Mushroom Risotto

This dish is a vegetarian delight. Coming from India where there are ever so many choices for the vegetarian palate, this is a veggie must have! The risotto rice has a unique creamy consistency once cooked and also has a wonderful ability to soak up liquids.

Serves 4

850 ml vegetable stock

3 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

400g mushrooms, sliced

40 g butter

4 shallots chopped

250 Risotto rice

2 tbsp white wine

1 tbsp lemon juice

finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsely

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper

1. Pour the stock into saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat, add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add rice and cook stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then pour in wine and lemon juice and stir until liquid is almost absorbed. Add ladeful of the simmering stock and cook, stirring until its absorbed. Keep adding stock ladleful to be absorbed before adding next.
3. When all liquid has been almost absorbed, stir in the mushrooms, lemon rind and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until liquid has been absorbed , then remove from heat and stir in parsley and coriander. Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Carrot Cake

This is a  knock-out winner with everybody and its simply irresistible. It makes most of the natural sweetness of carrots and looks so tempting with a simple icing and walnut decoration. Its a perfect mood lifter for the dull Sunday evening and a must have dish for those midnight kitchen raids :)

This recipe serves 6

Ingredients

Butter for greasing

100 gms self raising flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

125g soft brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

5 tbsp sunflower oil

125 g carrots grated

1 banana chopped

25 gms chopped and toasted walnuts and almonds

Icing

40 g butter softened

3 tbsp soft cheese

175g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp orange

grated rind of 1/2 orange

walnut pieces to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C or 375 degrees F. Grease a 7 inch square or a medium cake tin and line it with baking paper
2. Sift the flour, salt, mixed spice and nutmeg in a bowl.Stir in brown sugar, then eggs and oil.Add the carrots, banana and chopped nuts and mix all of them well.
3. Spoon the mixture into prepared cake tin and level the surface. Transfer the tin to preheated oven and bake for 55 min or until golden & firm to touch. )The cake might feel tender but firms up as it cools down) Remove from oven and let it cool, when cool enough to handle turn the cake onto wire rack and leave to cool completely
4. To make icing, place the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and orange juice along with the rind and beat it all together until creamy. Spread icing on top of the cold cake and scatter the walnut pieces.

Your cake is ready to be devoured.

Happy cooking!!