Easy Spanish Rice

I was kind of winging this based on a few different recipes I found online and then put it in the rice maker and it was super easy.

Easy Spanish Rice

Ingredients

1 cup rice of choice (I used Jasmine cause it was what we had)
vegetable stock - the amount you would normally use to cook rice which may vary if you are doing it on the stove, around 1 1/2 cups for jasmine rice, more for brown.
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion, chopped


Method

Fry up the onions first on a medium heat for around 5 minutes, until clear.
If using a rice cooker then transfer the onions to it, if cooking on the stove keep them in the pot.
Add all ingredients to the onions and stir to mix.
Cook in rice cooker or if doing on the stove top, bring to boil then simmer on a low heat until rice is cooked, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
Test rice and once done, serve. So easy!

Shown here with bean burritos :)

Mixed Mushroom Risotto

I adapted Jamie Oliver's basic risotto recipe to vegan and then made it mushroomy....mmmmm! This is a wonderfully rich dish so you may prefer it as a starter :)

Mixed Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

1.1 litres vegetable stock
2 Tbls vegan butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
� head celery, finely chopped (I used 1 tsp celery salt in lieu)
400 g risotto rice
2 wineglasses dry white vermouth or dry white wine
sea salt
4 cups mixed mushrooms (I used porcini, shiitake, oyster and portobello)
1 tsp dried tarragon
3 springs of parsley, chopped
Juice of one lemon
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbls of vegan butter
90 g vegan Parmesan cheese


Method

Heat the stock to nearly boil and then reduce heat to low and keep on a simmer.
In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring.
When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat to medium and keep stirring.
After a minute it will look slightly translucent.
Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring.
Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add in mushrooms and dried herbs and stir through.
Alternatively you can fry or grill your mushrooms separately and add once cooked.
Add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt.
Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside.
Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
This will take around 15 minutes.
Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite.
Don't forget to check the seasoning carefully.
If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
Adding more stock will make the risotto too salty.
Add in lemon juice and fresh herbs.
Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Stir well.
Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper before serving.