RICE PUDDING

This rice pudding has been adapted from a 4-Ingredient Recipe by Kim McCosker. I make a big batch of this rice pudding at the beginning of the week and it provides my husband and I with breakfast for four days each (it serves 8!). It can also be served as a dessert! The touch of cinnamon really makes the dish so don't leave it out! 

Ingredients

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups milk or milks of your choice - reduced fat cows milk if you can tolerate dairy or choose from soy, lactose-free, oat or unsweetened almond milk as alternatives
• 1/2 cup sultanas 
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Optional - 1-2 servings of fruit of your choice, such as 1 banana, sliced, a handful of blueberries or strawberries 
• Optional- a handful of shredded or flaked coconut, lightly toasted 

Cooking 

1. Bring the 2 cups of rice and the 4 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan, covered. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, lid askew. 

2. Cook until water has almost all absorbed, then add the milk, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Keep heat low. Once the milk has been absorbed into the rice, remove from heat. Add the sultanas and cinnamon and stir well. 

Top with fresh fruit and/or coconut and serve warm. 

Serves / 8 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

BROWN RICE, CHICKEN & CHINESE BROCCOLI

This is a very simple dish, inspired by my husband saying that he wanted 'chicken, brown rice and broccoli' for dinner. I had bought some Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) from a farmers market on the weekend which I absolutely love with oyster sauce and soy sauce. Gai lan has thick green stems and dark green leaves, both of which can be eaten. You can certainly fry the chicken breast with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil and 1 finely chopped garlic clove, however I prefer poaching chicken as it uses no oil and does not dry out, hence this is the method I used in the recipe below. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts, even in size (around 450-500g in total)
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled & sliced 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 head of broccoli, florets and stalk chopped into even pieces
• 1 bunch of Gai lan (Chinese broccoli), ends of stalks removed (these are too tough to eat) and stalks and leaves separated 
• Optional - 1/4 cup green shallots, finely chopped, to serve 

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar or mirin
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

COOKING 

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, add the chicken breasts, garlic and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. After this time turn off the stove and leave the chicken to sit for 5 minutes, before removing the chicken and placing it on a chopping board to cool for 5 minutes before shredding it. 

2. Meanwhile, add the brown rice to another medium or small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce to a simmer, still covered, and cook for 15-18 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. 

3. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl or cup/mug. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce and stir vigorously to remove any lumps. 

4. In a third saucepan (or if not available wait until the chicken or rice is finished to use that saucepan), fill with around 10cm of water and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the gai lan stalks and the broccoli, as these take longer to cook than the leaves. When the stems have become bright green, or have been cooking for 2 minutes, add the leaves to the water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the leaves are wilted. Remove from heat and drain the vegetables until cold water in a colander. Roughly chop the gai lan leaves. 

Combine the chicken, rice, sauce and vegetables in a large serving bowl, stirring well. Divide into 4 serving bowls and top with finely chopped green shallots, if desired. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / around 30 minutes 

x Emily 

QUINOA CHICKEN RICE PAPER ROLLS

A lovely friend of mine fed these rice paper rolls to me the other weekend and I have not been able to stop thinking of them since, therefore I made my own version of them. I love the twist Collette has put on this traditional light Vietnamese meal, by adding quinoa and oven baked pumpkin to pump up the fillings. You can use skinless bbq chicken if you prefer this to poaching chicken breast and can choose to leave out the quinoa if you want to make this meal more low-carb. If you are vegetarian add the quinoa and some thinly sliced avocado. This is a such a light, fresh lunch or dinner that I can see myself making it for many, many years to come. 

Ingredients

• baking paper 
• 300g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces 
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 250g cooked chicken, skin removed or 250g chicken breast 
• 1/3 cup white quinoa
• 12 rice paper round sheets
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin sticks
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach or green lettuce
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• Optional- 2 handfuls of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Dipping sauce - hoisin sauce or sweet chilli sauce 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the pumpkin and oil in a medium bowl to combine, then place the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

2. If you are using cooked chicken, ignore this step. If you are not using cooked chicken, you will need to poach the chicken breast. Whilst the quinoa is cooking, place the chicken breast in a small to medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before 'shredding' the chicken (I do this with 2 forks and pull in separate directions, as you would when 'pulling' pork). Discard the poaching liquid. 

3. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, twice, with your hands and strain through a sieve. Bring the quinoa to boil in a small to medium saucepan over high heat with 1 cup water, covered. Once boiled, lower to a simmer and continue to cook, covered, until all the water is absorbed, around 6 minutes. 

4. Once the pumpkin, chicken and quinoa are cooked, pour boiling hot water into a medium bowl. Lay the rice paper sheets next to the water. Place your cool fillings; cucumber, lettuce, shallots, coriander (if using) on a plate next to your cooked fillings. You are now ready to make your rice paper rolls! 

5. Soften each rice paper sheet by individually dipping it in the water and rotating the sheet with your fingers for one rotation only; the paper will feel moderately wet but not completely softened. The consistently of the rice paper should be pliable and slightly tacky. Have a flat surface such as a large clean plate or your bench top to place the paper. Just work with one softened rice paper sheet at a time, as it is much less fiddly. 

6. To wrap - I use the Two End Method. Centre the ingredients vertically, using 1/12 of all of the above ingredients, and position them about 4cm from the lower edge of the rice paper. Bring the lower and upper edge of the paper up towards the filling, then roll up the rice paper from one side to the other (I roll from left to right) and seal. Continue until no ingredients and no rice paper sheets remain (the ingredients should make 12 rice paper rolls comfortably). 

Serve with one of the dipping sauces mentioned and enjoy. 

Makes / 12  / Serves 4 = 3 rice paper rolls each 
Total Prep & Cooking time / around 45 minutes 

x Emily 

BROWN RICE with TOFU & BROCCOLI

I love creating and eating vegetarian meals. Brown rice with tofu & broccoli is a favourite of mine, as it is so easy to make and very filling, due to the plentiful amount of protein that tofu contains. Make sure to follow step 1 and 'dry out' the tofu first or it will not hold its shape when cooking. If you are not a fan of tofu, you could substitute for 2 eggs and make an omelette or cook 400g chicken breast. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g firm tofu, halved 
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 head of broccoli, stalk & florets roughly chopped 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• paper towel
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place the halved tofu between two chopping boards or plates with a weight on top (I used a jar of nuts). Raise one end (I placed a small scale underneath one side of the chopping board) and sit for 25 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, bring the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered with a lid. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer and place a small colander or sieve with the broccoli florets & stalk on top of the pan, covered. Leave to steam for around 5 minutes, then check to see if the broccoli is tender by placing a fork into a stalk. If the fork slides in with just a little bit of resistance, the broccoli is tender but not mushy. Remove the colander or sieve with the broccoli and continue to cook the rice, covered for another 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. 

3. Once the tofu has sat for 25 minutes, chop into slim, even strips. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, swirling to coat. Add the tofu strips and cover the pan. Cook for around 3 minutes on each side or until the tofu is lightly browned. Remove from the heat and place on a few paper towels, then pat with another few paper towels to remove the excess oil. 

4. Lower the heat on the stove to low, then add the 2 spring onions and garlic, stirring to cook for 2 minutes. Next add the cooked broccoli, cooked rice, cooked tofu and soy sauce and stir gently over low heat until all ingredients are combined. 

Divide the rice into 4 bowls, then sprinkle extra spring onions on top, if desired. 

