Slimming world friendly Prawn, Pea and Mushroom risotto

On my last meal plan I'd mentioned I was having mushroom risotto.  But then I started wanting prawn and pea risotto.  But I had loads of mushrooms to use up.... So Prawn, Pea and Mushroom risotto was born....

I only made a small quantity of this, but it still did my evening meal, and then leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:
150g arborio rice
1 pint vegetable stock
Mushrooms
Peas
Cooked prawns
onion powder

You'll notice the usual risotto ingredient of onion missing.  Phil hates onions so I've stopped buying them, and use onion powder instead.  In a dish like risotto they do make the difference though, so I'd definitely use one if I'd had one in...

Method
Same as a normal risotto, but... use fry light, then fry off the mushrooms (and onion if you're using) then when they've cooked a bit, add the rice.  Give that a minute in the pan and then add a small amount of vegetable stock.  Stir it in then let it soak in to the rice.  Repeat until you all the stock is added - on the last addition add the peas and prawns.  They only take a few minutes to cook through.  Once the liquid is all absorbed, and your rice is tender then the risotto is ready.

Recent Eats

I've been eating out when I really shouldn't be... or I should be making better choices when I do eat out I spose...

In the past few weeks I've been to Trinity Kitchen a couple of times, for the famous Manjit's Kitchen Chilli Paneer Wrap, I have to admit that I did think that £6 was pretty steep for a wrap...then I saw the SIZE of it.  Enormous.  I could share this and still be full.  I didn't even manage to finish my wrap yesterday. (Managed to eat all the paneer out of it though...).

It being my long awaited pay day yesterday, I also treated myself to a Magnificent Milkshake too, I opted for the vanilla creme brulee.  Delicious, although if I got one again I'd ask for it without whipped cream.

I popped out for lunch with a work colleague the other week, to get to know her a bit better.  With it being so close to work we went to LS6.  I opted for the roasted med veg and cream cheese sandwich, with a side of chips.  I'd assumed the med stood for Mediterranean but the only veg in it was carrot and mushroom - so perhaps it means medium?

All last week I'd driven home hearing the Toby Carvery advert, by the powers of persuasive advertising I was insistent that I had to have a carvery last weekend, so we popped along to our local one.  I declined the yorkshire pud, but did have some roast and mashed potatoes, and a bit of gravy, so it was quite synful.  I like that they give a free plate for little ones that you can put veg and potatoes on, and get a yorkshire pud - although Daisy only ate her yorkshire pudding and the turkey off my plate, barely touched the veg I'd got her.

Garofalo Gluten Free Pasta

I was kindly sent a couple of packets of gluten free pasta to review, penne and casarecce.

I found the gluten free pasta to be easier on my stomach than normal pasta, so I didn't feel quite so bloated and sluggish after a pasta meal.

We did, however, find that if you left the pasta to cook and didn't stir it then it formed a congealed lump in the pan - not good.  It might have said to keep stirring in the instructions, but as they were in italian then I don't know!  I made sure that we kept stirring when we used it after our messy pasta situation, and it worked beautifully.  If I'm cooking then I tend to stir everything quite a lot anyway - Obsessive Compulsiveness.

If I saw this pasta on offer, then I'd definitely buy it, but I unless I had a health need to move to gluten free pasta I can't see me choosing it over normal pasta.

Another week of meal planning

How are we back to Monday again!

On our meal planner this week:

• M - ham and vegetable pasta, in tomato sauce, using the gluten free pasta I've been sent to review
• T - jacket potatoes and beans
• W - slow cooker beef stew, mash and vegetables
• Th - meat (whatever looks appetising at Aldi this week) and savoury rice - rice cooked in vegetable stock with peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms and peppers (peppers for me only)
• F - fish fingers, beans, wedges for everyone else, mushroom risotto for me
• Sa - tuna pasta bake, garlic bread for everyone else, salad for me
• Su - mince, veg and mash

We didn't do badly at following our meal plan last week, although I forgot to get the beef for the stew on Sunday - oops.  Saturday I very nearly caved and demanded a chinese takeaway, but Phil being supportive ignored my unsubtle hinting about getting a takeaway and we had some lovely gammon again.

