Rice recipes: The perfect dishes for autumn evenings are right here

If you love rice but want to have something a bit different, why not try out these recipes that use the staple ingredient in delicious ways?

The nights are getting colder and the days shorter.

But autumn also gives us the excuse to enjoy heartwarming comfort food, dishes that give you a big, warm hug from the inside out.

These two rice-based recipes are lovely and colourful – a little ray of sunshine on your plate – but will also make you excited that it’s autumn.

Spanish rice

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150g pancetta, or use streaky bacon or chorizo
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 large or six small tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp smoked, sweet paprika
• 300g paella or risotto rice
• 600ml stock
• Large handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 400g tin chickpeas
• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Heat a little olive oil in an oven-proof casserole or frying pan and add the pancetta. Fry until golden then add the chopped vegetables and garlic and cook until softened.
3. Add the tomatoes, paprika, rice and seasoning and stir together.
4. Add the stock and parsley and stir again.
5. If using a frying pan, transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
6. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and shake them over the rice mixture. Cover the baking dish with foil or put the lid on the casserole and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Check carefully to see if the rice is cooked and put the dish back in for a further 10 minutes if not, as different brands of rice have different cooking times.
8. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from www.lovecelery.co.uk

Beetroot risotto with cream cheese

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g cooked beetroot, chopped
• Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 250g risotto rice
• 125ml white wine
• 900ml chicken stock
• 110g Parmesan, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cream cheese

Method

1. Put the butter and olive oil into a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat until the butter has melted.
2. Add red onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion has softened but not coloured.
3. Now add the chopped beetroot and thyme leaves to the pan and stir to combine.
4. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat and allow the colour of the beetroot to spread throughout the ingredients.
5. Continue stirring for another 2 minutes until the rice begins to look translucent.
6. Pour the white wine into the pan and allow to bubble while stirring continuously.
7. Add a ladleful of chicken stock and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Continue adding the chicken stock bit by bit, allowing the liquid to absorb each time while stirring constantly.
9. Cook the rice until the grains are tender but still have a little bite. It will take at least 20 minutes.
10. Season well with salt and pepper to your taste.
11. Once the rice is cooked, grate in the Parmesan and stir through to create a creamy consistency.
12. Serve immediately topped with small dollops of cream cheese.

Recipe from www.lovebeetroot.co.uk