Cook's Corner Your fortnightly recipe to tantalise your taste buds

PEANUT AND BEANSPROUT RISOTTO (MICROWAVE)

225g (8oz) long grain rice, cooked
1 large onion, sliced
1 green pepper cut into strips
1 small green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
100g (4oz) button mushrooms, sliced
4eggs, hard- boiled
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
50g (2oz) peanuts
175g (6oz) beansprouts
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Put the onion, pepper and chilli (if used) in a 2 litre microwaveable dish. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on 100% /full power, stirring once.
Add the rice and mushrooms, cover and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring once.
Chop three of the hard-boiled eggs and cut the remaining one into quarters for garnishing. Add the chopped eggs, tamari sauce, peanuts and beansprouts and heat, uncovered, for a further 3 minutes, stirring once.
Stir in 2 tbsp of chopped coriander or parsley, then garnish the risotto with the remaining egg and a few coriander or parsley leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

APRICOT CLAFOUTIS

15g(1/2oz ) butter, melted
450g (1 lb) fresh apricots, halved and stoned
2 eggs
50g (2oz) caster sugar
½ tsp almond essence
50g (2oz) self-raising flour
25g (1oz) ground almonds
175ml (6floz) milk
15g (1/2oz) flaked almonds
2 tbsp icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180 c (350 f)/ gas mark 4)

Grease a 1.2 litre (2 pint) shallow ovenproof dish with the melted butter and set to one side. Place the apricots in the prepared dish with the cut face down.
Using an electric (or hand) whisk beat the eggs, sugar and almond essence for 3 minutes until pale and fairly stiff. Whisk in the flour and ground almonds and then the milk, to make a thick batter. Pour over the apricots and sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for 40 minutes in the centre of the oven, until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar and serve with Greek yogurt.

Clafoutis is quite a solid batter pudding - do not expect a light sponge! The apricot skins may be removed by blanching in boiling water.

It is estimated that millions of trees in the world are accidentally
planted by squirrels that bury nuts and then forget where they hid them!