Roasted Tomato & Basil Risotto

Mondays are long. I finish my volunteering duties at 7pm and by that time have little energy or effort to put into my food. This risotto has become my saviour on days like this.

Now, many people (past-me included) are under the impression that risotto is difficult. With the help of this Guardian article and the writings of Ms Jack Monroe, I soon learnt that this isn't the case. Once you have an understanding of the process, it becomes simple to put together this dish in under half an hour on a week night. It's a store-cupboard staple and I'm so happy that I've finally mastered it. 

One main change in my mindset has been to set aside any fussiness with regard to the variety of rice - and, yes, I'm aware this is contrary to the advice given in the Guardian article linked above, roll with me. My kitchen idol, Jack Monroe, says that you can use bog-standard basic rice when making risotto. At first I was aghast, refusing to consider anything other than arborio rice, but I soon saw sense. At 45p/kg compared to £2/kg*, long grain rice is far friendlier to a volunteer's budget. Plus, rice is rice at the end of the day (purists, please don't shoot me).

The roasted tomato aspect of this dish came from a necessity to use up what’s left of the tomatoes I bought last week. As I'm away at the weekend, the tomatoes aren't at their best when I return. It’s always at this stage that I blend or roast. Waste not, want not, and all that. 

Anyway, on to the recipe. This makes one relatively large portion and can easily be doubled.

The ingredients you’ll need are:

• A handful of tomatoes - any small variety, I used cherry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil, shredded
• Half an onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil (alt. veg oil/butter - whatever you fancy)
• 625ml stock - I use half a vegetable oxo cube
• 100g long grain rice
• A small glass of white wine (nice addition but not necessary)
• 25g (guestimate) of olive oil spread (or butter, both work)
• 25g Grana Padano or Parmesan plus extra for topping

The method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180℃. In a bowl, cover the tomatoes with a tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Move them onto a tray and put in the oven to roast whilst you cook the risotto. I find that 180℃ on my fan oven roasts them perfectly in twenty minutes, you may need to experiment a little to find the right temperature on your own oven.

Onto the risotto. This should take 20-25 minutes to cook and you are pretty much glued to your stove-top. Bring in your laptop and use the time to catch up with YouTube videos or plug into a podcast - enjoy the time you spend in the kitchen!

Before you make a start, prepare all the ingredients, right down to shredding the basil and grating the cheese. It makes the whole process a lot smoother if everything is to hand as you go.

In one pan, bring the stock to the boil. I keep it at a rolling boil throughout, you can reduce it to simmering point if you prefer.

At the same time, melt the tbsp of olive oil (or alternative) in a big, deep pan. Toss in the onion, heat through until clear, then add the rice. On a medium-high heat stir the rice, ensuring that it's covered in the oil. Keep it moving until it turns transparent, being careful not to burn it (I have made this mistake before, ick!)

If you choose to use a small glass of white wine, now is the time to add it to the pan. Keep stirring on a high heat until the wine has evaporated. Then start adding the stock, roughly a ladleful at a time. I do not currently possess a ladle so, for me, this step is guestimated. Add some stock and stir continuously until absorbed. Draw a line through the centre of the pan to part the rice, if it moves together slowly, then it’s time to add another ladle of stock. Add, stir, repeat.

Once you've used up roughly three quarters of your stock, the rice should be starting to look like risotto. At this point I begin adding smaller quantities of stock and, once it's absorbed, checking by taste to see if it’s ready. The rice should be soft with a little bite. Keep adding more stock until it’s cooked to your personal preference.

Remember to keep an eye on your tomatoes - you want them to be squidgy and piping hot to serve on top of your risotto.

When the risotto is cooked, remove it from the heat. Add the 25g olive oil spread/butter and 25g of Grana Padano to the pan, and beat vigorously, until the risotto is all lovely and creamy. If you haven't done so already, now is the time to get the tomatoes out of the oven.

Transfer to a bowl, top with the roasted tomatoes, shredded basil, a sprinkling of grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

If you try out this recipe for yourself, I’d love to see! Let me know on Twitter (@PoppySherlock) or Instagram (@poppyflaxman).

*These prices are from Tesco where I do my monthly staples shop. Obviously it varies depending on where you shop.

Literary London

London is, and has been for hundreds of years, home to writers, poets and playwrights from across the globe. Unintentionally, my most recent trip had a focus on exploring this side to the city.

Saturday begun with a trek out to Clapham Common with my housemates to visit the Soseki museum. If I hadn't taken this year out, I wouldn't know anything of Soseki; let alone that there was a museum dedicated to him hidden in London. Months ago, my housemate had said that the one author from Japan that I had to read was Natsume Soseki. So I did. To date I have only read Kokoro (Heart) but I intend to continue with his bibliography; he has a beautiful, gentle style which captures the human condition.

We wandered down The Chase until we spotted the iconic blue sign. Across the road, on the second floor of a typical London townhouse, is the Soseki Museum. It has two rooms: one composed of photographs and memorabilia from his time in England, the other a library of first folios and translated editions. The lady running the museum was ever so kind, ensuring we got the most from the tiny place, delving into what wasn't written on the displays. We were free to linger as long as we wished and browse through the books at our leisure. Such a delightful experience.

On my way to meeting Adam, I decided to pay homage to Virginia Woolf by walking to her residence at Hyde Park Gate. Woolf spent her life in London which is reflected through some her work. Having recently read The London Scene, a collection of essays she wrote about the city, I wanted to see one of the areas she knew so intimately. There’s something inexplicably fulfilling about this kind of activity; if you're a fellow bookworm, I think you'll know what I mean.

