Sweetcorn and Veggie Hot Dog Risotto

This is an alternative to my Creamy Mushroom Risotto recipe and is designed to fit in with Robbie's low FODMAPS and Harry's general fussiness about vegetables.

Quorn Hot Dogs are the only veggie sausages I have found to date which appear to be FODMAPs friendly - i.e. no onion or garlic in the ingredients list. If they do contain either of these, the amount is so low as to avoid a reaction for Robbie.

The end result is creamy and there is rarely any left at the end of the meal. As with the Mushroom recipe, we will often make a variation on this based upon whatever vegetables are left in the fridge. It can be a challenge to make robust flavours without using onion and garlic. One alternative is to make 'stock' out of Marmite and hot water, depending of course on the other ingredients.

Family Verdict:

Robbie: 'Good. It was thick and the sausages were perfectly cooked.'(!)
Harry: 'Really delicious. I really, really liked it.'

FEEDS: 2 people, allowing for seconds!

Time needed: 5-10 minutes preparation plus around 15- 20 minutes to cook

INGREDIENTS

100-150g arborio rice
4 frozen Quorn hotdogs

250g frozen sweetcorn (approximately)

1tbs garlic infused olive oil

1/2tsp dried dill (optional)

400ml 'stock' made from low FODMAP friendly pesto (approximately) plus addtional boiling water if required

100ml lactose free milk (approximately). Lactose free cow's milk works best in terms of flavour.

Grated cheddar to taste (I tend to use maybe 75g. The boys both like cheese a lot)

Chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

Toasted mixed seeds (optional)

Freshly ground salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Defrost the hot dogs in the microwave and slice them. Make the pesto 'stock' by mixing a large tablespoon of a low FODMAP pesto with boiling water. (Scala dairy free pesto works for us as Robbie is fine with cashew nuts).
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or a saucepan. Add the sweetcorn and dill and cook over a low heat until the sweetcorn starts to soften. Add the sliced hot dog and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on the pan to make sure that nothing burns.
3. Add the arborio rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the rice begins to turn transparent.
4. Add approximately 1/4 of the pesto 'stock'. The first time you add any liquid to the rice there will probably be some impressive hissing and steaming. Stir everything together to ensure that the liquid is evenly distributed.
5. The plan now is to let the rice mixture absorb almost all of the added liquid before you add any more, but without letting everything get too dry or sticking. The rice will gradually soften while it absorbs the flavours from the pesto and the sweetcorn. Stir fairly frequently to ensure even cooking and to check whether you need to add more liquid.
6. Continue to add more pesto 'stock' each time the liquid has nearly disappeared. If you run out of before the rice is nearly ready then you can use boiling water instead. Taste frequently and adjust the seasoning as required but with quite a light hand at this stage. Use the intervals between adding liquid and stirring to prepare the salad or accompanying vegetables.
7. When you think you are probably about to add liquid for the last time (i.e. when the rice is almost cooked) add the lactose free milk rather than more stock/water. Stir this in, allow everything to cook for another minute or two then turn off the heat. The rice will continue to cook for a while in the residual heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Taste the dish again and adjust the seasoning if required.
8. Serve topped with toasted seeds and/or chopped parsley, accompanied by either mixed salad or vegetables.