I went shopping this afternoon knowing that I wanted to make a prawn risotto but without having looked up a recipe. So I put on my recipe inventing hat and chucked in the trolley whatever seemed like a good idea at the time. I reckon it turned out ok.

2 tbspn olive oil
500g garlic prawns (I got the De Costi ones)
2 onions, diced
50g butter
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (nicked from the bottle my dad brought to have with the meal)
1 L chicken stock (made with salt reduced Massel cubes)
400g can diced tomatoes with oregano and basil
1 bunch English spinach, coarsely shredded
freshly ground black pepper
2 tspn lemon juice

1. Heat the stock and wine in a saucepan and keep it at a low simmer.
2. In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil and cook the prawns until just changed in colour, remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add onions and butter to pan and cook until transparent. Stir in the rice until well coated.
4. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly over a medium heat, each time waiting until all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. About half-way through add the tin of diced tomatoes and season with pepper. Once all the stock has been added taste test the rice, if it’s still a little on the firm side add hot water in small amounts and continue stirring until the rice is cooked through.
5. Add the spinach and, once the spinach has wilted, add the cooked prawns and lemon juice and stir until heated through.

Of course, the kids thought I was poisoning them. Tom picked out the prawns and ate them and then tried to eat the rice without consuming any vegetables, David took 2 bites and announced he wasn’t hungry and Caitlin ate, hmmm, let’s see, maybe 3 grains of rice? Dad and I both had seconds and Clara thought all her Christmases had come at once when the kids gave her their left-overs.