Swiss Chard Risotto

A bit of a glut of Swiss Chard in the garden after 5 days away. This used some of it up. 

Because there's a glut of runner beans too, this portion has added runner beans, which are not part of the recipe!

Serves 3 - 4 

big bowl of chard leaves with stems attached (about 400g)

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

dried mixed herbs to taste

sprig thyme

50ml (ish) white wine

stock (about 1 litre, perhaps slightly less - I used chicken stock, and when that ran out a veg stock cube and boiling water)

250g arborio rice 

grated cheese to serve (although I used it to accompany salmon, so didn't add cheese this time)

1. Wash the chard, cut off the stems and chop them into 2cm pieces. Roll the leaves up and cut them into strips with scissors.

2. Gently saute onion, garlic, chard stems and mixed herbs in olive oil until softened.

3. Add the rice and stir it together, then pour in the wine and stir as you let it evaporate.

4. Pour in a good ladle of stock, stir and let the rice soak up the stock. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked, but not mushy and there is very little liquid surrounding the rice.

5. Remove from heat, add cheese if using. Serve straight away.

Cheat's prawn tempura sushi rolls

 

100g sushi rice per person

125ml water per 100g rice

sushi vinegar

Nori sheets (seaweed)

Iceland tempura prawns cooked in the oven - 3 per roll or make your own!

an avocado

cucumber

pickled ginger

sesame seeds (black and white)

Hellmans mayo

sriracha

soy sauce

You also need a sushi rolling mat, or two if you are making the 'rice on the outside' rolls.

For 5 rolls use 300g rice and 15 of the prawns

Wash the rice in lots of cold water until it runs clear, then leave to soak in fresh water for about 30 mins. Pour off the water, then put in a saucepan with the right amount of water, put the lid on and bring to the boil. As soon as it is boiling, turn it down to a simmer - don't remove the lid and leave simmering for 10 minutes. Turn it off and leave it with the lid on for another 10 minutes - don't be tempted to lift the lid at any point. By then it will have absorbed all the water and be cooked.

Stir in about a teaspoon of sushi vinegar for each 100g of rice (uncooked weight), then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool, covered with a damp tea towel.

Take a sushi rolling mat, put a piece of nori on the top, then with wet hands spread a layer of rice all over the nori. Press it down a bit, then lay prawns in a row near the bottom edge, along with a row of cucumber or avocado (you can also spread a bit of wasabi along it if you like it, I don't). 

Roll the whole lot using the rolling mat to form a tight roll, putting a little water along the edge of the seaweed to ensure that it sticks. Set aside and continue to make the rest of the rolls. You need roughly 80g rice (uncooked weight) for each roll.

Cut the rolls into slices and serve with pickled ginger, sriracha mayo made with Hellmans and a squirt of sriracha and a squeeze of lemon juice, or simply with soy sauce to dip them in.

You can also put tinned fish in the middle, or smoked salmon or cooked prawns. 

Alternatively you can make 'rice on the outside' rolls - you need two mats, one covered with clingfilm.

Lay the nori on the mat without clingfilm, on top of a chopping board, cover with rice, sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds, and press down, then put the clingfilmed mat on top of the rice. Put a chopping board on top, then turn the whole lot over, remove the bottom board, then put the prawns and cucumber/avo at the bottom of the seaweed and roll as above. They are a bit more tricky to get neat than the one with the seaweed on the outside.