ONE WEEK CHALLENGE: DAY TWO

LUNCH
I had a fabulous lunch today and relished in the fact it was using last night's leftovers, therefore not only did I have to remove myself from the building to buy lunch but I also didn't unnecessarily waste any food (I get massive food guilts when I throw things away).

Using leftover potatoes and carrots from last night's dinner, lunch consisted of a vegetable salad and leftover apple and cabbage slaw.  All that was done was to make the pesto and hey, presto - another fabulous, low cost dish to be enjoyed.

roast vegetable salad with walnut pesto 

and cabbage, apple and walnut slaw

walnut pesto

  1 handful walnuts

  2 garlic cloves, grated

  3tbsp olive oil

  1 1/2 cups basil

  2tbsp parmesan cheese, finely grated

  50g fetta (optional)

  salt and pepper, to taste

Place walnuts, garlic, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper into a mortar and pestle and grind until mixture forms a paste.  Add the parmesan and continue to mix together until well combined.

Mix together with leftover roast vegetables and crumbled fetta (optional).

DINNER

Everybody has a vice, and I must say that if you exclude anything sweet, mine would have to be risotto.  There's something extra comforting about tucking into a bowl of hot risotto with an extra-huge serving of parmesan on top (revisiting my cheese addiction here) and this dish really is the cream of the crop.  And what's more, it makes use of every last scrap of last night's dinner with more than enough lunch to go around.  Lunch envy guaranteed.


pork, thyme and rosemary risotto

  2 cups arborio rice
  1 cup red wine
  4 cups vegetable stock
  1 cup water
  1/2 red chilli, diced
  1 handful rosemary, chopped
  1 handful thyme, chopped
  1 clove garlic, minced
  1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  4tbsp olive oil

  salt and pepper, to taste

Place the stock and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.  In another large pot, heat the olive oil on a medium heat and fry the garlic and chilli until fragrant.  Add the rice and coat in oil, stirring, until it becomes slightly translucent (about 1 minute).

Add the wine to the arborio rice and stir continuously until absorbed.  Reduce heat and add the rosemary, thyme and stock, one cup at a time, stirring regularly until absorbed.  Continue this process until all stock has been added.

Once all liquid has been absorbed, test the rice to check it is cooked.  It should be firm to the bite with no excess liquid.  Once it has reached this stage add leftover pork and parmesan and stir until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turn off heat and let sit in the pot for at least 5 minutes before serving in bowls with lashings of freshly grated parmesan cheese and extra pepper.