Marks & Spencer Roasted Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Seed Risotto

Well KM’s found another delicious treat for herself. Thing is, it’s a job finding this little meal in M&S and many a time has she been disappointed. Today, though, there were *two* in the fridge. Shock horror I didn’t have to fight for the last one!

* What is it? *

It’s from the vegetarian range in Marks and Spencer and can be found in the refrigerated section along with all the other veggie options. It’s a fairly small roundish shape and has a purple colour cover with NEW written in a green bubble at the top left hand side.

* What do you do with it? *

Simply slide off the cover – inside the risotto nestles in a white plastic dish. The product can be microwaved:

5 min Cat B 650W
4 min Cat D 750W
3 and a half min Cat E 850W

Remove the sleeve, pierce the film and cook on high. Half way through cooking time peel back the lid and give it a stir.

I always cook mine in the oven which ensures it’s heated all the way through and as it only takes 18 mins on GM5 (190C, fan 165C or 375F), it’s not too long to wait. Once it’s ready remember to give it a stir through, whichever way you decide to cook it.

* Smell *

A slight smell of garlic but overall very wholesome – like home cooked soup!

* Look *

The butternut squash is a bright peach colour, to complement that the green of the spring onions shows through underneath and there’s ample portions of both. However the mushrooms have turned the arborio rice a grey colour and without the colourful vegetables this could look very bland. The butternut squash is crunchy to the taste and roughly diced. There are also white onions in there and the pumpkin seeds which are flat and brown. The mushrooms are cut very finely.

* Taste *

Oh it’s really quite delicious! The rice is in a white wine sauce and is creamy yet with the hint of garlic and onion it’s also got a kick to it. The creamy, softer ingredients are a good contrast to the denser squash and pumpkin seeds, which are both crunchy and rougher. To finish off there are some herbs sprinkled in to give it some extra flavour – parsley, basil and thyme. I couldn’t actually taste these but they are visible in the leftover sauce!

* Nutritional info *

This is a 335g box. It’s 370 calories and 13.4g fat. Salt is 2.3

* Contains *

Cow’s milk

* Further info *

Marks and Spencer plc
PO Box 3339
Chester
CH99 9QS

www.marksandspencer.com

* Overall *

The only negative with this is that it’s not suitable for freezing. However as I usually eat mine within a day or so of buying it, this isn’t really a problem! Also, I’ve searched at least four Marks and Spencers and this product isn’t that easy to find, they just don’t seem to stock many at a time! The price again isn’t cheap – it’s £2.99 but when I think how much a restaurant in London would charge for a risotto, well that puts it in perspective.

I do recommend this but will take a star off for the price. It’s a treat for now and again and perhaps a light lunch or evening snack – but definitely not a main meal (for the Mack, at least!).

I love this so much I’ve eaten about five of these before I could even think about writing a review! I’ve been so greedy I’ve been quite unladylike and just scoffed them. So this has been my first time of savouring it, thinking about what I’m eating and really enjoying the taste!

Thanks for reading.