Goat’s Cheese and California Prune Risotto
Recipe by Jo Travers BSc RD MBDA
Cheese is a fantastic source of calcium and protein, and both California Prunes and risotto rice contain manganese all of which are essential nutrients for bone health.
Ingredients
- 4tsp olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or (1 ½ tbsp dried)
- 300g risotto rice
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 150g goat’s cheese
- 100g California Prunes, each chopped into about 4-6 pieces
- 1.5l vegetable stock, kept simmering in a saucepan
Directions
1. In a heavy-based saucepan, fry the onion gently in the oil until it’s soft but not browned. Add the risotto rice and stir to coat it with oil until it glistens.
2. Add a ladleful of stock and stir until the rice has absorbed it, then add another ladleful and stir that until its absorbed. Repeat until all the stock is used up. Test the rice to see if it’s cooked all the way through. It should be tender with a small amount of bite, not mushy. If it’s still a little hard, add another ladleful of water and continue cooking and check again.
3. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and crumble in half of the Goat’s cheese, a good grinding of pepper and most of the thyme, keeping some aside for garnishing. Stir until the goats cheese has melted and is well combined.
4. Divide the risotto into four bowls and top with the remaining goats cheese, the diced California Prunes and the remaining thyme. Serve with a crisp, green salad.
