What was on the menu this week?
Spring Vegetable Risotto & 'Oh So Lemon' Cupcakes
The Spring Vegetable Risotto was a recipe we saw on ITV's morning show, Lorraine. She had James Tanner in her kitchen cooking this 'tasty veggie risotto using lots of seasonal vegetables'. We have cooked (and eaten) a few risottos before, in fact one of our first Cooking Tuesday recipes was a Seafood and Feta Risotto, but we're going to go out on a limb and say that this was one of the most delicious. A bold statement from AK, so why not try it yourself and tell us your verdict. You can find the recipe and even a video of James cooking it on Lorraine's website.
The main ingredients are asparagus, courgette, peas, mascarpone, lemon and mint and they work beautifully together. The highlights for us was a pea puree in the base (as well as whole peas) and the additions of fresh mint. Both were something we had not used before in a risotto and what we believe helped make it so yummy! It was not the easiest of recipes but well worth that bit of extra effort if you are cooking a special summer dinner for friends or family.
With half a tub of mascarpone left after the risotto we searched the internet for a recipe to use it up but one that we also already the rest of the ingredients for too. Sadly the ONLY one we could find were for some lemon cupcakes.. what a shame (ha!). Conveniently it was a friends birthday gathering the following afternoon so we knew they wouldn't go to waist.
The recipe called for lemon in the sponge, then a lemon drizzle over the top before adding a lemon and mascarpone icing... now that, even for us lemon lovers, is a lot of lemon and hence their new name 'Oh so Lemon Cupcakes'. Personally we believe it might be a little OTT on the lemon and if making again we might change the icing recipe or leave out the lemon in the sponge. Saying that they did taste scrumptious and were gobbled down at the party so if you are a lemon lover they are a perfect treat for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment