RECIPE - brown rice risotto - (plus a bit of chat)

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I feel really 'lifted' by the fact that the first signs of spring are showing.

Despite the cold and very windy weather we have been having (it hailed quite

heavily this morning) we have had snowdrops in the garden for about a week and

our very first daffodil opened today. I only discovered it late this afternoon

when I went outside to hang out the last load of washing.

 

I am still getting used to the fact that I now live in a country where there

are four distinct seasons with so many differences between them. In Australia

it was really only a summer/winter distinction and even that wasn't extremely

marked apart from the temperature and the rain in winter. Because Australia is

far closer to the tropics than Holland is, the difference between the length of

day and night is not so pronounced. I love the looooooooong summer evenings

here where it doesn't get fully dark until almost 11 pm - it almost compensates

for the short winter days when it gets dark at about 4:30pm. Most of the native

trees in Australia are evergreen so the autumn colours here are still an

incredible wonder to me each year. I never dreamt how much the slow but

magical reappearance of spring each year would come to mean to me.

 

I am so far behind with my e-mails that it is embarrassing. I have been busy,

busy, busy with my casual time job marking English language homework for

correspondence students. It is getting very hectic. Even though I don't get

any financial advantage (what I earn is deducted from my unemployment benefit) I

do enjoy it and I would much prefer to earn what I can than live completely on a

government benefit. I have so many e-mails in my flagged 'to answer' file that

it sometimes makes me feel quite nervous. Well, maybe not 'nervous' but

definitely edgy. I dropped out of the majority of my groups but even the volume

of mail generated by the few I stayed in is becoming a chore rather than a

pleasure so I may have to cull even further. Of course there are five REALLY

special ones which I wouldn't even think about leaving (there are no prizes for

guessing at least one group which falls into this category!!) and I want to make

sure that I have the necessary time to be more

involved in them.

 

This morning I made one of my very infrequent trips to Amsterdam. It's only

about 12 miles away but also a whole world away. Every time I come home after

spending even a short time there I bless the fact that I live in Haarlem. All

Dutch houses are small and poky but in Amsterdam they remind me more of cages

than homes. The city is so big, crowded, impersonal and dirty looking. A fair

proportion of the people live in what seem to me to be shabby looking, ageing

and characterless blocks of flats (apartments) which I imagine were built purely

to a budget and with very little thought given to how people would cope with

living there. My trip this morning was to just such a flat. Someone had

advertised an iron on Freecycle and I was the first person to respond. It came

at just the right time as our iron is on its last legs. When I arrived at the

block of flats I had to go to to collect the iron I had a strange, almost

claustrophobic, feeling as I went in and climbed

the stairs to the third floor flat. There was nothing at all to see except

grey concrete - stairs, walls, ceiling. The only exception was the handrail on

the stairs - also grey but made of metal. I'm sure I would go crazy living

there but, with the desperate housing shortage in this country, people just

can't afford to be choosy. If you are offered subsidised accommodation and you

turn it down there is a very good chance that you will have to wait another 5

years.

 

We had a really delicious meal the other night. The funny thing was that it

started out because I wanted to invent a way to use up a tiny bit of tomato

ketchup which was left in the bottle, 1 leek and 5 lonely little mushrooms I

found in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. People in the know say that

risotto made from brown rice isn't any good because it doesn't get that lovely

creamy 'ooziness' which white rice risotto has. Well, I beg to differ! Here is

more or less what I did (but I didn't measure anything as I was going so I'm

only guessing). Most of the quantities are VERY approximate and you could you

could easily adapt both quantities and ingredients to suit your own requirements

tastes.

 

" CLEAN OUT THE FRIDGE BROWN RICE RISOTTO "

 

serves 3 (or 2 greedy people with a tiny bit left over for lunch the next

day!)

