Easy Baked Bacon & Green Bean Risotto

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the brown onion and the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, 1/2 of the butter and the Arborio rice and stir to coat the rice. Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Slowly pour in the stock liquid and bring to the boil for 2 minutes. Transfer the risotto to a medium making dish. TIP: If your frying pan is oven-proof, keep it in the pan!

Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir through the green beans. TIP: If the rice is a bit gluggy, add a splash of hot water and stir through. Cover and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, or until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is ‘al dente’. Once cooked, stir through the remaining butter and the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.

While the risotto is cooking, finely slice the cucumber, cut the Roma tomato into 1 cm pieces, and finely chop the parsley leaves.

In a large bowl, combine a drizzle of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the Dijon mustard and the brown sugar (if using). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Add the mixed salad leaves, the cucumber and the tomato and toss to coat. TIP: Dress the salad just before serving to avoid soggy leaves.