Do you remember your first-ever cooking experience?

Memories of cooking are not all pleasant and encouraging. If not triumphant, did it turn out to be an utter disaster because food got burnt and stuck to the surface of your cooking pans?

Quality pans are especially crucial for novice cooks; you don’t want to be scarred (mentally and literally) so bad that you will shun the kitchen and shirk the duty of cooking completely.

I speak with experience, because I was once scalded badly due to a pot handle that broke while I was carrying the pot of boiling water across the kitchen. Lesson learnt: always check if the handles are wearing out, once they do, it’s time to get new pots. Get good quality utensils with higher durability.

Tefal is one of the quality brands that I trust.

Also, health concerns are reassured with Tefal’s safe non-stick coating, recognised by public health agencies in Europe and the United States. The non-stick coating is made from an inert material that does not chemically react with food, water or household cleaning product.

With the top quality Tefal Intensium non-stick Resistal Sauté Pan with Lid, I attempted my version of Brown Rice Mushroom Risotto, inspired from several risotto recipes that I gathered online.

Using fresh ingredients is key to healthy cooking.

I am still in the fledging stage of planting herbs in my garden, but that is one desire I am hoping to fulfil. Tips are most welcome!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Naturel Organic Brown Rice
- Portebello Mushrooms
- Buna-shimeji Mushrooms
- Garlic, finely chopped
- Onions, sliced into rings
- Carrots, chopped into small pieces
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
- ½ cup Chicken broth (or Vegetable stock)
- Hot water
- 2 tablespoons of cream (or more if you like it richer)
- White wine (optional)
- Truffle oil (optional)
- Fresh dill
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Salt and pepper for seasoning

Brown rice before cooking

Preparing the brown rice: Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil, add ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir in rice, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. You want your rice to still be underdone, for a second round of cooking later. Drain and set aside.

Preparation of mushroom: Wash and slice into desired thickness.

Thick enough so it remains juicy, but thin enough so it doesn’t steal the show and overwhelm the dish.

Peel and chop garlic. I love the aroma of garlic, so I used one entire clove here.

Butter helps make the risotto creamier and more flavourful, but you can leave this out and fry the ingredients in just olive oil.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes:

Heat Tefal non-stick pan till the Thermo-Spot pattern in the middle turns solid red.

The Thermo-Spot pad turns solid red at 180°C, where the optimal temperature for cooking is reached. According to nutritionists, the pan should not be above 230°C, or else food will start breaking down into undesirable molecules.

Thanks to the red spot, we won’t overheat our pans anymore.

Step 1: Add some olive oil to heated pan.
Step 2: Turn the heat to medium and add sliced onions and let it caramelise a little (Onions should always go before the garlic as garlic burns faster)
Step 3: Add garlic (save ¼ for later) and keep stirring. (I’m using Tefal Wood Spatula. Metal spatulas and spoons can scratch and ruin the surface of your pan)
Step 4: Add some butter and sauté mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and lastly asparagus. (Butter and mushroom make a perfect combination)
Step 5: Add a bit of chicken broth (you need more for later, so don’t use all of it!), cover with lid and let it simmer for a while, till the mushrooms have absorbed the liquids.
Step 5: Remove from wok and set aside. (It is actually ready to be eaten! Smells heavenly.)

Double the ingredients and it can be served as a dish on its own!

Cooking the brown rice risotto:

Step 1: Add some olive oil to Tefal’s non-stick pan once heated.
Step 2: Turn the heat to medium and add garlic. Stir-fry briefly till aromatic but not burnt.
Step 3: Add brown rice that you’ve prepared earlier. Stir constantly and do not let the rice brown.

Step 4: Add in the Sautéed Mushrooms with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes prepared earlier on. I added more butter at this stage so the rice is well coated with flavour.

The ergonomic-assured handle has a silicon insert that provides a firm grip –it isn’t too hot to handle too.

The Tefal non-stick pan is also good for Fried Rice. I was so tempted to eat it straight from the wok at that moment. Have to stay focus. We want Risotto.

Step 5: Add ½ cup of chicken broth. I used Heinz Chicken Broth for convenience, but alternatively you can boil chicken/bones from scratch… Let the rice absorb all that flavourful broth.

Step 6: Add 2 tablespoons of cream.

Step 7: Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh dill.
Step 8: Season with salt and pepper.
Step 9: Continue stirring until you’ve reached the desired consistency.

For the final plating, grate a little Parmesan cheese over the risotto.

Though highly nutritious, many of us have an intense aversion to brown rice. With the addition of aromatics and a comforting creamy texture, brown rice is made palatable and I am now a convert.

If you noticed, this recipe doesn’t include exact measurements. It is difficult to be precise about the amount of seasoning as taste is subjective. Cooking times are estimates. I think it is important to cook with intuition, and always taste. Do try the recipe and let me know what you think!

Tefal’s non-stick cookware gave me more confidence in cooking, and ever since I’ve gotten the cookware, I’ve been cooking almost everyday! From someone who doesn’t cook, I am now slightly more proficient at putting together a simple meal on my own.

It is easy to clean as well; any remnants or residue will just slide off the wok easily.

For more information about Tefal cookware, check out their website: http://www.tefal.com/Homepage.htm