Now that there are 3 young children in the house our evening “routine” has become less of a routine and more of a daily witching “hour” (or 3) when the children seem to turn into miniature hellbots and the house descends into utter chaos.
With three children under 4 to feed, bath, and get into bed at a reasonable hour…things get a bit mental quite quickly and so anything that we can do to make life just that teeny bit easier, we’re on it!
When I was offered the chance to try out the Cuisinart Soupmaker Plus I wasn’t too sure as I have to admit…I’m not the biggest lover of soup and my partner actually refuses to eat it (He lived on it for about 6 months when his jaw was wired, and so can’t stomach it since!)…but I had a look at the website and noticed that it doesn’t only do soups (Although it does soups very well, I made a delicious roasted red pepper soup with it yesterday!) but it actually also does smoothies and a whole host of other main meals including pasta sauces and… my personal favourite…risottos!
So I agreed to try it out, and I am SO glad that I did!
The soupmaker is sleek, stylish and compact so doesn’t overwhelm the kitchen work top as so many kitchen products tend to do.
And oh my goodness, is it nifty!
I’ve been using it to make soups for my lunch as I’m currently dieting and the amount of sugar that goes into canned soups is pretty shocking…it’s lovely to be able to make flavourful but healthy soups at home and know exactly what’s going in to them!
Tyne has also been enjoying fruit smoothies made using the soup maker, he’d been asking to try smoothies for weeks after seeing Peppa Pig make them on TV and so was delighted to make his own…selecting different fruit combos every time.
But my favourite thing to make in it just has to be risotto! It is SO quick and simple to do, you don’t need to stand over it as you usually would…I just pop the ingredients in and pop back every now and then to press “slow stir”…perfect!
It delivers delicious, restaurant quality risotto in 30 minutes and has been an absolute lifesaver when it comes to evening meals in our hectic house!
Noah just LOVES the mushroom and leek risotto!
Recipe:
Ingredients:
– 1 cup Organic Arborio Rice
– 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
– 200g mushrooms (any variety you prefer), sliced
– 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
– 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– 2 tablespoons butter
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and minced garlic. Sauté until the leeks are softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook until they are browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the Arborio rice to the center. Toast the rice for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes slightly translucent around the edges.
4. If using, pour in the white wine and stir until it is absorbed by the rice.
5. Begin adding the broth to the rice mixture, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until the broth is mostly absorbed before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and tender, but still slightly firm to the bite. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
6. Once the risotto is cooked to your desired consistency, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve the risotto hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy your delicious leek and mushroom risotto!
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