In the interest of making a pinteresty-christmasy looking delicious meal, me and my toddler decided to try this sinfully delicious cheese spinach risotto. I am obviously spending a lot of time at home (and in the kitchen), hence the uncharacteristic roll out of recipes. Read on…

Ingredients to make the risotto –

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cups rice

4 cups of vegetable stock

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

nutmeg, for grating

5 oz spinach, washed and dried

2 handfuls Parmesan cheese

1/2 lemon

Half a box of soft goat cheese or cream cheese

Cherry tomatoes for garnish (halves)

Method

In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over gentle heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and a clove of garlic and cook gentle until soft and sweet but not browned, 10 minutes.

In the meantime, melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan with a splash of olive oil, a good grating of nutmeg, and the second clove of garlic. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and puree in a food processor. Spoon in the cream cheese / goats cheese.

Add the rice to the onion and raise the heat to medium-high; stir constantly, until the rice begins to look translucent. Add the stock, stirring, until absorbed. Continue adding stock to the rice little-by-little, stirring continually, until the rice loses any chalkiness and tastes smooth. Salt as necessary.

Turn off the heat and add the remaining butter, Parmesan, and the spinach mixture.

To make it look like a mistletoe –

Put the risotto in a clear baking dish but upturn a bowl in the centre so that the rice takes the shape of a ring

Halve a few cherry tomatoes and garnish around to add little pops of red

I also added a bow because I was bulldozed into it by my 5 year old daughter!

Enjoy! 😁