Maja Tsolo PhotographyCooking
If you don’t know me personally and you’ve been checking my blog hoping to find cooking tips and recipes – sorry, you’re on the wrong blog. Cooking and me only get together when it’s necessary to feed my troops and I’ll just admit that I’m generally very blaze about food. I like good food, sure, and I’m definitely not a picky eater, I’ll try most things and dislike very few foods. But I’ll often skip a meal if I’m too busy or stick with a sandwich because it’s the quickest thing to make (if I’m only looking to feed myself that is). I’m much better now that I have kids as I’m not cooking only for myself anymore, when it was just me, I just couldn’t be bothered, I was easily able to live off some fruit, salads and a quick pasta dish here and there.
Thankfully I married an amazing guy who can cook really well and will do so whenever it becomes clear that the only thing I’m serving up is a dry ham and cheese sandwich. Seriously, when we got married and moved in together I was pretty much only able to cook pasta, plain rice and boil an egg. Yes, he knew that before he married me.
But I am a quick learner, always was. And I knew that when I’d have to feed others, I’d learn how to cook. And I did. Mind you, my repertoire is not huge or very exotic but I’m slowly adding to it. I have a stack of cook books and only ever use the ones that show you the process picture by picture (are you laughing yet?) but in the past years I’ve come across a recipe or two that was so easy and yummy that I included it into my regulars. One of these is my sun dried tomato risotto with pecorino cheese and prawns. Whoever’s been invited to ours for lunch or dinner is sure to have tasted it. And this is what me and my miss cooked a few days back. It was the first time I let her get up on the chair and watch me cook. She was so good at listening and stayed clear of the stove. I gave her her own little bowl and a wooden spoon and she helped herself to some of my ingredients which she then happily mixed and poured in and out while I cooked. I had to document our first time cooking together and who knows – it could become our thing and make me spend more time in the kitchen. The photos are so-so but it was a bit of a health hazard leaving little miss alone near the stove and from where I stood my camera wasn’t focusing too well. Nevermind.
P.S.: We had a fruit snack before cooking – now that is something I can “cook” every day!
Maja Tsolo Photography 
Woow, looks good!!!! Recept, prosim! 😉
Sem napisala spodaj!
Sorry guys, of course I should’ve added the recipe. For about 4 portions you will need: 1 onion, a bunch of parsley, risotto rice (I use Gallo organic Arborio rice), about 150g pecorino cheese, about 150g ready to eat king prawns, about 150g dried sun dried tomatoes.
Before I start cooking, I dice the onion, grate the pecorino cheese, chop up the parsley, soak sundried tomatoes in boiled water for 30min and then chop them up.
In a large pan, I add a tbsp of oil and fry the onion until translucent. I add the rice (about 300g), stir a bit and then pour over some water. After a few minutes of cooking, I add the sundried tomatoes and then keep cooking until the rice is tender (adding water whenever necessary). Just before it’s done, I mix in the prawns, so that they get heated through. After turning off the flame, I mix in the grated pecorino cheese and the parsley.
As I don’t add any salt or other spices, the flavour mostly comes from pecorino cheese. So it depends how strong the cheese is, I buy it from the deli, so it varies and I find the risotto nicer when I happen to get stronger, saltier cheese. I suppose you could put some salt in if you find the risotto too bland even after you’ve added the cheese.
Easy peasy and very yummy! Let me know if you’ve tried to make it yourself!
I heartily agree with everything you wrote. All my life I had to cook and now that I am alone I cook if I feel like it. A sandwich or a salad is a perfect dinner. An apple can be a meal in itself, right Maja? You are creating beautiful memories with your daughter. The food looks good, too. Dober tek!
Ahhh Vera, I knew I got this from someone in the family! As your “I’ll cook if I feel like it” genes clearly skipped a generation (thinking of Ken), I must be carrying some of these. 🙂 And an apple can definitely be a meal!