Serves / 4

Preparation & Cooking Time / around 35 minutes 

x Emily 

HAM, TOMATO & ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

This risotto was created out of thin air during one day when I had a double shift at work. I raced home, napped for 30 minutes, then rushed around my kitchen like a mad woman throwing together something for dinner. Being exhausted as I was and scatter brained (as I frequently am), I cooked the rice first instead of letting it cook with the stock and other ingredients. Unexpectedly this little error made the dish taste even better, as the rice became particularly tender, however not too soft. I highly recommend that everyone try to make a risotto this way at least once. The tomato, zucchini and ham were a great combination and tasted even better for lunch the next day. NB: I make my risottos with brown rice as it is better for me than white risotto rice. Brown rice has a lower GI rating than white rice and is packed with proteins, calcium, magnesium, fibre and potassium. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion (60-80g), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, diced 
• 1 cup salt-reduced vegetable stock 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 500g (or 5 small) tomatoes, diced 
• 2 medium zucchini (around 250g), diced 
• 100g reduced-fat ham, roughly diced
• 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 
• Optional- fresh chopped chives and/or parsley, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Bring the rice and 2 cups of water to the boil, covered, then simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the stove. 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, prepare all the other ingredients. 

3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and cook the garlic and red onion, stirring for 2 minutes or until onion has softened. Add the vegetable stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, zucchini and cooked rice and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer for around 10 minutes or until the rice is very tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the ham, then remove from the heat. 

Divide the risotto into four servings and top with 1/4 of the feta cheese and the herbs, if using. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time & Cooking time / approx. 35 minutes 

x Emily 

BROWN FRIED RICE

This brown fried rice can be vegetarian or not, with the addition of bacon. I like to mix up the ingredients and use whatever I have in fridge, such as the vegetables in the ingredients list below or  Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, buk choy, broccoli, etc. I remember my mother used to put little dices of ham into our fried rice when we were younger, probably so my brothers would see the meat and not get freaked out that they were eating a meat-free dish. The optional bacon in this dish is for my fiancee Chris, who can't seem to go one meal without meat! The flavour of the egg, bacon (if using), various vegetables and lime juice should be enough for you to not need to use extra soy sauce/tamari, but if you are craving more flavour add a dash of ground black pepper to your rice! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 eggs, preferably free range, lightly beaten
• Optional - 100g bacon, fat removed, roughly chopped
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup peas 
• 1 large zucchini, roughly chopped 
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped 
• 1 medium green capsicum, roughly chopped 
• 2 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce or tamari 
• 1 large lime, cut into 4 wedges 

COOKING 

1. Pour the rice into a medium saucepan and add 2 1/4 cups of water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, covered, for around 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

2. While the rice is cooking, add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil to a wok and swirl to coat over medium heat. Add beaten eggs with 1 tablespoon water to the wok and let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until the outside of the omelette is set. Flip the thin omelette over and cook on the other side until just cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool then chop the fried egg roughly into small pieces. 

3. If not adding bacon, skip this step. Once the omelette has been removed from the wok, add the bacon to the wok and stir for a few minutes until slightly brown. Remove from heat. 

4. Keep the wok over medium heat and add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, making sure to swirl the oil to coat as much of the bottom and sides of the wok as possible. Add the chilli and spring onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the peas, zucchini, carrot and capsicum to the pan, stir-frying for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are bright in colour and warmed through. (If at any point the vegetables stick to the wok, add a splash of water- try to do this instead of adding more oil). Add the cooked rice to the pan, followed by the soy sauce and the chopped egg pieces (and the cooked bacon if using), stirring well to combine all ingredients. Serve warm, with lime juice drizzled on top. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

ASIAN CHICKEN BURGERS

What a fresh, easy & simple recipe to kick off the new year! I hope you all had a great New Years Eve and that your New Year's Day hangovers are a thing of the past! I wish you all a happy, prosperous and FUN 2015. 

To be completely honest, I found this recipe hidden away in my saved drafts and realised I had never posted it. It's one of my favourite quick meals and is perfect for a summer feed. So what is my version of an Asian chicken burger? A very simple chicken patty made with brown rice instead of flour. Ideally these burgers would be served alongside a salad, as they contain no vegetables. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500ml chicken mince, preferably free range 
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce 
• coconut oil

COOKING 

1. Combine all ingredients bar the oil in a large bowl (tossing with clean fingers is the best way to go). Shape the mixture into even sized burgers. Cover with glad wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

2. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large frying and swirl to coat pan. Place a few patties in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd them. Push the burgers down a little with a spatula and cook for a few minutes each side until browned. When all burgers are brown, transfer them to the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until no pink flesh remains in the middle of the burger. (Remember that everyone's oven temperature is a little different, so keep checking the burgers). Serve warm, drizzled with fresh lime juice if desired. 

