Description
Impress your partner (and yourself) with this one-pot wonder spiced mushroom pilaf and pesto recipe on Valentine’s Day. This risotto style dish can be enjoyed as a starter, side, or a main meal in under 1 hour!
Ingredients
Units
For the pilaf:
- 500g Button mushrooms
- 4 Shallots or 2 Brown onions
- 5g Butter
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 4 Cardamon
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- 200g Basmati rice
- 500ml vegetable Stock (hot)
- Salt, pepper and oil as needed
- Parsley to serve
- Optional: Crispy onions to serve – make them yourself (recipe here) or purchase from the supermarket in the Asian section
- Optional: 60ml Plain yoghurt, seasoned with salt and pepper
For the pesto:
(You can also use store bought basil pesto or a herb sauce of your choice like chermula)
- 4 leaves / 100g Cavolo nero or Kale
- 20g Pistachios or nut/seed of choice
- 1 Clove of garlic
- 1 Lemon
- Salt to taste
- 1/3 cup Oil
- OR use shop bought basil pesto or herb sauce of your choice, like chermoula
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
- Wipe the mushrooms with kitchen paper to remove any dirt.
- Add a small drizzle of oil to a casserole dish on a high heat, then add the mushrooms and butter. Fry for 2 minutes until the mushrooms begin to colour, then place the dish into the oven, to roast the mushrooms for 10 minutes
- While the mushrooms cook, peel and thinly slice the shallots, warm the stock up, wash the rice until the water runs clear, and remove the woody stems from the cavolo nero/kale. Season the warm stock until quite salty to taste (this will absorb into your rice so the saltiness will subside and mellow)
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven. Place the casserole dish back onto the hob on medium heat, and add the shallots. Add a little more oil if needed, then cook the shallots for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the spices, and rice, and toast for 1-2 minutes.
Get Ahead: Don’t want to stand over the stove while entertaining guests? If serving this for a dinner party or special occasion take the rice until this point, then turn off the heat. Make the pistachio pesto, season your yoghurt sauce if using, chop your parsley and gather your crispy onions. Once ready to serve simply heat your casserole dish up again, add the stock and bake. The rice can be prepped this was a few hours, or up to one day in advance. - Add the hot stock to the casserole. Stir until the rice is submerged. Place the lid on the casserole, and place the dish in the oven.
- Bake at 200°C for 13 minutes, then remove from the oven and rest with the lid on for 5 minutes. The resulting rice should be fluffy and cooked through, if not (all ovens are a little different) simply pop the pan into the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the rice cooks make the pistachio pesto.
- Pour boiling water over the cavolo nero or kale leaves and set aside to wilt. Place the garlic clove and the juice of ½ a lemon into a mini food processor or into a pestle and mortar, and process to a fine paste. Add the nuts, drained greens, and oil and blitz to a chunky pesto. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper.
- Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and pick out the star anise and cinnamon stick. Squeeze the remaining half lemon over the rice. Add the pesto, crispy onions and yoghurt, if using, then serve immediately.
Notes
Chefs tip: If you want to up the wow factor for presentation, remove the stems of the mushrooms. These can be used chopped in other recipes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Quick and Easy
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mains
