Courgette Risotto (vegetarian)

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 400grs Risotto rice (American Long Grain will also work)
  
• 1 courgette (sliced into little cubes)
• 150grs Button Mushrooms (if bigger cut in halves) please do not use canned..not the same.
  
• 1 large onion (finely diced)
  
• 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
  
• 1 Vegetable stock cube (Oxo is fine or Knorr)
  
• 1 heaped soup spoon of chopped up parsley.
  
• a little olive oil
  
• 25-30grs butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 3 soup spoons of fresh single cream
  
• (optional) shavings of cured parmesan cheese (optional extravagant) shavings of Truffle
  

Place a pan on the stove with enough olive oil to cover the bottom, once hot add the, onion, garlic, courgette and seasoning (salt and pepper), let them cook stirring it occasionally once the onion is semi-transparent add the rice, stirring it to be completely covered in the olive oil, let the rice cook around 3 minutes stirring frequently, this will make the rice thirsty and ready to start absorbing the stock, you make this by adding the stock cube to about 70dcl of warm water, making sure is well dissolved. So you add some stock just enough to cover the rice and continuously stir, as it dries add a little more stock and so on until it finishes,but when you have used 2/3 of the stock is time to add the mushrooms and the butter, and then continue the process as before.


The risotto requires that the rice is fully cooked but still firm in the grain interior, so don't be afraid test and taste it as you cook, you'll know when is right for you, it should never be overcooked and soft all the way through, once I almost finished cooking I added then the three spoons of fresh cream, and let it cook just one further minute then added the parsley and gave it one last stir, and served it. It is lovely to then put on top for both decoration and flavour the optional bits, just slithers of cured parmesan, or shavings of truffle, or both..hehe you decide how extravagant you wanna be.....It is also lovely with a nice medium dry ice cold white wine...have fun ..is easy and you don't need the optionals to be good... cheers!!!