use it up meals #1

Well, last night's Use it up Meal wasn't too difficult to deal with. If I had fallen at the first hurdle it would have been a bit of an embarrassment and a pointless challenge, right?

I present you with Use it up Meal #1

TaDaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Roasted Squash with Leek Risotto

Not a fabbo picture, but still...yum yum yum, it was yummmmy (if I do say so myself)!!

Risotto can seem like a bit of a chore, all the stirring can be tedious, but the finished product is so lovely that I actually enjoy the hour it takes to prepare. My mum makes risotto often, usually to use up soft-ish mushrooms and other veggies, and she is the one who taught me the method and proportions. I remember mushroom risotto as one of the first meals I cooked solo at home, and it has become an old staple of mine.

There is nothing tricky about risotto, but I think that it is a deeply personal thing. I, for instance, don't like my risotto to be too soupy, I prefer it creamy and smooth. I don't like my rice al dente, but I also don't like it too soft. I like lots of cheese and extra butter. I eat it with a spoon, not a fork. Having mastered MY risotto I can allow myself to be quietly disappointed in a restaurant version. Although any good Risotto with shellfish will win me over (mostly cause I can't afford to make it at home)!!

And so, in conclusion (so academic) risotto is a perfect start to the Use it up Meals challenge! Yummy, but I hope that I won't have to fall back on it later on in the week although David might kill me if we don't have some meat at some point!