I lost 5ib at my first fat club weigh in, hoping to get my half a stone award this week!

Linking up, as usual, with Mrs M and her meal planning army.

Recent Eats - Christmas, New Years and First week of Jan

We had a lovely christmas and new years, although tiring!  Christmas day we went to my parents for christmas dinner, I brought some Parmesan coated parsnips (delia christmas book) and the cheese board which was made up of cheeses bought from Leeds Market and Millies (the port soaked Stilton was immense).

Duck opening her stocking

Duck in her best party dress, ready to open more presents

We stayed over and had the traditional boxing day party and buffet the next day.  On Christmas Eve I'd made a bacon and egg pie (from the new Paul Hollywood Pies and Puds book) and a Tiramisu for the buffet.  I rewarded my hard work with an excessively large esspresso brandtini... I paid the price of that with a headache christmas morning...

For New Years the duck went to Grandma and Grandad's and Phil and I shared an M&S meal (pie, cauliflower cheese and peas and carrots) and had a couple of glasses of our favourite prosecco.  (You can just about see my VW Camper van wine rack!).

This weekend I was treated to a grown up afternoon and headed out to the shops with Mrs P while Phil entertained Daisy.  I picked up a great bargain in the sale with a new coat, and we headed to Trinity Kitchen for lunch.

I was torn between Fish& and Donostia Social Club, being in the mood for a spanish beer Donostia won, we both had the chorizo stew - it was delicious.

Meal Planning Monday 6th January

I'm joining up with Mrs M's meal planners this week.

• Tonight we had a slimming world version of fish pie.  It was vile.  We won't be having that again.
• Tomorrow I was going to do the superspeed soup, but I don't think I can inflict it on Phil, so we'll have a simple leek and potato instead.
• Wednesday is a chicken and bacon pasta dish, in a tomato sauce, undecided if that will be herby or spicy.
• Thursday is Gammon, egg and slimming world chips (I don't have a great success rate with these - they always stick to the foil).
• Friday is chilli, nice and simple.
• Saturday we're at a birthday party in the afternoon so not sure what we'll be having for our tea, possible jacket potatoes and beans.
• Sunday will be beef stew, done in the slow cooker, with lots of veg.

I find it very hard to get slimming world friendly meals that everyone will eat, so I think I'll be having quite a few nights of cooking two meals in the coming weeks.

Recent Eats

It's taken a while to catch up on everything after I was in hospital - then with trying to do some Christmas socialising I just haven't had the time to blog.

I've eaten out recently at Trinity Kitchen and Las Iguanas.  We also had a walk round the Dickensian market in Wetherby last weekend and picked up some treats from The Pastry Stall.

At Trinity Kitchen I had some cocktails with the lovely Mrs P, at 360 Champagne and Cocktails and then scoffed a lovely burrito from Tortilla (and a margarita!).  I really liked Trinity Kitchen, I like that there's some fixed places, and I don't mind the pop up ones.  I'm looking forward to the change over next week and getting some lovely fish and chips from Fish&.  

This weekend I had my annual christmas meet up with my school friends.  We went to Brewdog, Las Iguanas and then Duck and Drake to watch a band.  I was driving so had a mocktail in Las Iguanas, and pop everywhere else - but that was fine.

I was impressed with the quality of food at Las Iguanas - I usually find that food is rubbish during Christmas party season, but we really enjoyed our meal.  We had to use the set menu, but all found something we liked.  I had the crab and crayfish gratin to start, then festive fajitas.

I have a works christmas do this week, but I'm undecided if I'll go - we couldn't get in anywhere to eat (or agree where to go) so it's just drinks after work, but on the Thursday.  I don't fancy trying to get through Friday at work with a hangover!

I'm now on the final stretch of prep for Christmas.  I have to make my carrot chutney, onion marmalade and some sweet bits to go in my hamper.  I need to buy some cheese for it, and also buy cheese for Christmas day.   I'm making a bacon and egg pie for boxing day, and the desserts, so I need to get cracking at deciding what I will make!