Buffalo Ricotta

I think I've documented reasonably often on these pages my prolems with dairy products. I can't seem to get along with cow cheese and other milk products at all. I have however been gradually exploring the non-cow options out there. In the last year or so I have discovered a number of soft cheeses which I like and don't make my tummy hurt - buffalo mozzarella, halloumi, feta. I can cope with one or two hard cheeses (manchego mostly), although I still wouldn't eat them in chunks - just grated into other food. And, surprisingly, I have overcome my childhood hatred of yoghurt. I'm sure my bones and joints are grateful for the extra calcium!

Last week I was in London so I paid a visit to the Whole Foods Supermarket on Kensington High Street (they do the best olives of anywhere I've found in the UK). I was interested to spot Buffalo Ricotta in their fridge, and I couldn't resist buying some to try.



I didn't have a plan for it, but when I got home I flicked through my books and decided on Fennel and Ricotta Risotto from the Jamie's Italy cookbook.

The recipe can be found here.

I was a little worried that the fennel flavour would be overwhelming, but the risotto turned out really well - creamy with nicely balanced flavours. It was pretty simple and quick to make, so I would definitely recommend it for an easy week night dinner.

PS I also discovered that you can mix ricotta with a little honey, berries, lemon juice and zest for a creamy but surprisingly low calorie dessert.

Risotto (its getting obsessional)

I made Jamie Oliver's asparagus, mint and lemon risotto. Perfect summery food.

Serving it with pan-fried scallops gave it an indulgent edge, although to be honest I think that big, meaty, garlicky prawns would be a better match.

My childish side was satisfied by serving the risotto in the scallop shells. It amused me.



Find the recipe here.

Yum yum; a few of my favourite things. Seafood, asparagus, risotto.

I love.....Risotto

A few weeks ago I made Jamie O's cauliflower risotto (twice in a week).
This week I made Silvana Franco's red onion and cannellini bean risotto. Find the recipe here.

Both were very satisfying dinners.
Creamy, vegetarian (I like to eat vegetarian once a week if I can), flavoursome, filling, and non-fattening. Also, they were both recipes that I didn't have particularly high expectations of but which turned out to be surprisingly lovely.

So now I'm having a love affair with risotto and am on the hunt for more flavour combinations to try.

I know its basically just a vehicle for using up odds and sods in the vegetable drawer and the fridge. But its a wonderful one!

Jamie O Italy

My little nephew has a border-line obssessive love of Jamie Oliver. Unusual for an 8 year-old, but there are many worse role-models he could have!

For Christmas I bought him the Jamie Oliver Italy cookbook. I know that the chances are he will only look at the pictures for now, but he'll enjoy doing that, and ocassionally we'll cook something from it together.

Because I am weak where recipe books are concerned, after flicking through it on the train home I decided that I really wanted a copy of my own, so went back to the shops and treated myself.

It is my first (and currently only) Jamie Oliver recipe book.

And since December I have had a guilty conscience about it as it has sat on the side unused.

I decided that THIS was the week to put an end to that. The vegetable box delivered us a cauliflower this week which I wasn't sure what to do with, so when I came across cauliflower risotto I thought it would be worth a go.

Now, I know what you're thinking because I thought it too: cauliflower risotto just doesn't sound very nice. But Jamie Oliver raved about it, so I decided to put my trust in his judgement and give it a try.

This had a secondary risk of being a vegetarian meal, which normally means that I'm onto a loser from the start as far as Dan's concerned.

However, the dinner was a revelation. We both really liked it. It was quick, easy, tasty and filling. Dan's even taken the leftovers for lunch.

Cauliflower risotto; who'd have thought it would be such a yummy dinner?!