of foil can help the steam to cook the rice.  Rice is starch, and when raw, starch is indigestible.  The cooking process converts the starch, gelatinising it and making it able to be used as energy by our bodies. The rice may be either long grain or Arborio, the Italian choice.  Make the colours come from the vegetables you add.  Risotto can be a main dish or simply served as a side to BBQ meats or roasts.

Next Time

Add spices such as chilli or turmeric to give your risotto a different boost of flavour.  Additions such as cashew nuts, peanuts or tofu make risotto more of a main meal.

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