Risotto Blanco with Peas

Adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe, this has become one of my favourite dishes to make. My "signature dish" if you like. You can leave out the white wine to make it virtually syn free on Green days (just the buttery spread to count).

Green = 3 syns per serving, also using HExA/B (for cheese and olive oil) - (only 1.5 syns if not using wine)

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

170g/6oz Risotto rice (organic Arborio works best)
125g Frozen peas
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Celery sticks, finely chopped
90ml White wine, dry (optional)
500ml Chicken or Vegetable stock
1 level tbsp Low fat "Buttery spread" (I use Flora Buttery)
28g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

Place a large saucepan on a low to medium heat. Peel the onion and trim the celery stick, then finely chop or coarsely grate them.
Add the olive oil to the hot pan with the celery and onion and a splash of water.
Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil in a medium saucepan, then turn down the heat.
When the vegetables have softened, add the rice.
Stir in and allow the rice to absorb the liquid and turn slightly translucent. At this point, if using wine, add it. If not, add a ladle of stock. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
Turn the heat up to medium on the rice. Add a ladleful of hot stock.
Stir continuously and continue to add stock - a ladle each time - waiting for the rice to absorb it all before adding the next ladleful. Continue until you've used 2/3 of the stock.
Add the peas to the rice and stir through.
Keep adding stock until the rice is just cooked and has a nice oozy consistency. Use boiling water if you run out of stock.
Take the pan off the heat, add the buttery spread, grated parmesan, season with salt and pepper and stir in well.
Cover the pan with a lid and leave to rest for a minimum of 2 minutes.
Serve on warmed plates.


You may want to increase the quantity of rice and stock - as this is very moorish and I can easily eat most of it by myself.
Note: this risotto doesn't keep well, so it's best eaten when freshly made. If kept for a while, the excess water in the onions and celery makes the rice breakdown and go soggy.