Warm Vegetable Salad

I don’t know about you, but I quite like having a small pile of mixed warm vegetables with main courses such as burgers or tartlets. They bring a bit of colour and moisture, and can be varied and made different each time. Some times you might add some olives, other times a bit of chilli. If using with pasta, add some cheese of your favourite type.

Serves 2 as a side dish OR 1 with pasta

1 small courgette

1 small shallot

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon butter

a pinch of salt

½ red pepper

4 cherry tomatoes

5 small button mushrooms

3 basil leaves

a sprig of dill

a pinch of black pepper

Finely slice the courgette lengthways, using either a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler (or a mandolin if you’re lucky enough to own one).

Finely chop the shallot and garlic, and melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and sweat for about 5 minutes.

Slice the red pepper into fine strips, and add to the pan. Add the courgette and a pinch of salt, and let it sweat for a couple of minutes. Finely slice the mushrooms and add. Stir, and add the fresh herbs. Leave on the heat for a few minutes until the mushrooms are cooked, while stirring now and again.

If using as a side dish, serve.

If using with pasta, boil your pasta while cooking the vegetables, drain the pasta, mix it all together and add some grated cheese. 

Asparagus & Artichoke Risotto

Risotto is one of those things that is very easy and quick to make, and yet deliciously yummy.  It’s a perfect comfort food for rainy days, and even works well in warm weather, served with a glass of chilled wine. 

Serves 2

1 tablespoon butter

2 small shallots

1 clove of garlic

150g Arborio rice

160g asparagus

200ml white wine

120g artichoke hearts

900ml vegetable stock

100g parmesan

a few sprigs of fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a sauté pan or wide saucepan. Finely chop the shallots and garlic, and add to the butter. Sweat the shallots until they are soft and golden. Add the rice, and stir well until the rice has a slightly glossy look. Chop the asparagus into 1cm long pieces, and add to the shallots. Add a little bit of vegetable stock, and stir. As the rice soaks in the liquid, gradually add more, little by little.

Once you have added about half the vegetable stock, add the wine, and then continue to add stock. It will take about 30 minutes or so before the rice is cooked. When the rice is almost done (test the softness, it should be soft but not mushy), add the artichoke hearts. You can get jars ready cooked ones in olive oil in most supermarkets.  

When the risotto is ready to be served, add about half the parmesan, and stir it in. Serve the rest of the parmesan and the parsley with the risotto.