 

 

approximately 1-1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (I used spiced wok oil)

 

1 leek - washed, sliced lengthwise and cut into half moons

 

 

a few mushrooms - wiped and sliced

 

short grain brown rice - about a cup or a bit more

 

boiling water - as much as you need! (I wouldn't be game to even hazard a

guess regarding the quantity

 

small splash of tomato ketchup - I'm sure I wouldn't have used more than 1

tablespoon

 

a few chili flakes (optional) - I think I probably used about 1/2 teaspoon as

I wanted to give the dish a 'kick' without making it overpoweringly hot

 

frozen peas - about 1/2 cup

 

1 piece wurst/sausage [i used vegetarian smoked sausage but the choice is up

to you] chopped into small dice- about 4 - 6 oz I guess

 

(vegetarian, low sodium) stock powder (about 2 teaspoons)

 

grated (goat's) cheese - I think I probably used about 1/4 cup in total but

you can alter the quantity to suit your own taste

 

Heat about half the oil over a moderate heat then very gently warm the leeks

through for about 10 minutes (or until they are translucent but not browned).

Add the mushrooms, increase the heat slightly, and cook the leeks and mushrooms

for about 5 minutes.

 

Add the rest of the oil and the rice. Stir the rice to thoroughly coat each

grain of rice with oil.

 

Add about half a cup of the boiling water, the stock powder, the chilli flakes

(if using) and the tomato ketchup (I used some of the water to swish out the

sauce bottle). Stir frequently until the water is absorbed. Add the peas and

the cubed sausage. Keep adding more water (about half a cup at a time at first

but you can add more at a time after the first three to four additions) and stir

after each addition. Stir frequently between additions of water. Keep adding

water until the rice is fully cooked.

 

When the rice is tender (it will probably take about half an hour) add a

little extra 'shot' of water and stir in to give the risotto its characteristic

'runniness' and stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat.

 

Serve immediately.

 

 

I have some really great news to share with you. We have a delightful and

incredibly generous English friend called Chris. She had already invited me to

stay with her, at her expense (including fares) for two weeks in March.

Weeeeeeeel - here is an e-mail I received from her the other day.

 

The subject line was " UK trip arrangements " .

 

This woman is unreal. I said not even a single word about any shows or

entertainment. Nor have I ever mentioned any of these shows or events to her,

even in passing. This is ENTIRELY of Chris' doing but she has managed to pick a

selection which is precisely what I would have chosen for myself.

 

Every time we get something like this from Chris we have to pinch ourselves to

see if it is really happening to us.

 

 

 

 

Dear Marie,

 

On Tuesday 4th March I have booked you a seat at the matinee performance of the

Mousetrap.

On Saturday 8th March I have booked you on an afternoon coach trip to an East

Anglia Food Festival, which is taking place somewhere near Cambridge.

On Tuesday 11th March I have booked you a seat at the matinee performance of The

Phantom of the Opera.

On Sunday 16th March I haven't booked anything, but I recommend that you go and

see the St Patrick's Day parade, which starts at Park Lane at 12.00 and arrives

in Whitehall by 3pm, and have a look at the Irish-themed events in Trafalgar

Square and Leicester Square. I think they are also doing Irish food in Covent

Garden on the same day.

 

I hope this is OK.

 

With love,

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine something like this NOT being OK?!?!?!?!?!? All I can say is

that we are truly blessed to have a friend like Chris in our lives.

 

 

My goodness, it's almost Lent. It hardly seems any time at all since

Christmas. Can you believe that it is Ash Wednesday next Wednesday? I know

they are not particularly diet conscious (LOL) but I'm thinking of making some

(whole grain) pancakes on Tuesday. After all, who am I to break with the

tradition of Pancake Day? However, we will have a savoury filling rather than a

sweet one.

 

 

Well, that's about all I have time for tonight. I keep promising myself

that 'this week I will get properly caught up with my e-mails'. Unfortunately I

keep breaking my promises!!!

 

Cheers to all from Marie in Haarlem, Netherlands

 

 

 

 

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