Nothing says comfort food in winter quite like Risotto but just what
can you do with the leftovers and still make a delicious and comforting
snack or meal?
The
Italians call it Arancini or Fried Rice Balls , they are every bit as
delicious as they sound. Here is my take on Risotto Balls with a touch
of cheese ... enjoy!
RISOTTO BALLS WITH OOZY CHEESE CENTRES - ARANCINI
Preparing & Cooking time - 45mins
Serves : 3-4
Ingredients:
500gr ready made Risotto (chilled)
2 Extra Large Eggs
400 - 500gr Bread Crumbs
300gr Corn Flour
200gr White Cheddar cut into small blocks
Method
To make the balls:
Take
approximately 1Tbsp of the risotto , place a cheese square in the
centre and take a 2nd Tbsp risotto place on top and mould this with your
hands into a ball , repeat until you have used all the risotto and
cheese blocks.
For the coating:
Beat the eggs in a bowl and add a smidgen of water and set aside.
Place the corn flour into another bowl and set aside.
Place the breadcrumbs into another bowl and set aside.
Take
a risotto ball and roll it into the corn flour first , then into the
egg wash and lastly into the breadcrumbs , set this on a tray and repeat
until all the risotto balls are covered.
Place
the coated risotto balls into the fridge for at least an hour , after
an hour remove these and deep fry until golden brown.
Eat
immediately so that you get to enjoy the delicious and oozy cheese in
the centre, it's yummy and addictive #you have been warned.
Serve either with a Sweet Chilli sauce or my personal favourite, a homemade Tomato Sauce (which I use as a pasta sauce)
Cooks note-
I
love to freeze left over Risotto and use it to make these delicious
treats it is also a great idea to make these for kids when serving a
risotto dinner ... They love them!
Chocolate Marshmallow Mug Cake
You will need:
1 x Extra Large Mug or 2 Small Mugs (recommended)
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Self Raising Flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa
3 Tbsp Sugar
5 Tbsp Milk
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Egg
2 Large Marshmallows
Method:
Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT the Marshmallows in a jug.
Pour half the batter into the extra large mug , drop in the two marshmallows and cover with the rest of the batter.
Microwave between 2 - 3 minutes ( depending on your microwaves wattage) , my 900watt microwave takes 2 minutes exactly.
This makes the most delicious chocolatey gooey marsmallowy treat.
On
the day I made this I took one across to my dear friend and neighbor
Hayley who is 6 months pregnant and let's just say the first thing she
did was take a photo and then I had to let myself out because the mug
cake became her sole focus.
Hayley's words were ... 'I just need to sit down and have a quiet moment with this' ... Tee hee!
Try it you'll love it and really it is the easiest dessert ever!
Brrrrr did you feel the sudden chill in the air lately ? We are definitely headed for some cooler weather and although the chill has set in the rain is still on it's way.
I love this time of the year as the temperature is perfect (for me anyway) and it's the ideal time to make comfort food which is still light but verging on the richer and more nourishing winter treats.
Overseas Autumn is called 'Fall' and whilst we don't have these colourful leafy displays on our trees, we sure do have some colourful and colour rich fruit and veg.
Today I want to share a favourite Autumn salad which you can either use as a side dish (both hot and cold) or as a salad for those last ditch braai's (barbeques) before our winter weather sets in.
Enjoy and keep warm ...
Chickpea, Butternut & Barley Autumn Salad
Preparation & Cooking time : 1hr cooking & 15 minutes preparation
Serves : 4
Difficulty : 2/10
You will need:
For the salad :
250gr cooked Pearl Barley
1 x Large Butternut (cut into fingers or strips)
1/2 Tin of Chickpeas
50gr Seed mix of pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds (for crunch)
Spice Mix for coating the Butternut:
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tsp Garlic Flakes
1/2 Tsp Mixed Herbs
50ml Olive Oil
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch Crushed Black Pepper
For the dressing :
50ml Olive Oil
50ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Garlic Flakes
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch Crushed Black Pepper
** optional a pinch of Chilli Powder
Method:
For the salad:
- Boil the pearl barley in a pot of water on the stove for 30 - 45 mins (check regularly so that you do not overcook, it must be al dente or slightly crunchy)
- leave pearl barley to cool for half an hour
- cut butternut into strips/fingers, rinse and put in a large bowl
- mix the spices for the butternut together along with the olive oil and coat the butternut fingers
- spread the coated butternut fingers on a baking tray and bake on 180'c for 15 - 20 mins, or until the butternut is soft but firm and caramelising on the edges.
