A rainy Sunday calls for comfort food - and bearing in mind my house is upside down at the moment, it needed to be easy. This recipe from Good Food fitted the bill. No need for standing by the stove and stirring - this is a bung it in the oven risotto - perfect and so tasty.

OVEN BAKED RISOTTO
By Beth Sachs, 26th July 2009

Ingredients:

• 250g pack smoked bacon , chopped into small pieces
• 1 onion , chopped
• 25g butter
• 300g risotto rice
• half a glass of white wine (optional)
• 150g peas,
• 700ml hot chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
• 50g parmesan, grated

Instructions:

• Step 1: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Step 2: Fry the bacon pieces in an ovenproof casserole for 3-5 mins until golden and crisp. Stir in the onion and butter and cook for 3-4 mins until soft. Tip in the rice and mix well until coated. Pour over the wine if using and cook for 2 mins until absorbed. 
• Step 3: Add the hot stock and peas, then give the rice a quick stir. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and bake for 20 mins until just cooked. Stir through most of the parmesan and serve sprinkled with the remainder.

I'm knee deep in plasterboard this weekend so no time for cooking I'm afraid (I have to keep thinking all this mess will be worth it in the end!). This was a curry I rustled up last week and it was taken from the latest issue of Good Food Magazine (with a few tweaks). Very nice it was too and a good way to use up an opened jar of peanut butter.

Ingredients:
1 Red Chili, chopped finely
Thumb size piece of Ginger, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
Coriander stalks, chopped - reserving leaves for garnish
1 TBSP Thai Red Curry Paste
5 TBSP Peanut Butter
4 Chicken Breasts, chopped
150ml Chicken Stock
200ml Natural Yogurt

Method:
Step 1: Fry chili, ginger, garlic, coriander stalks and thai red curry paste for a few minutes in large pan
Step 2: Add chicken and fry until browned
Step 3: Add peanut butter, stock and yogurt and simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken cooked through
Step 4: Serve with rice

I went into my new Waitrose store yesterday and picked up some fantastic bargains - I think I will be shopping there every Tuesday! Not only the cooked pesto chicken and gorgeous smoked ham for this recipe, but also 200g blueberries for 65p and 150g Blackcurrants for 80p - A Summer Berry Loaf to come I think!!

On to this recipe, well it's not really a recipe, I just made it up as I went along, and it was fantastic. Hubby's Brother strategically called around just as I was serving up, so he stayed for a nibble too -and loved it. We also used some fresh garden peas from the allotment.

Ingredients:
400g Pasta
350g Cooked Pesto Chicken fillets, chopped
150g Smoked Ham, chopped
150g Fresh Peas - from the allotment!!!
50g Butter
Small red onion, chopped
50g Flour
600ml Milk
150g Cheddar
Handful of Parmesan

Method:
Step 1: Cook pasta according to packet and add peas for last minute of cooking, drain and reserve
Step 2: Meanwhile, melt butter and fry onion until soft, add flour and stir for 1 minute, then gradually add milk. Bring to the boil to thicken then take off heat and add cheese, chicken, ham, peas and pasta
Step 3: Tip into oven proof dish , sprinkle with Parmesan and grill for 5 minutes