That evening, we had tickets to see The Merchant of Venice at The Globe. As expected, the production was truly amazing; capitalising on the comedic elements of the play whilst pressing the audience to question the morality of the final outcome. I left energised and wanting to delve into the politics at the centre of the play, praying that I’ll have the opportunity to study it in the coming years.

The beauty of outdoor theatre is that you’re trying your luck with the weather; on this occasion we experienced real-life pathetic fallacy as the clouds greyed above us. Reaching the final, heart-wrenching scene, the rain began to pour. I am a complete sucker for moments like this; it really couldn't have been more perfectly timed.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, I concluded my literary foray into London by visiting a bookshop. Specifically, Brick Lane Bookshop. This is one of those shops which proves exactly why we need to keep our indies alive: by the window there is a display of books on East London and, as you follow through, it has been organised into collections of books not simply by genre. It's a space that evokes the reader in you, inspires you to try something new. I picked up two from Penguin’s Great Ideas range: The Communist Manifesto and Orwell’s Why I write. Can you tell that I’d spent the previous twenty hours with a Social-Anthropology student?

I look forward to future trips and discovering even more of London’s literary gems. I would love to know of your favourite spots.

Gimme Greens!

Whenever the sun makes an appearance, my body seems to crave a diet overhaul. I want big leafy salads, avocados in every variation possible, and for vegetables to be at the focus of each meal. 

Here is a collection of what I've been making since spring kicked into action. Admittedly, it’s not all perfectly healthy; I don’t shy away from cooking with oil, cheese is a glorious thing and I refuse to get rid of carbs (though they do take a slight backseat in these dishes). 

Without further ado, here are the greens:

Pea & parsley soup*: Topped with crumbled ryvita. This is a refreshing variation on the classic pea and mint soup which is perfect for the summer months.

Marinated courgettes with mozzarella*: Need I say more?

Avocado, spinach & sweet chilli wraps: The flatbreads used are home-made and surprisingly simple (recipe). This combination of flavours is just divine, I find myself going back to it often.

Recently I learnt how to poach eggs, as you may be able to tell, it's rather consumed my life.

Steamed asparagus: This can be done in a microwave in four minutes, it's amazing! Dress with lemon and balsamic vinegar, top with a poached egg and you have lunch sorted in a flash.

Avocado & sweet chilli on toast: Along with two poached eggs on a bed of spinach and the leftover avocado. There is nothing on this plate that does not please me.

Spiced spinach & potatoes*: I've made this twice since last week, it's superb. The warming ginger at the base of this dish is what makes it.

Tahini-dressed courgette & green bean salad*: Or proof that a salad works wonderfully as a meal in its own right. From the delightfully named 'Hearty Salads' chapter of Veg Everyday.

Summer Stir-Fry*: I adore stir-fries but often turn to the packet mixes available in the supermarket. This recipe proved to me just how simple (and delicious!) they are to make from scratch.

Falafel, beetroot & spinach salad: When making falafel for one, you end up with far more than needed. I chopped up my leftovers and tossed it into a salad with cous cous, spinach, beetroot and pumpkin seeds.

Scrambled eggs on toast: Fail-safe meal for when you just can't be bothered to cook. Toss in some shredded spinach and chopped tomatoes before serving and it looks like you've made an effort. It's the dress of the food world.

Sweet potato, lentil & spinach bowl: I saw this on Madeleine Shaw's instagram and made it that night, realising I had all the ingredients in my cupboard. Warming and earthy this is a beautiful dish.

Spinach, avocado & poached egg on toast: When in doubt, throw some ingredients on toast, it's bound to be successful. Accompanied by green beans with a balsamic dressing.

All recipes marked with a star (*) are from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Everyday; the rest have been inspired from scrolling through my instagram feed or are cobbled together from whatever I have in. This has all been cooked on a volunteer's allowance which goes to show that healthy eating on a budget is possible; it's all about planning and shopping smartly. I don't always get those two things right but I'm learning.

Veg Everyday!

Finding a brilliant vegetarian recipe book can be difficult. Ironically, my first and firm favourite comes from a meat-eater: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Veg Everyday. My wonderful friend Caroline gave me the cookbook in September as a thank-you for working for her; it’s become my bible.

When I moved out, this was the one recipe book I brought with me. Being a huge foodie, I have owned, loved and drooled over cookbooks before but I had never truly used one before Veg Everyday came into my life. Sure, I've flicked through some and tried a recipe or two, but I've never before had a recipe book that felt like mine; one that I'd turn to when stuck for inspiration, one to plan the week's meals around, one where I'd go back to a beloved recipe time and time again. That's what Veg Everyday has become for me: mine. As I wrote in the copy I bought Mum for Christmas, 'You taught me to cook, this book has expanded my skills'.

I just want everyone, especially those who nay-say vegetarianism, to read the introduction to Whittingstall's book. I won't go on about this too much but, as a vegetarian, I don't have a problem with people eating meat. What I believe though is that there's a problem with the rate of consumption of meat; HFW understands this completely and with Veg Everyday he intends to show his reader that meat isn't essential to every single meal. We should all be able to cook gorgeous, moreish, vegetable-based dishes and that is exactly what this book delivers on.

Plus! Any cookbook that starts with a chapter on comfort food and feasts is a sure winner in my eyes.

I am no stranger to curling up with a cookbook in bed and that’s exactly what I settled down to do on my first evening as a volunteer, post-it notes to hand. Since that first evening of lusting over photos of salad, I've made nearly twenty of the recipes on offer. My intention is that that number keeps expanding until I've cooked up the whole book.

My skills have expanded greatly with the help of this book and I'm incredibly proud of where my cooking abilities now stand. I look forward to learning more, cooking more and getting in a mess along the way! Look out for more foodie blogs from here on out and many, many mentions of this glorious cookbook.