Pea, mint and asparagus risotto

A lighter version of a dish I like to eat in restaurants. The trick here is to give the rice time to swell and absorb the stock, so taking in all that goodness. You can enjoy this either hot or cold.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 30g Lucy Bee coconut oil
• 225g/1¼ cups risotto rice
• 1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock (see book page 176 for homemade)
• 300g/2½ cups frozen peas
• 100g/3½ cups asparagus, ends removed and spears halved
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Melt the coconut oil in a large pan, stir in the risotto rice to coat in the oil, then add the stock and simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring continuously, until the risotto rice has softened and turned plump (as it has mostly absorbed the stock).

2. Add the peas, asparagus, mint and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes or until the stock has been completely absorbed, the rice is just tender and the risotto has a thick, creamy texture.

From Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life. Recipe text © 2016 Lucy Bee Limited.