Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

N was in Amsterdam last week to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Left to my own devices for a few days, I decided to cook up some favourite recipes that I don’t get to eat too often (N isn’t keen on risotto or prawns!). Who says cooking for one has to be boring?

Whilst I pottered in the kitchen I kept myself entertained by listening to my latest audiobook, The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. I’m now two thirds through and dying to find out what the secret actually is!

Anyway these recipes are beautifully simple to make, not too heavy on the calories but still feel a little bit decadent. First up I’ll show you how to make a really easy risotto, then I’ve got a lovely light lunch for you – marinated grilled prawns.

Read on for the recipes…

White Wine and Asparagus Risotto

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

I used to think that risotto was a complicated dish to make until I actually tried it. This is an adaptation of a recipe I first cooked courtesy of my weekly subscription to HelloFresh. The hardest part is having to stir the rice for 20 to 25 minutes, but when you have a glass of white wine in the other hand this really doesn’t seem like too much of a chore!

The following recipe results in a rich, cheesy creamy risotto. Whilst it’s not exactly a healthy eating recipe, it’s only about 550 kcals a serving so you can indulge a little without completely chucking your good eating habits out of the window. I put the second half in the fridge and ate it the following day – it kept really well.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Stock pot/cube (vegetable or fish)
1/2 clove garlic
1 onion
1 celery stick
230g arborio rice
4 tbsps white wine
A handful of asparagus
A handful of parsley
60g parmesan cheese
10g butter
1tbsp olive oil

Directions

Finely chop the garlic, onion and celery. (I’m dangerous with a sharp knife so I blitz them for about 6 seconds in the food processor!).


Chop some parsley too, but keep this separate as it goes into the mix later on.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Next boil 800 ml water and mix in the stock. Leave this simmering on the hob.


Snap the ends off of your asparagus and discard them, then chop the rest into bite sized pieces. Add these to your stock water for a minute, then remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and leave it to one side for later.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat with the olive oil, then add in the garlic, celery and onion. Stir for 5 minutes until the mixture has softened. Take care not to brown them, the heat should be gentle.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Add in the rice and mix it all together.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Add in a pinch of salt and a glug of wine (about 4 tbsps) and continue to stir for 3 minutes. (You can glug some wine too at this point if you like – the hard part is over!).

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Add 1/2 cup/measuring jug of stock to the rice and keep gently stirring it until it has all been soaked up. Add another 1/2 cup and keep repeating until all of the stock is gone, which should take about 20 minutes.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns
Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Once all the stock is gone, grate the parmesan cheese into the mix, add in your parsley and gently stir it together.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Finally, add in the asparagus and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

I had some truffle oil so I drizzled a bit of that over the top as a last finishing touch – olive oil would work too!

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

You can sprinkle a bit of extra Parmesan and parsley over the top to make it look even more appealing!

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Grilled King Prawns with a Chilli Soy Sauce Marinade

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

These are best prepared in advance and left to marinate overnight so that all the flavours are absorbed into the prawns. The next day all you have to do is grill them and in 10 minutes you have a filling snack / light lunch!

Ingredients: Day 1 – Marinade 

1 clove garlic
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red chilli
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 limes

Ingredients: Day 2 – Cook and Serve

10 to 12 King Prawns (shelled)
A handful of coriander

Directions

On day one:

Finely dice the garlic and zest and juice the limes. Add these to a bowl/shallow dish with the other marinade ingredients. Use a small sharp knife to score a line down the back of each prawn and then pull out the black vein (it’s like a bit of string!).

Wash the prawns under a cold tap and pat them dry with some kitchen paper, then add these to your marinade. Cover with the lid or some clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns
The next day:

When you’re ready to eat, heat your grill to medium and place your prawns on a grill tray. 

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

After two minutes turn them over and baste the prawns with more of the marinade. 

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Repeat again after another 2 minutes. After 6 minutes the prawns should be pink. If they don’t look quite done, pop them back under for another minute or two, but take care not to overcook them as they’ll go a bit tough!

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns

Serve with a nice leafy salad, sprinkle over the coriander and get sticky fingers by dipping them in your favourite sauce!

Easy Recipes | White Wine Risotto & Grilled Prawns
I hope you enjoyed these recipes, told you they were simple!
If you cook either of them I’d love to see your photos, you can tag me on Twitter or Instagram @lovedbylaurac

Lifestyle & vegan food blogger
Peterborough | UK
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