Makes / 8-10 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes (plus time to cook and cool the rice)

Total Cooking time / 15-17 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

x Emily 

NUT, RICE & SEED GRANOLA

Making my own breakfast is one of my favourite things to do, as I love experimenting with gluten-free grains and different combinations of ingredients. My latest invention is below; a very simple homemade granola. So simple in fact that I did not even chop the nuts and instead left them whole as I prefer them this way...and I was being a tad lazy! Beautiful toppings such as chia seeds, flaxseeds and/or fresh fruit can be added to the granola, however make sure not to add them before cooking in the oven. 3/4 of a cup of this granola is very filling and keeps me going for most of the morning from 5am onwards. As this recipe makes approximately 10 cups you will have breakfast sorted for days! 

P.S- if gluten-free use puffed corn or quinoa flakes in place of puffed kamut, as it contains wheat. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups puffed rice
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes / 3 cups puffed corn / 3 cups puffed kamut 
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• coconut oil / rice bran oil spray

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Combine all ingredients except for the oil in a large bowl and stir well to combine. 

3. Evenly spread out the granola on 2 large baking trays lined first with baking paper. Lightly spray the coconut oil over the top. 

4. Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how golden brown you would like your granola. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before storing in a large jar. 

Makes / 10 cups

1 generous serving / 3/4 cup with 1/3-1/2 cup milk 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes max

Total Cooking time / 12-15 minutes plus cooling time 

x Emily 

EASY VEGETARIAN RICE

I have tried to keep this fried rice as simple as possible, hence why the ingredients list is quite short; usually for an Asian dish many more ingredients would be listed! Feel free to add finely chopped garlic and/or grated ginger to the wok after adding the oil and before the vegetables if you would like to. If you have different vegetables on hand, use them! Bean shoots, bean sprouts and/or green beans could be substituted and herbs such as fresh coriander could be added. Broccoli could also be used, however it must be placed in the wok before the other vegetables as it will require more time to cook. I find that the flavour from the cooked egg, the several vegetables and the soy sauce is perfect for me, hence no fiddly sauce has been mentioned. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 200g red cabbage, finely shredded
• 150g wombok, finely shredded
• 150g red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g carrot, grated 
• 2 tablespoons salt-reduced soy sauce 
• 1 shallot, finely chopped 

Cooking 

1. Combine the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables. Whisk the eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. 

3. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Pour the egg into the base of the wok/pan and leave to set for a few minutes. After the edges of the egg have set, fold one side over into an omelette.  Cook for another minute or so and then remove from the heat when the omelette has just has set. When the omelette has cooled slightly, chop into small pieces. 

4. Pour the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil into the now empty wok and add all the vegetables. Cook the vegetables with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir the vegetables initially and then place a lid on top, cooking for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the remaining soy sauce to the vegetables and stir to combine. 

Divide the cooked brown rice into 4 bowls, top with vegetables, the chopped omelette and sprinkle some shallots on top. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / a few minutes (as you can prepare the vegetables whilst the rice cooks) 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x Emily 

BAKED BROWN RICE with PUMPKIN MASH

This is one of my favourite recipes in the entire Michelle Bridges program. It is wholesome, filling and packed to the brim with goodness. I love pumpkin and broccoli together and here is no exception. I have altered the recipe slightly by adding and changing a few ingredients. Just a splash of almond milk will do to bring out the sweetness of the pumpkin in the mash. I have added garlic and removed ginger as I am a sucker for garlic and soy sauce together. The extra egg on top of the brown rice assists in helping the loaf to hold its shape (which it does extremely well). Definitely a recipe I will make again and again and many more times after that.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown rice (150g)
• 1 head of broccoli (around 150g) cut into florets and stalk roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 300g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 30g baby spinach 
• 60g avocado, scooped into small pieces

Cooking 

1. Place the rice and 2 cups of water (500ml) in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until the rice is absorbed. Add the broccoli florets on top of the rice for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat. 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, grease a loaf tin (with a base of approx. 20cm x 10cm) with oil and line the base and sides with baking paper. Once the rice is almost cooked preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

3. Remove the broccoli from the rice and finely chop. Transfer the rice to a large bowl to cool. 

4. Combine the broccoli, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, 1 egg and ground black pepper with the rice, stirring well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface with a wet tablespoon. Pour the other egg on top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is just golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for a minimum of 5 minutes to cool. 

5. Whilst the loaf is cooking, bring the pumpkin pieces and enough water to cover them to boil over high heat. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the stove, drain the pumpkin and mash until smooth, adding the almond milk as you mash. 

6. Toss the baby spinach, avocado and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce in a small bowl as a side salad. 

7. Once the rice loaf has cooled slightly, carefully remove it from the tin and cut into 4 slices. Drizzle the 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce remaining over the top of the loaf. Serve 2 slices of brown rice loaf with half of the pumpkin mash and half of the salad. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 65 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve

x Emily 

VEGETARIAN JUNGLE CURRY

Spring is well and truly in my neighbourhood and I am beyond happy about its reappearance. My daily walks with my energetic pups involve passing deep purple and bright yellow flowers blossoming and I can’t help but walk past them with a goofy smile on my face. Saying this, on my walk this morning all I could think of was curry and how I could not recall making one single curry dish this past winter. So I raced home and got cooking, throwing every bright vegetable into my large pot that I could find. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 5cm fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 900g sweet potato, peeled & cut into 4cm even pieces
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 3 cups (750ml) water 
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets and stalk roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, washed & chopped into small pieces
• 1 red capsicum, seeded removed and cut into small pieces
• 125g bean shoots
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves
• 3 cups cooked basmati rice 

COOKING 

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the base. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder and stir quickly to prevent sticking. Add the sweet potato and stir until the potato is well coated with the spices. 

2. Add the coconut milk and one cup of water to the pan and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes before adding the broccoli, carrot and capsicum to the pan. Add two cups of water, cover and bring to the boil again, then reduce to a simmer for 8 minutes, or until the broccoli and sweet potato are tender. Add the bean shoots and stir well to combine. 

Remove the curry from the stove and serve on top of rice with coriander leaves sprinkled on top. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE & PROSCIUTTO RISOTTO

My blog has been a little quiet of late, due to some totally crazy renovations than myself, my fiancée Chris and his amazing parents have been involved in. But it will all be worth it when Chris & I move into our very first home at the end of October. With 14-15 hours of our day accounted for filled with work, renovating and travelling across Brisbane there has not been much, if any, time to cook. I have truly missed it. So much so that I ignored my tired body screaming at me to sit down last night and instead cooked three dinners so I would be able to blog about something other than how renovations are much more physically and emotionally draining that I had ever thought possible. Because who honestly wants to hear about that? Thanks to gourmet farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration for this simple yet moreish recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 2 long thin slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 cups (400g) arborio rice
• 1 medium bunch kale, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
• 1.75 - 2 litres (7 - 8 cups) vegetable stock 
• sea salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and prosciutto and cook, stirring regularly, for 3-4 minutes or until the leek is soft but not burnt. Add the rice and kale and stir well until combined. 

2. Add the vegetable stock one ladleful or 1/2 cup at a time to the pan, making sure to stir the risotto constantly and only add another ladleful when the stock in the pan has been completely absorbed. When all the stock has been absorbed by the rice, taste the rice to see if it is tender. If it is not, add a splash of water and continue to stir, taste-testing the rice again when the water has been absorbed. If / when the rice is tender,  stir in the sea salt & pepper. Serve warm, sprinkled with basil. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily