The Grumpy Cat…

I love risotto. Normally I would make it with butter and parmesan cheese, but this version was lovely and didn’t even need the cheese. WIN!

Fennel Risotto, serves 4

• 1 onion chopped
• blub fennel chopped
• 1 pepper chopped
• 1 pack of sliced mushrooms
• 100g of homemade pasta sauce (See Pasta Sauce)
• pint vegetable stock
• 3.5 cups of wild or brown rice

1. Sauté onion with a little olive oil. Add pepper and fennel after a couple of minutes followed by the mushrooms a couple of minutes after that.
2. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the onions translucent.
3. Add rice and sauté for a couple of minutes
4. Add about ¼ of the stock and simmer until it is absorbed by the rice.
5. Keep adding small increments of stock until the rice is cooked (check package but about 50 minutes) Stir homemade pasta sauce and serve once it’s all heated.</li>

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Since I am on this cleanse, lots of foods are out and there is an emphasis on whole minimally processed foods. I love red sauce, (not just on pasta) so I decided to have a go at making and preserving my own. I have kept the ingredients to a minimum so that I can add different things depending on the meal.

Pasta Sauce, makes 2l (~64 oz)

• 2 onions copped
• 6-8 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 glass red wine
• 6lbs of tomatoes
• Fresh basil

1. Slit the skins of the tomatoes and blanch in boiling water until skins start to peel. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. Sauté onions and garlic on a low heat with a little olive oil stirring frequently. The aim is to cook the onions so they are translucent but not very coloured, so low and slow.
3. Add wine and leave to reduce
4. Peel the tomatoes, and chop coarsely removing the core.
5. Add tomatoes, cover the pan and leave to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding the chopped basil about half way through.
6. Using a hand blender, roughly blend so that there is still texture, but no large pieces of tomato or onion.
7. If not using immediately, bottle and seal. For information on canning see “Boiling Water Bath Canning – Including Jams, Jellies, and Pickled Products“

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