Chicken and zucchini risotto

Name: Chicken and zucchini risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 oz pancetta (diced); 4 small skinless boneless chicken breasts (cut into small cubes); 2 leeks (trimmed and sliced); 2 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 zucchini (halved lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shapes); 1 1/2 cups risotto rice; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 3 3/4 cups diluted salt-reduced or homemade chicken stock (hot); 1 1/4 cups frozen peas

Best Health

The salty tang of pancetta creates a flavourful base for this risotto, offsetting the milder flavours of chicken and zucchini. This dish is a great way to make the most of a bountiful crop of summer zucchini.

Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time
4servings	15minutes	30minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4servings	15minutes

Cook Time

30minutes

Course Dinner
Cuisine Grains, Poultry, Vegetables

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz pancetta diced
4 small skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 zucchini halved lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shapes
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 3/4 cups diluted salt-reduced or homemade chicken stock hot
1 1/4 cups frozen peas

Servings: servings

Units:

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz pancetta diced
4 small skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 zucchini halved lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shapes
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 3/4 cups diluted salt-reduced or homemade chicken stock hot
1 1/4 cups frozen peas

Servings: servings

Units:

Course Dinner
Cuisine Grains, Poultry, Vegetables

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and stir for 2 minutes until it is sizzling and starting to colour.
Add the chicken pieces and stir around for 2 minutes. Stir in the leeks, garlic and zucchini and fry, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until they soften.
Stir in the rice, then pour in the wine. Increase the heat and simmer, stirring until almost all the wine has evaporated.
Reduce the heat to medium and start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently, making sure each is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, and stirring frequently to produce a creamy texture.
When there are just two ladles of stock left, stir in the peas. Continue adding the stock, stirring until the risotto is moist and creamy.

Recipe Notes

Cook's tips: Some companies are now producing packaged biryani spice mixes, which you can use instead of the spices in this recipe.' A good accompaniment to the biryani is a simple tomato salad. Chop 2 tomatoes and a few sprigs of cilantro and mix together.

Variation: Sliced green beans or snow peas would be good as alternatives to peas.

Each serving: 70 g protein, 28 g fat of which 6.5 g saturates, 67 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 665 Calories

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