Veggie Risotto (with bacon)

Don't panic now but... risotto.  What if I could tell you that I can make risotto in about 20 minutes, with little to no effort and with my 25 minutes to relax at the same time.  Doesn't sound like risotto does it?  I am more than slightly fed up of reading that risotto is a 'special occasion food' or 'takes a long time to make' or even worse 'needs patience'.  Risotto is easy, it is quick, tasty and nutritious, look at it, don't you want to eat it?

So, it's so easy to make that it won't take me long to get you started.  First you need to assemble some ingredients.  75g of risotto rice per person, a stick of celery or two, an onion per person, bacon lardons (or bits of bacon), a pint of stock (chicken, veg, whatever suits) and any more vegetables and/or meat that you'd like to include.  I have made it here with peas and leeks, but I normally add some chicken too. Before you start preheat the oven to 200 deg C and put a large oven proof dish in there to warm up.

For the basic risotto pan sautee the onion, celery and any other veg you're adding (except anything frozen or quick cook like peas) in a little oil and butter.  Then add the bacon and cook that through.  Stir in the rice until all of the rice grains are covered in butter and everything is nicely combined. Now pour in the stock and stir for a couple of minutes till it has reduced a little.  Hopefully by now your oven should be hot, so carefully take your dish out and pour the contents of the pan in to the dish (be careful!  It will spit and hiss and fuss at you), don't cover it and put it back in the oven.  Now leave it for 20 minutes - no stirring, no messing.  Go do whatever you need to do, or if you haven't already prepare anything else you want to put it.  I normally use left over chicken or ham so it's already cooked, but if you need to cook it now is the time.  After 20 minutes take i out of the oven add any frozen veg (peas, beans, sweetcorn, anything you fancy and the meat.  Put it back in the oven till it is of the consistency you desire - this varies from person to person, but I find it takes about 7 minutes.  

Once time is up, take it out of the oven, season with black pepper and parmesan (or hard cheese of your choice) and sereve immedicately.  This is a happy meal in it's self, but it's also lovely with salad, bread or more veg if you desire.  It's quick, easy and tasty - and it doesn't need any patience or much stirring at all!