Mushroom and Spinach Risotto (Wheat free Vegan)

Today I have made a mushroom and spinach risotto, I make this a lot and looking back I don't think I have shared my recipe before.  I did share a kale and mushroom version from a magazine once but it was not as good as my version I felt. 

 

I also opted to pick two of my yellow courgettes today as according to a few gardening blog they were at the perfect size.  if they get too big they may lose their sweetness.  As I was already tied to a frying pan making the risotto I decided to chop the courgettes into chunk and roast them. I'm glad I did as they were really nice done this way.  Along with that I also did some crispy tofu in a pan then into the oven.

I always really enjoy this so I will share what I do below but it is not exact measurements as I just pop things in as I go and it works as it always comes out well.  The amount I make serves four if served with an accompaniment. 

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

3 handfuls of white & wild rice ( that is how I do it, or just add your usual rice for however many)

1 red onion

3 handfuls of spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 punnet chestnut mushrooms

1 veg stock cube

2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons vegan cheese sauce powder

quarter cup of soya milk

tsp basil

salt and pepper

A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

olive oil

water

This is my own recipe, that is why it is a bit random but worth a try because it does taste good.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, let it cook on a low heat until it is a little transparent.

Chop the onion and add to the pan, when the onion is starting to cook add a little water just enough to cover the rice and onion.

Let that cook down a little then add the garlic, keep adding more water as it cooks off, next add the stock cube by sprinkling it in, alternatively you could add to water first.

chop and add the mushroom, season and add basil.

Add the chopped or shredded spinach.

Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast, keep adding a little water as it cooks down.

Add the soya milk and sprinkle in the  vegan cheese sauce powder keep stirring now until it starts to cook down and catch a little.  You can add a little lemon juice as a kick but it is good without too.

 Hope that makes sense, I do it all the time with no measurements so don't be too pure about it, you may add something extra to your taste. ( Oh I forgot to mention there is an extra bit of the courgette in mine today too)

Here is one of the courgettes prior to picking, and it did taste just right.

Floral Jersey Dress

Well I was up and sewing straight away today to get my dress finished.  We have been out for lunch today, not something we would usually do on a Sunday as I always cook so a nice treat.  I wanted to get the dress finished so that I could wear it.  As a bonus when I had finished it I noticed that it goes perfectly with a belt that came with a £1 charity shop skirt from a while ago.  At the time I thought I wouldn't wear the belt but put it in the cupboard anyway, it just goes to show, minimalism has it's flaws because had I been ruthless with my decluttering the belt would have gone immediately.

You can't see in the photo but the belt has purple stones to the front of it, or aubergine?

It was another pattern free dress I just used an existing dress that I had made before, I added pleats instead of gathers and a little pleat at the shoulder also.

We did take a few shots outside but it was too bright, this was the clearest one.  I swear it is either too dark or too bright, a better camera needed perhaps? Maybe I will just push on with the one I've got, it does what it needs too really. I have a reasonably sized piece of this fabric left so I may make more of the Boudoir Shorts from the other day, now that I have tweaked the sizing a little for me. 

 The meal we went for was an Italian called Casa Mia in Sheffield and very nice too.  They do a separate vegan menu and cater for gluten free so if you are ever in Sheffield that is one to try.

The rest of the day the weather has been lovely so some reading in the garden, I have just started this...

So far so good I like the style and it is easy to read, I felt like I needed something easy going for now.  I started The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer but I have put that down it was just off to a depressing start, I know I should tell by the title but it was an impulse grab at the library. This current book appears more light hearted.   

My ironing has been completed while watching TED talks and listening to music, this time slot and habit is one  I have stuck to  and no longer feels a chore, there may also have been a glass of wine involved.  One of the TED Talks I watched was by Shawn Achor and can be see here  it is worth a look, he talks really fast but he is funny so stick with it.

Fabric Shopping

Yesterday while I was out doing the food shopping I decided to visit a craft shop I had heard of near me.  The reason I haven't been before is that I thought it was mainly for classes as the website advertises these and only shows a few bolts of fabric.  I went in mainly to get some trim for the shorts I was making but I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of fabrics, the website doesn't do it justice.  So I was in there rather longer than I intended and I came out with two pieces of fabric, lace, elastic and some interfacing, oh and a loyalty card. The fabrics are mainly craft cottons which I don't mind as I like to make clothes with those, they had just a small selection of other dress fabrics and I spotted some lovely jersey there.

The colourful one on top is the jersey, some craft cotton under that and then when I arrived back from the shops my Minerva crafts fabric had arrived, that is the one in the bag underneath.  I will share on the Minerva fabric another time as that is going to be a post for them.  Getting back to the jersey, that is going to be a dress of course and it is cut out ready at the moment.

Nice simple shape, scoop neck, short sleeves and pleats.  There will not be time for finished photos today but I want to wear it tomorrow as we are out for lunch so I will post more on that then.

I love the colours in this fabric it is so bright, when I first started sewing I always used to go to a stall at the market to buy fabric.  Whenever they had new bright prints in and I used to choose them the lady stall holder used to say 'I knew you would buy that one'.  Maybe I haven't changed much, I am trying to add some solids to my wardrobe so I can mix and match more but these prints just jump out at me.

We were out most of the day and I also had a look in the charity shops to see if there any vintage patterns or any patterns going.  I would quite like to join in some of the vintage make groups that people start.  If anyone has any ideas where these can be obtained at a reasonable price let me know.
(I do mean actual vintage patterns not the reproduction ones that cost an arm and a leg!)