Risotto with Radicchio and Mascarpone

Two remarks to start with: firstly, there are, I think, two schools of thought about the consistency of risotto, creamy or grainy, which is achieved either by stirring more or less constantly or by not stirring at all. With mushrooms I prefer it grainy, with this one I definitely like the creamy consistency, which is underlined by the mascarpone. Secondly, I had always thought of radicchio as a salad, but having had it as a crostini topping, I realised what a versatile plant it is. More on that one soon…

What you need

(serves three to four as a main meal)

• 400 g risotto rice
• 200 ml white wine
• 3-400 ml vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 or more cloves of garlic
• 200 g mascarpone, perhaps mascarpone mixed with gorgonzola
• 2 handful radicchio cut into strips, not too narrow
• 1 yellow pepper quartered and sliced (I only had a red, but yellow looks nicer)
• salt and pepper, optionally Teeparadies Hildegard spice mix.
• Shavings of parmesan or pecorino romano

What you do

1. Fry the onions in generous olive oil until they are glassy, add the rice and get it glassy as well.
2. Pour in the wine and allow it to be absorbed, then keep adding the broth, stirring the risotto quite often.
3. When the rice corns are still quite hard at the very centre, add the garlic and the mascarpone.
4. Stir for another five minutes or so – until the risotto is practically done – then add the peppers and the radicchio (this way they get cooked but will still be crispy).
5. Season with salt (if needed) and pepper, optionally but warmly recommended with the Teeparadies Hildegard herb mixture.
6. Serve with a generous shavings parmesan or pecorino romano

My Dad's Favourite Breakfast Muesli

A bit more than a year ago I had to stop doing this because things were rather hectic and I just didn't find the time to write up seasonal and mainly veggie recipes. I hope to be back to doing this again on a regular basis. What better way than to start up again with the only thing my Dad still really appreciates, because he has lost much of his sense of taste, but it seems he still likes something slightly sweet. Having said that, the sweetness in this breakfast muesli comes from its ingredients (a bit of sugar in the yoghurt, I admit), i.e. the fruit used. It also works well in winter because it uses dried fruit, fruit that is available all year or that can be kept over winter like apples.

What you need

(The following are for two people)

• 6 heaped tbsp. mixed cereal (spelt, oat, etc.) soaked (for at least 30 mins, better overnight) in
• multivitamin juice to cover (can be supplemented with the water used for soaking the dried fruit)

• 1 small banana
• 1 tub of Greek yoghurt (ideally with honey or figs)
• 1 handful of raisins or sultanas
• 6 slices of dried mangoes, soaked overnight
• 6 dried apricots, soaked overnight
• optionally 1 grated apple
• optionally 4 dried figs, diced
• optionally 2 tbsp of sea buckthorn extract

What you do

1. Mash up the banana and mix in the yoghurt.
2. Add the cereal and the raisins.
3. Cut the soaked fruit into small pieces and add to the mix.
4. Add the optional ingredients. 
5. Mix well and serve (You can also leave it in the fridge for a bit...)