Oven-baked Mushroom and Thyme Risotto

No pesky stirring for hours over a hot stove! After a little bit of preparation, stick it in the oven till the rice is cooked. Easy!

Makes: 4 servings
Takes: 10 minutes + 25 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

25g pack dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
350g risotto rice
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
750ml vegetable stock
100ml white wine
salt and pepper
handful of freshly grated parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190oC/fan 170oC/Gas Mark 5.
2. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and pour over 425ml boiling water. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan. Finely chop the onion and cook gently for 2 minutes until it starts to soften then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop them. Put them into the pan with the rice and thyme leaves and stir well.
5. Strain the mushroom-soaking liquid into the pan and add the stock and wine. Stir thoroughly and bring to the boil. Season to taste.
6. Pour into a large overnproof dish and put into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, till the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.
7. Stir in the grated parmesan if using. Serve with extra parmesan shavings and thyme leaves sprinkled over, if desired.

Great as a dinner party dish, either as a vegetarian main with a side salad and crusty bread, or as a side dish with chicken or beef. Or mix in some cooked smoked bacon. Yum!
Leave out the wine if you prefer and use extra stock instead. And if it doesn't matter about being a vegetarian dish, chicken stock also works well.

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne

I was a vegetarian for years - from the age of about 15 till I was about 25. This was my dinner party dish throughout those years! It still comes out now and then for special occasions, especially if a veggie option is required. In particular, I make it each year for the Coffee Plus weekend away, and someone always asks for the recipe. So I've been making it today ready for tomorrow night! Just one thing... I have no idea how much fat is in this dish, and if you work it out, please don't tell me!! I want to continue to enjoy it! It is a dinner party dish, not an everyday one, so just forget how much cream and butter has gone into it and enjoy the eating of it, huh?! Oh, and even people who don't usually like spinach tend to like this :-)

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne

Serves: 6 decent-sized portions, or more as part of a hot buffet

Takes: 20 mins preparation + 30 mins cooking time

Ingredients

Spinach and mushroom layer:
1 lb frozen spinach (I usually chuck in slightly more for luck)
1 punnet button or closed cup mushrooms (about 250g)
2 oz butter
2 1/2 fl oz double cream
salt and black pepper

White sauce:
1 1/4 pints milk
3 oz butter
2 oz plain flour
3 fl oz double cream
pinch nutmeg
salt and black pepper

8 oz lasagne verde
cheese, eg medium-mature cheddar (don't know how much 'cos I've never weighed it! I just grate it from the end of whatever piece I have in the fridge!)

Method

1. Defrost the spinach overnight, ideally in a sieve over a bowl so the water drains out. When it's defrosted, squeeze out any excess water.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Wipe and thickly slice the mushrooms and cook in the butter till golden. (I don't peel my mushrooms but if you usually do, go for it!)
3. Stir in the spinach and cream. Cook gently until the cream has been absorbed then season to taste and set aside.
4. To make the white sauce, put the milk, butter and flour in a large saucepan and put over a gentle heat.
5. Stir continuously with a balloon whisk till the sauce comes to a simmering point and starts to thicken.
6. Reduce the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes then allow to cool slightly.
7. Push the sauce through a sieve into a large bowl then beat in the cream and add the nutmeg and salt and pepper.
8. Spread about half the spinach mixture over the base of a lasagne dish and arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets over the top. Cover with half of the white sauce. And another layer of lasagne sheets.
9. Repeat the layers so you finish with white sauce (ie three layers of lasagne sheets altogether). Grate a generous sprinkling of cheese over the top.
10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180oC for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. 

All the preparation can be done in advance - even the day before if necessary - and the lasagne kept in the fridge till you're ready to bake it. Any leftover portions freeze well. Great served with chips, or baked potato, or salad and garlic bread, or as part of a hot buffet...