- drain and rinse the chickpeas and leave in a colander to let any additional liquids drain
For the Dressing :
Place all the dressing ingredients into a jug and blitz with a stick blender for 2 minutes , pour into a jug and set aside until just before serving.
To Assemble:
Plate the salad on a platter layering first the chickpeas, then the pearl barley, the butternut fingers (position these in a 'higgledy piggledy' way) , sprinkle over the seed mix and cover with a generous amount of dressing just prior to serving.
Et Voila!
I just love this autumn salad it is such comfort food with the firm fleshiness of the butternut , the crunchy pearl barley which adds texture and contrast and complimented by the dense chickpeas and slightly sweet dressing ...it's yum!
** cooks note -
You can also add a sprinkling of feta if you want added flavour and colour.
I live a rather busy lifestyle and I find that if I don't plan my days meals in advance I tend to skip meals or grab the wrong things to eat on the run, purely because by that time I am ravenous.
At the end of last year I decided to make a change by putting the correct nutrition in my body , hoping to loose some weight and to get more energy.
I started with Herbalife and whilst I haven't had earth shattering weight loss , I have shed some kilo's and my body fat % is still dropping , whilst my muscle is building(as it should) ... which is awesome
Now all I need to do is exercise a little more *sheepish grin*.
So here is one of my current favourite smoothies ...
RASPBERRY , ALMOND & VANILLA PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
Preparing & Cooking time - 5 mins
Serves: 1 smoothie
Ingredients:
6-8 raspberries ( fresh or frozen)
6-8 raw almonds
250ml milk / soy milk / rice milk / lactose free milk
2 Tbsp raw oats
1 Tsp honey
1 heaped Tbsp vanilla protein powder ( Herbalife shake vanilla)
Method:
Put all the ingredients into your blender and blitz until smooth.
Pour into a glass over ice , or pour into a shaker with 5 ice blocks and drink on the go (as I do).
Cooks notes -
** a great idea is buy extra berries at your local market when they are on special or in season and freeze them to use as/ when you desire.
Did you know?
- Berries are a great source of Vitamin C , form part of natures super foods and are great anti-oxidants.
- Oats are a slow release protein which prevents sugar spikes and cravings , oat fibre is great for both cholesterol and heart health.
To me salads need to have fresh and tasty components that are colourful and comforting too, but more importantly not over 'mayonnaised'. I find here in South Africa that every braai has potato salad 'dripping in mayo' , coleslaw 'dripping in mayo', pasta salad 'dripping in mayo' which just wreaks havoc with my low carb living.
I therefore inevitably arrive with the healthy salad and this is a favourite ...
Beetroot , Feta and Almond Salad
Preparation & Cooking time : 1hr cooking & 15 minutes preparation
Serves : 2
Difficulty : 2/10
You will need:
For the salad :
500gr baby spinach leaves
4 x medium fresh beetroot
1/4 large english cucumber
200gr Danish Feta
a handful of raw almonds
For the dressing :
50ml Avocado oil
50ml Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch crushed black pepper
Method:
For the salad:
- Boil the beetroot for 1 hr on the stove or until soft but firm when pierced with a knife
- leave beetroot to cool for an hour in the fridge
- slide your finger over the beetroot in a pulling motion and the outer layer will now peel off , do this to all the beetroot until completely clean and shiny.
(I do this under running water to prevent my hands from being stained , you can also use latex gloves from the drugstore/pharmacy)
- cut beetroot into wedges
- cut cucumber into slivers
- rinse baby spinach and leave to drip off excess moisture
- cut feta into cubes and set aside
Place all the ingredients except the nuts and feta into a salad bowl and toss together
For the Dressing :
Place all the ingredients into a jug and blitz with a stick blender for 2 minutes , pour into a jug and serve alongside the salad.
Plate the salad in a serving bowl , sprinkle over the feta and almonds and cover with a generous amount of dressing.
Et Voila!
I just love this luscious salad with the bold sweetness from the beetroot , the salty contrast from the feta which is rounded off with a slightly zingy dressing ...it's yum!
** cooks note -
You can also use walnuts which are lovely crunchy and buttery in flavour.
