Recipes for a novice

belfastgal

want to make a cold salad type of thing with chickpeas and prob mayo in it . does anyone have a recipe ? had it in a restaurant it was gorg.
also would love to make risotto but all the recipes iv seen look difficult or too many ingredients
help

kittiwoz

Not sure what you mean about the salad. Was it like a green salad with chickpeas in it and a creamy dressing or was it a smooth dip, i.e. humous.

If it was humous you blitz a can of chick peas, a clove of garlic, a tbsp tahini (which is sesame paste and can be bought in asian or middle eastern food stores or in that section of most large supermarkets), a dash of lemon juice, a little salt and enough olive oil to make it creamy. If you want a light verison add some yoghurt and cut down on the oil.

If it was a dressed salad you might find some of the recipies for salad dressing here helpful.

Risotto is honestly really simple to make. The basic method is to first fry some oinion until it is clear. Then stir your rice into the pan. Use a short fat variety of rice and about 1/3 cup per person. The rice will go clear. Now pour on enough hot stock (or freshly boiled water and add a stock cube or tsp of bouillon powder) to cover the rice. Keep the rice simmering and stir occasionally. Keep adding more stock or water to stop it drying up. It should take about 20mins 'til the rice is cooked. At the end of cooking stir in some cheese. That's a basic cheese risotto and you can add whatever other ingredients or flavourings you want to that. Just remember if you are adding things that don't take long like peas add them towards the end of cooking.

Pink.

Hi belfastgal,

You should get more help with this on the Old Style board, so I'll move your thread over there.

Pink

MimiF

Hi Belfastgal,

Risotto is so easy the only drawback is standing over the pot stirring and pouring in stock. Delia Smith has some great oven baked risotto recipes though, check out her website. I do a lovely carbonara one from there which the family love, just keep an eye on it though as I have found you may need to top up the stock to prevent it drying out.

If I could I would do a link but just google it, sorry.

We're having mushroom risotto on Friday, can't wait.

MimiF

Sazbo

I second Mimi's suggestion for oven-baked risotto, saves all that stirring!

Here are links to Delia's:

Oven-baked Wild Mushroom Risotto

Oven-baked Risotto Carbonara

Another option is a recipe by Bill Grainger, which I've made in the past. Easy to make, straightforward ingredients and tasted lovely:

Baked risotto with tuna

- you could most likely adapt the ingredients in this according to your own taste, or what you have to hand in your cupboards.

HTH,
Saz x

Lucie_2

MimiF wrote:

Risotto is so easy the only drawback is standing over the pot stirring and pouring in stock. Delia Smith has some great oven baked risotto recipes though, check out her website.

I always do my risotto in the oven (hangs head in shame incase there are any Italians lurking ) & it's fine.
Basic mushroom risotto is easy - fry chopped onion, garlic & mushrooms, throw in your risotto rice, add vegetable or chicken stock & oven it - topping up stock as necessary. Stir in a couple of handfuls of parmesan cheese when it's done & enjoy! Once you've mastered it just vary the veggies or meat that you add - chicken, bacon, prawns, peas, tomatoes..........

belfastgal

belfastgal wrote:

want to make a cold salad type of thing with chickpeas and prob mayo in it . does anyone have a recipe ? had it in a restaurant it was gorg.
also would love to make risotto but all the recipes iv seen look difficult or too many ingredients
help

It was one of those salads that you get in salad bar type of thing a cold dish. the chef prob made it up ...it was lovely