Pea, Spinach & Goat's Cheese Risotto

 Pea, Spinach & Goat's Cheese Risotto

This was gorgeous! I had made this recipe once before for my mother when she had visited me in York and she loved it then too. That was a while ago though and I hadn't looked through my Joe Wicks cookbook since, but I found myself wanting to make a new/different risotto recently (I have made a Tomato & Mascarpone risotto so often these last few months). I remembered how good and easy this recipe was so I had to make it again!

The green colour may put some people off the risotto itself, but you shouldn't let that be the case. The colour comes from blended garden peas and spinach, which gives it a lovely, fresh flavour. It genuinely tastes healthy! I don't like goat's cheese myself, but I've heard from those that I've made this for that it works really well with the risotto itself. 

Whether you're in need of a new risotto recipe, or you just want to try something new and easy for your mid-week dinner, this is the recipe for you! I know some people who don't like cooking risottos because it is a lot of stirring and you have to always be around it, but don't let that put you off cooking this meal because it's worth all the effort!

Recipe: (serves 2)

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 2 gloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
• 140g risotto rice
• 180ml white wine (or 1 small bottle)
• 2 vegetable stock cubes, made up with 800ml boiling water
• 2 handfulls baby leaf spinach
• 240g frozen peas, defrosted
• 30g goats cheese (or more depending on how much you like it), broken up into little pieces

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a shallow saucepan. Add the onion and fry for 5-10 minutes, or until clear and soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two until soft, but not burnt. Add the rice and stir everything together. Add the white wine, continuously stirring until all of the wine has been absorbed. 
2. Add the stock one ladleful at a time. Between each ladle of stock, keep stirring over a medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, then add your next ladleful. Continue doing so until you have about 100ml stock left.
3. Once you're left with 100ml stock, take the pan off the heat (the rice should be just cooked by now) and pour the remaining stock into a liquidiser (or use the measuring jug you've been using for the stock with a stick blender) with half of the peas and the spinach. Blend until smooth.
4. Add the pea, spinach & stock mixture back into the pan and put it on a low-medium heat, continuously stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Portion the risotto out into serving bowls and top with the goats cheese. Serve & Enjoy!