It's been a while. You're probably wondering if we've all starved! I am pleased to report that quite the reverse has been happening since I last went on a posting spree. Firstly, my business BiteSize Baking has been thriving, meaning that anyone in the house at risk of imminent starvation has a ready supply of leftover cupcakes to revive them. And secondly, we are now a household of just two, since the youngest went off to college. What this means, in practice, is that I still cook, fail to cook an appropriately small amount, and there are therefore always leftovers in the fridge for those who hunger to consume. Suffice to say then, no starving has been going on in these parts. 

Were we starving though, I can think of no better meal with which to break that fast, than a bowl of comforting, ooey-gooey, cheesy risotto. And if you hunger for just that, then this recipe is definitely a keeper. Instead of rice, the base is orzo, meaning that it is a little less labor-intensive, as it doesn't need constant stirring while cooking. And instead of the usual parmesan gooeyness, this recipe uses gorgonzola. I realize that blue cheese isn't to everyone's liking, but if you have waverers around your table, and they are not already swayed by the fact that blue cheeses contains high levels of zinc, so is good for the brain, contains probiotics good for digestion, AND has anti-inflammatory properties, then this might well be THE blue cheese to sway them, the gateway cheese, as it were, since gorgonzola is delicate, soft, not as stinkily 'blue' as some, and quite frankly delicious.

This is an apt description, since the original recipe comes from a British magazine called Delicious. If you are ever in the UK and craving some food porn, it is a great choice to pick up. 

Gorgonzola, Walnut and Leek Risotto

adapted from Delicious Magazine, UK

serves 3

1/2 cup walnut pieces

2 TBSP butter

1 white/yellow onion, chopped

2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

6 oz orzo

7 fl oz dry white wine

17 fl oz vegetable stock

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 oz gorgonzola dolce

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and black pepper

1. Pour the vegetable stock into a small saucepan with a lid, and put on low heat to keep hot. 

2. In a dry skillet, toast the walnut pieces until lightly golden. Then put them aside to cool before chopping into smaller pieces.

3. In the same skillet, melt the butter, then add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over a medium heat until softened. Add the leeks and cook for 5-10 minutes more until the leeks are also soft, but not browning.

4. Add the orzo and stir to coat in the butter before pouring in the wine. Bubble on the stove, stirring constantly until the wine is almost evaporated before beginning to add the stock, a couple of ladle-fulls at a time.

5. Continue to cook, adding more stock each time it is soaked up. You don't need to stir constantly as with a rice risotto, but keep an eye on it to make sure the pan doesn't dry up and orzo start to stick. 

6. Once all the stock is used up, if the orzo still isn't cooked, add some boiling water and continue to cook until the orzo is the desired consistency. Taste and season more if needed.

7. Stir in most of the chopped walnuts, most of the parsley and all the cheese and lemon juice and mix to combine. 

8. Serve in bowls topped with the remaining walnuts and parsley.