Alex's Recipes

Risotto w/Leeks, Zucchini & Pancetta

Risotto takes a long time to cook and needs constant attention, so don't start this unless you're prepared to stand in front of the stove for an hour.

(Serves 2)

• 1 cup short-grained Rice (like Arborio)
• 3 cups Soup Stock (or Water plus Bouillon)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 leek
• 1/2 cup diced Pancetta

Slice the leeks into rings, separating them into a colander and rinsing them. Dice the zucchini into one centimetre cubes. The pancetta pieces should be quite small as well because pancetta can sometimes be a bit chewy in larger pieces.

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a pot over a medium-low heat and add the rice, stirring to coat the rice fully. Let cook for a moment to prepare the rice for the soup stock. In a separate fry pan, add the leeks and the pancetta on medium heat.

Adding a 1/4 cup of soup stock at a time, stir the rice until all the liquid disappears. You can stop for a few seconds to all stir the leeks and pancetta.

After about 1/3 of your stock has been added to the rice, add the zucchini to the leek and pancetta mixture, turning down to a medium-low heat and stirring occasionally.

Once all your stock has been absorbed (takes about an hour - if your rice is still a bit crunchy, add more water 1/4 of a cup at a time), mix the leek, zucchini and pancetta mixture into the rice and serve immediately.

If it's summer time, garnish the risotto with parsley and a day lily flower - the oniony flavour of the day lily flower will complement the leeks. Otherwise garnish with parsley and an orange slice (for colour).

Chunky Salsa

This salsa is more of a salad than a dip, but if you cut up the veggies finely enough, it'd be good with nachos.

• 2 Plum or Roma Tomatoes
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Spring Onion (or half a medium Onion)
• 1 Lime
• Salt, pepper, olive oil
• Some sort of Kick (from Chili Powder to Powdered Chilis, depending on your tolerance for heat)

Seed the tomatoes by cutting them in quarters and using your thumbs strip out the seeds and pulp that come away easily.

Cut the tomatoes, the avocado and the pepper into bite sized pieces. Dice the onion to whatever degree of chunkiness suits you (I like it quite small as large chunks of raw onion turns me off the food).

Mix all the veggies in a bowl.

Add the juice of one lime - the fresher the better.

Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with a dash of olive oil.

Add the kick (In Canada, I use chili powder; in France my new-found love <<Sauce Basque>>)

Toss everthing well to completely coat the veggies then let sit in the fridge for at least ten (10) minutes.

Also really good the next day.