Creamy Mushroom and Danish Blue Cheese Risotto

I made this out of a severe blue cheese pregnancy craving - as I'm only allowed it when cooked through and it was a definite winner. Rich, creamy and unctuous with that perfect blue cheese tang - it's sure to become a regular and is a great Meat Free Monday option if you stick to vegetable stock - of which we have been neglecting grossly in recent months.

This makes enough for three portions.

Creamy Mushroom and Danish Blue Cheese Risotto

Here's how:

• 250g arborio rice
• Handful spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Carton of chestnut or field mushrooms, thoroughly washed 100g Danish Blue (I used the Lidl Milbona) 
• Pinch salt 
• Pinch black pepper 
• Pinch dried thyme
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Firstly add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a non-stick pan and place on a medium heat.

In the meantime finely dice the onions and mince the garlic and add to the pan to sauté gently.

Wash and dry the mushrooms, and chop into small pieces, set aside for the moment.

Once the onion and garlic have softened add the arborio rice to the pan and quickly move around with a wooden spoon to ensure all the rice is in touch with the base and the oil. Allow to cook for five minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, and not allowing to burn.

Now add the mushrooms and allow to cook for a minute before adding a ladleful of the stock plus a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir and allow the rice and mushrooms to absorb the stock fully, and keep stirring to prevent any sticking at the bottom. Continue by adding a ladleful more at a time and the same process of stirring etc. until the rice has puffed right up and absorbed most of the stock. Taste the rice to check if it has the consistency you prefer and once happy, allow all the stock to be absorbed then add the crème fraiche to thicken the risotto and add a delicious creaminess to the texture and flavour.

Once the cream has been absorbed crumble in the Danish Blue cheese, and allow to fully melt, continuing to stir all the while. Finish with seasoning to taste and dish up on a bed of rocket, spinach leaves or watercress for a delicious mid-week meal.

Baby Bites Vegetable Stock

Many recipes call for some liquid or a stock when cooking for baby, and whilst a lot of the time plain old water will suffice perfectly, often a stock will transform from bland to flavourful.

This is a simple salt-less stock method which costs very little and makes enough for a casserole, soup, risotto or any other dish you might need a pint or so of stock for.

• 1 large onion
• 2 carrots
• 2-4 celery sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of black pepper

Roughly chop the onion, carrot and celery, there is no need to peel or remove the stalk of the onion.

Add to the pan with the bay leaf and pepper and cover with 1.5 pints water and place on a low heat.

Bring to the boil and then simmer slowly for 30-45 minutes. The stock should take on some of the colour of the vegetables by now.

Remove from the heat and allow to stand for five minutes.

Pour through a fine strainer over a large bowl or jug and leave standing over there for a few minutes.

Use a large spoon to press down onto the vegetables in the strainer to get out all of the flavoured stock.

This is now ready to use. If not using right away, allow to cool completely, cover and this will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Applewood Spreadable Challenge: Creamy Pea, Courgette and Mint Risotto

This is the second of three recipes I’ve devised for the Applewood Spreadable #SpreadStirShare challenge to create delicious family recipes using Applewood Spreadable. My first was Cheesy Pea, Leek and Pancetta Gnocchi Bake and this time it’s a Creamy Pea, Courgette and Mint Risotto. Perhaps a little summery and certainly a classic combination – but with the addition of crème fraiche and Applewood Spreadable it makes for a rich, luxurious, creamy tasting risotto – and that for me, never goes out of season.

I served this with a portion of rocket and some homemade garlic toasts (French stick sliced diagonally, rubbed with a halved garlic clove all over and drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil then griddled on a high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side) and it served four of us.

Here’s how:

5 spring onions

1 large garlic clove

75g fresh peas

2 small courgettes

2 tbsp fresh mint

1-1.5 pints chicken stock

1 glass dry white wine

2 tbsp crème fraiche

1 tbsp Applewood Spreadable

250g Arborio rice

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly crush your garlic and chop the spring onions and add this to the pan on a medium heat with the olive oil until starting to soften.

Slice the courgettes on a diagonal and add to the pan and allow to fry until a little crisp and golden on each side, then remove the courgettes and keep to the side, covered to keep warm.

Next add the rice to the pan and use a wooden or plastic spoon to move around to ensure all rice gets coated with the oil. Allow to cook for about five minutes and then add the wine to the pan with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Once the wine has been almost completely absorbed, add a ladle full of the chicken stock, keep stirring and continue the process for the next fifteen minutes or so, adding more stock as it is absorbed. (My Dad and I have an ongoing argument about whether or not the stock should be heated before adding to risotto – I say it doesn’t matter, he disagrees – if anybody has any thoughts do feel free to share!)

Once you have used about a pint of the stock, taste the rice to see if it is beginning to soften enough to your particular taste. Different rice seems to respond in different ways and needs varying amounts of stock, so continue to taste until the rice has become soft enough throughout.

Now you need to add the peas and stir through and then return the courgettes to the pan too and cook for a further few minutes, stirring all the while. Now add the Applewood Spreadable and as much of the crème fraiche as you fancy – 2 tbsp makes for a rich and creamy texture which I adore, but if you don’t want it to creamy, then just reduce the amount.

Taste once more and add seasoning accordingly. Chop up the mint and stir through about half to the dish, then once it’s been dished up, add a final flourish of mint leaves to each portion for some added zing and freshness. Enjoy!

To find out more about Applewood Cheese, Applewood Spreadable and the #SpreadStirShare challenge as well as keeping up with the other recipes from some fabulous other bloggers check out the Applewood news blog: http://applewoodcheese.co.uk/blog.php