Recipe: Goat’s Cheese and California Prune Risotto

Looking for a tasty mid-winter meal that’s good for your bones? This delicious risotto has been developed by registered dietitian, professional nutritionist and California Prunes Ambassador Jo Travers BSc RD MBDA. Goat’s cheese is a great source of calcium and protein, while California Prunes and Risotto rice contain manganese, all of which are important for bone health. This recipe serves four, so why not enjoy it with friends this weekend?

Ingredients

• 4tsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 100g California Prunes, chopped into four to six pieces
• Half an onion, finely chopped
• 300g Risotto rice
• 150g Goat’s cheese
• 5l vegetable stock, kept simmering in a saucepan
  
  

Method

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, fry the onion gently in the oil until it’s soft but not browned. Add the Risotto rice and stir to coat it with oil until it glistens.
2. Add a ladleful of stock and stir until the rice has absorbed it, then add another ladleful and stir that until it has been absorbed. Repeat until all the stock is used up. Test the rice to see if it’s cooked all the way through. It should be tender with a small amount of bite, but not mushy. If it’s still a little hard, add another ladleful of water and continue cooking and check again.
3. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and crumble in half of the Goat’s cheese, a good grinding of pepper and most of the thyme, keeping some aside for garnishing. Stir until the Goat’s cheese has melted and is well combined.
4. Divide the risotto into four bowls and top with the remaining Goat’s cheese, the diced California Prunes and the remaining thyme. Serve with a crisp, green salad.

Find more recipes that can help maintain healthy bones on the California Prunes' website now.