A Dish For Italy

In the first half of Bafana's last game; they played like real champions, with the look of determination plastered on each player's face - you could feel the electricity in the air, even if you were just watching on tv! I firmly believe that if they had played like that in their other games we would be through to the next round. We did redeem ourselves though with the win over France and now we hold our heads up high and turn out attention to the other teams.

This dish is for the Italian team - a risotto packed full of comforting, energy bursting flavours. Perfect before their game against Slovakia tomorrow, to give them the oomph they need to squeeze out a few more points. And the green and red match perfectly with their flag - how good am I?

(I originally saw this recipe on one of the monthly Nomu Mailers and adjusted it to suit my needs.)

Tomato and Basil Risotto:

(Serves 2 - 3)

Stock:
10 Large Ripe Tomatoes
Bunch of Fresh Basil
Squeeze of Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free)
Xylitol or Sugar to Taste
Salt
Pepper
1 Cup Water (If needed)

The Rest of the Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Diced

Olive Oil for Frying
1 Cup Risotto Rice

Directions:

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a large pot (you may roast these beforehand if desired)
Tear the basil leaves and add them to the tomatoes along with the soya sauce, xylitol and salt and pepper
Simmer for 15 minutes - check seasoning and then blend

You may want to add a cup of water at this time to make the stock go further - but remember to check the seasoning again

Fry the onion in the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, until translucent

Add the rice and coat in the oily onion mixture

Slowly add a ladle full of the stock to the rice and only add the next spoonful when the stock has been absorbed
Carry on until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked but still has a bite to it
Serve with a drizzle of basil oil and torn basil leaves