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Let's get NZ cooking: Colourful, versatile risotto

SARAH HOYTE

Last updated 15:00 31/01/2013

ADAPTABLE: Chicken, quinoa and amaranth risotto.

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NEED TO KNOW

Main ingredient	Chicken
Type of dish	Risotto
Course	Main course
Cooking time	<30 min
Serves/makes	4
Special options	Dairy & Gluten-free

This recipe is for a very tasty risotto that uses a mixture of quinoa and amaranth made from equal parts red, black and white quinoa, and amaranth. You can get some variety of this premade from heathfood shops or supermarkets, or mix it yourself.

I started making it when I was put on a low-FODMAP diet, which means you can't eat things like wheat or onion, and was playing around with making quinoa tasty.

As well as being gluten and dairy-free, you can adapt the recipe to use what ever you have in the house. I often use mixed vegetables and mince when I'm running low on other ingredients.

200 g chicken thigh, cut in to chunks

1/2 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup quinoa/amaranth mix

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried parsley

a sprinkle of chilli or pepper to taste

1 flat brown mushroom, diced

1/4 of a yellow capsicum, sliced

1 tomato, diced

generous handful of fresh spinach leaves

1. In a medium saucepan, cook chicken in oil until cooked.

2. Add rice and quinoa and cook until rice begins to stick.

3. Add half a cup of stock, herbs, chilli and mushroom and cook with stirring until all liquid is absorbed.

4. Add stock in half cup lots, allowing it to absorb and stirring frequently.

5. Add capsicum and tomato with last lot of stock to allow to warm through.

6. Add spinach leaves at the end and stir through.

This recipe is even more delicious if a cup of cheese is added with the spinach, or maybe some garlic added with the rice, or a few rashers of bacon with the chicken.

The possibilities for adaptation are only limited by what you have in the house, or what you are able to eat.

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