Monday

Mellow Yellow...

Ah comfort food, everyone has their favorite don't they? I have a million and one favorites - all stodgy, calorific and extrememly bad for me!!! My moms macaroni, steak and kidney pie, buttered bread with jam, chocolate pudding with extra chocolate, millionaires squares, chili con carne with plenty of sour cream, eggy bread with butter, sugar and cinnamon... oh dear! How on earth do I resist?
 Sometimes I wish I didn't enjoy cooking so much, its hard not to whip up a batch of scones when there is cream in the fridge and eat them all one after the other! I'm a "whole pack of biscuits with my tea" kinda gal, and that is why you will rarely find a biscuit in this house, they last all but five minutes!

Comfort food is rarely a salad (although a full fat chicken caesar is definatley a runner up!) never a piece of fruit  (unless encased in meringue) and absolutely rarely a raw vegetable! 

I have been watching what I'm eating for the last while, with my brothers wedding upcoming, and it has been difficult... the reason being that I find it impossible to make diet versions of anything, cheese on toast MUST be with doorstep bread, mature english cheddar, lashings of butter and a couple drops of worcestershire sauce! Whats the point in a burrito without sour cream, cheese, beans AND guacamole? Cream sauces MUST include CREAM!!! 
My friends often ask me how I am not fat as a fool, and although I'm no skinny malink, I have managed to maintain a figure of some description by running around after two children, always taking the stairs and eating regular portions, be they laden with the worst properties! I hope that including lots and lots of goodness in between the badness I will counteract it!  I have my cadburys fingers crossed!

Here is an all time favorite in our house, a comfort food that will have you tucked up in heaven as soon as its served, alongside buttered bread and lots of parmesan!

Easy Milanese!
You'll need
2 pints chicken stock
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 sachet of saffron powder (or generous pinch of the real thing)
6 tbsp butter (Just do it!)
275g risotto rice
75g parmesan cheese (plus lots more for serving)
Salt and freshly ground pepper...

Bring the stock to the boil, remove from the heat and add the saffron, leave to infuse. Melt half the butter in a saucepan until foaming, add the onion and stir for about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the rice and stir in the butter until the grains start to swell a bit then add some stock.  Stir over a medium heat, allowing the rice to absorb the stock before adding more.  Stir constantly, for about 20 minutes until the rice is done, with just a little bite.  Stir in the parmesan and  the rest of the butter.  Season and serve!!

5 comments:

Ciara Brehony said...

Oh I HEAR you! No cutting corners for me too. It has to be real butter...

Lo said...

I can't imagine making something like this without real butter!

I'd rather eat REAL foods in moderation any day than copious amounts of anything else :)

This looks smashing. Love all the safffron.

AMI said...

ME TOO ME TOO!!!

Lo, I use packets of saffron powder for this recipe - the real stuff is toooooo dear!! I keep it for special occasions! I get my saffron powder in Italy but I'd say you can get it anywhere, I love it because it makes everything real yellow yellow!

Michelle said...

Sour cream!!!! My downfall. Fast food Mexican absolutely must be smothered in sour cream!

And I love the color of saffron rice.

AMI said...

Oh oh sour cream! You know I love sour cream on anything! Even Spaghetti Bolognese if I have any sour cream around!