LoveBites Portobello Mushroom Risotto

This is one of my favourite recipes, the flavours and texture makes it a great comfort food for winter or a good filling vegetarian meal for dinner. Using the Portobello Mushrooms makes this dish full of flavour compared to button mushrooms and adds a rich colour to the meal. You can either make the risotto from scratch or just boil the aborio rice. Its a cheats version but makes the risotto so much quicker to make. This is also really tasty served over a bed of fresh baby spinach, cooked or uncooked.

Ingredients

300g of sliced (bite size) Portobello Mushrooms
2 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium – large onion, diced
butter for cooking
juice of a large lemon
1 cup of aborio rice (for 2 people – more required if cooking for more people)
5 cups boiling water
5 tspns of Chicken Stock
grated or sliced parmesan cheese
bunch of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
 

To Make: 

• Boil the jug
• Heat butter in large fry pan and sauté the onion and garlic
• Add mushrooms and fry until cooked through and still slightly firm to bite
• Remove from the pan and place to the side
• Melt butter in pan
• Add the rice and stir through for 1 minute
• In a mixing jug dissolve 1tspn of chicken stock in 1cup of hot water
• Add this to the rice and stir until absorbed
• Continue to  remake the stock mixture and add to the pan as needed for about 25 minutes
• CONTINUE STIRRING
• When the rice is pleasant to taste add the mushrooms, lemon juice, parsley and grated parmesan and stir through for 2 minutes
• If rice is sticking to pan you can add more stock
• Remove from heat and serve immediately with parmesan and more parsley on top
• Season to taste (can add more lemon juice if needed).

 Cheats Version:

• Boil the aborio rice in a pot as you would normal rice
• Add this to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine
• Add garnish and serve.

LoveBites Asian Inspired Beef Salad

 

Ingredients

Marinade
• 2 tablespoons of soya sauce
• 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed

•  500g rump steak
•  Oil to cook
•  1 red capsicum, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthways

• ½ cucumber, halved, sliced lengthways

•  1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
•  1 carrot, peeled
•  1 red chili, finely chopped
•  1 tablespoon diced fresh mint
•  1 tablespoon diced fresh coriander
•  Mesculin, washed and dried
•  1 fresh lime

To Make

o   Mix the rump steak in a glass bowl with one crushed clove of garlic, soya sauce, half sweet Thai chili sauce and half of the fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes or as long as possible

o   Add the remaining ingredients in a jar and shake to combine
o   Heat oil in a pan over a medium-high heat, add steak and cook for 2-3 minutes each side
o   Combine salad ingredients in a mixing bowl, and toss
o   Remove steak from heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes
o   Serve salad mixture on plates
o   Slice meat and add to the top of the salad
o   Drizzle with the rest of the sauce in jar
o   Garnish with lime wedges and extra coriander if necessary.

 Variations

•  Serve beef salad on top of rice (vermicelli) noodles, cooked as per packet instructions, instead of using salad leaves

·  Use both mesculin and noodles by combining salad ingredients with noodles and serve on top of mesculin

•  Instead of rice noodles, cook a small amount of fragrant rice, and have this on the side
•  Add halved cherry tomatoes for a summer option.