Yes peas….

Things are slowly starting to return to normal as we settle into our new house. We still have a bit of unpacking to finish, but nothing too stressful.

So, it was definitely time for some Mystery Box action for dinner tonight!

And the chosen ingredient...

        

The humble green pea!

Did you know.... Peas are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus. Just one serving of freshly frozen garden peas contains as much vitamin C as two large apples, more fibre than a slice of wholemeal bread and more thiamine than a pint of whole milk.

I couldn't find fresh peas at the grocer, however I discovered that frozen peas are frozen within just two and a half-hours of being picked, which is said to lock in all the nutrients that can be lost at room temperature. So frozen peas it was.

Having selected the ingredient, I turned my mind to what I should cook.

Given the weather was rather cold and rainy today, I had comfort food on my mind. Risotto in particular.

I sautéed some garlic, fennel and an onion in a little butter and olive oil, then added the rice, stirring to coat.

 

Then cupfuls of stock, and stirred until the mixture was creamy.

 

One the liquid had absorbed, I added zucchini, asparagus and of course … the peas!

 

Followed by chorizo (that had been pan fried until crisp), mint and goats cheese.

Served atop a bed of spinach.

  

Risotto with peas, asparagus and chorizo (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g chorizo, diced
• 20g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 350g aborio rice
• 1.2L chicken stock or water
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• Bunch asparagus, chopped into 2cm lengths
• 4tbs fresh mint, chopped
• 100g goats cheese, crumbled
• Baby spinach leaves to serve

Method

1. Fry the chorizo in a little olive oil until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add butter to a large frypan, and add onion, garlic and fennel and cook until soft. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is coated in the butter.
3. Add stock, one cup at a time, stirring until all liquid is absorbed.
4. Add peas, zucchini and asparagus and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the cooked chorizo, mint and goats cheese, and stir gently until combined.
6. Serve atop a bed of baby spinach leaves.

The flavour of this dish was lovely. The spicy chorizo paired well with the other vegetables, and the goats cheese gave the risotto an extra creaminess. Lucky for us there are leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!

What about you? What is your favourite risotto flavour combination?

Happy baking :)