If you thought the secret to a perfect creamy risotto was stirring for hours on end, think again. With only ten minutes of hands-on cooking time required, this recipe is the perfect thing to knock together midweek. Bursting with delicious earthy flavours and served alongside a fresh chopped salad, this colourful dish is guaranteed to delight even the fussiest of eaters. No mealtime meltdowns in sight!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
175
Arborio Rice
½
Chicken Stock Powder
200
Cherry Plum Tomatoes
½
Baby Gem Lettuce
140
Diced Chicken Thigh
1
Garlic Mayonnaise
15
Pine Nuts
30
Chorizo
30
Unsalted Butter
6
White Wine Vinegar
12
Basil
40
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains Milk, Egg)
62.5
Baby Spinach
½
Cucumber
(May contain Celery)
1.5
Olive Oil
400
Water
Preheat your oven to 200°C and boil your kettle. Pour the boiling water (see ingredients for amount) into a measuring jug and add the stock powder. Stir to dissolve. Heat a splash of oil in an ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5-6 mins. TIP: Do this in batches if necessary, you want the chicken to brown not stew.
Return all the chicken to the pan and add the chorizo, stir-fry for 2 mins. Stir in the arborio rice to coat it in the oil, then pour in the white wine vinegar and allow to evaporate. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid (or some foil) and pop the dish on the top shelf of your oven for 20 mins. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle.
Meanwhile, trim the baby gem lettuce. Halve the lettuce lengthways, then thinly slice widthways. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Trim the cucumber, quarter it lengthways, then chop widthways into small pieces. Combine the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl. Mix the garlic mayonnaise in a bowl with a splash of water to loosen it up slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the pine nuts in a freezer bag and roughly crush using the bottom of a saucepan. Tip into a small bowl. Roughly chop the basil (stalks and all) and add this to the bowl. Stir in half the cheese and the olive oil (see ingredients for amount) until you have a drizzling consistency.
When the risotto is cooked, remove it from the oven and gently fold through the butter and hard Italian cheese. Stir through the baby spinach until wilted. TIP: If the kids don't like spinach, serve theirs before adding the spinach. Divide the chopped salad between two bowls and dress half with the garlic mayonnaise dressing (unless the kids are really adventurous, in which case dress it all!).
Serve the baked risotto in bowls with the salad on the side (dressed or not). Finish with a little of the drizzle. Enjoy!