Christmas on a Budget – 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further

Christmas on a Budget – 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further

Christmas time can be a tough time for people on a limited budget, there are presents to buy and a Christmas feast to be had! Whether you are hosting a meal at your home or taking a plate to family or a friend’s house, Christmas on a Budget will help your dollar go a little further this Christmas.

Here are 3 Top Tips to make your meals go further:

One rule that I have which I stick to that keeps the costs down at the Christmas table is to have smaller amounts of the specialty items, and add to the table a selection of wonderful salads, sides and vegetable dishes.
Accompany your roasts with spiced baked fruits, summer vegetable salads and introduce some grains like couscous, cracked wheat, barley and into your salads to add a substantial element. You can spark up your salads and vegetables with nuts, fresh herbs, dressings, cheeses, and freshly baked garlic tossed croutons for a crunch.
Savoury tarts, quiches, and savoury slices are great and inexpensive and can be teamed up with just about any ingredient, homemade relishes, chutneys and sauces are a great way to use up some of the bargain fruit and vegetables you find at the markets and you can double them up as Christmas gifts.

Go to Christmas meals on a budget for more hints on getting the most out of your Christmas roasts, Backyard Christmas BBQ, and Succulent Summer Seafood.

If you would like a little recipe inspiration, then you will love my Free Ebook . Perfect for festive new year cooking. It is free when you subscribe.

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Impossible Conversations – Dominique Rizzo in conversation with Saint Agatha

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DOMINIQUE RIZZO IN CONVERSATION WITH SAINT AGATHA (courtesy of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre)

231-251AD

Saint Agatha

Saint Agatha is said to have been martyred in 251AD in Catania in Sicily at the age of fifteen. Her torture is recorded in detail in the earliest martyrology.

She would ask Dominique Rizzo what made her sad.

Dominique Rizzo

Dominique Rizzo has worked as a chef and restaurateur, at Mondo Organics in West End and now in her own Putia Pure Food Kitchen in Banyo on Brisbane’s northside. Born in 1972, Dominique travelled to Italy with her father Vincenzo who was born in Sicily where St Agatha is patron saint.

Dominique would ask Saint Agatha how she endured.

DR: Dear Saint Agatha.

SA: I am. Lord Jesus Christ, you created me, you watched over me from infancy, kept my body from defilement, preserved me from love of the world.

DR: I can’t imagine the courage it took, and the strength of your faith. When my father first took us back to Sicily, I saw how the community honours the saints. I try to picture myself in your shoes. I couldn’t do what you did.

SA: I’m not sure I understood, Dominique. Jesus Christ, Lord of all things, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am – you alone. I am your sheep. Make me worthy to overcome the Devil.

DR: Quintianus arrested you because you wouldn’t renounce your promise to God and consent to sin with him. St Agatha, you were a child.

SA: We are all children, Dominique. He arrested me for my faith in Jesus Christ. He arrested me because I would not renounce my vow. They used tongs and then knives. If you threaten me with wild beasts, know that at the Name of Christ they grow tame; if you use fire, from heaven angels will drop healing dew on me.

DR: *sobs* They cut off your breasts.

SA: Just as wheat cannot arrive at the granary before it is cleansed from the chaff, so my soul cannot enter into Paradise if my body, beforehand, is not humbled by tortures. Yes, they did. Also fire and shards.

DR: To me, you are the essence of a young woman of strength believing in yourself and God.

SA: *smiles, beatific* Saint Peter came to my cell and healed me. I am the patron saint of bell-founding.

DR: But also of women who have breast cancer and of rape and violence against women. Given what’s going on in our world today… When I go into churches, I cry, Saint Agatha.

SA: I said to my torturer, on the last day, your words be but wind, your promises be but rain, and your menaces be as rivers that pass.

DR: I was in Sicily for your feast day, and the bakers made minni di virgini in your honour, little rounded cakes filled with ricotta, coated with marzipan, a cherry on top.

SA: Cakes! I love cakes. I’m the patron saint of bakers too, Dominique, and you aspire to pure food so we’re sisters as well as children of God. And also earthquakes and volcanoes because the Lord unleashed them to punish my tormentors who will burn and suffer in Hell for all eternity. All eternity. *smiles, beatific*

DR: You are a martyr.
SA: I am a girl who died at fifteen.

DR: Exactly. I am in awe of you, Saint Agatha.
SA: Blessings, sister.

Dominique has been travelling to and from Sicily since she was a little girl and now she shares her intimate knowledge of Sicilian food and culture with you on her food, wine and cooking tours. She has Sicilian blood and is passionate about all things Sicilian. For the chance to experience Sicily through Dominique’s eyes, go to Pure Food Cooking Tours – Latest Tours.

Impossible Conversations with Chef Dominique Rizzo

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Chef Dominique Rizzo returns from her sell-out Spanish “Unique Catalonia” food, wine and cooking tour for the launch of Impossible Conversations, in Brisbane, an event that is a classic celebration of art, ballet and poetic stories.

Image: H Gambley

The Museum of Brisbane partnered with QPAC to create a series of Impossible Conversations with celebrated Italian figures from the past, many of whom are unfamiliar to most of us today.

“Inspired by Vanity Fair’s bitingly satirical 1930s series ‘Impossible Interviews’, nine of Brisbane finest residents shared the conversations that they would like to have with their chosen figure from Italian history.”

The conversation

Dominique Rizzo is honoured to be chosen to share her conversation with Saint Agatha, the saint of Sicily.

Image: Il Regno

Dominique’s conversation starts with a heart-felt note to Saint Agatha:

Image: Museum of Brisbane

The art

Sam Cranstoun, the artist commissioned to paint the no-longer-living famous Italians, met and talked to Dominique and listened to what she imagined that she would say to Saint Agatha about her brave but tortured life. It was this conversation that Sam then interpreted in his own watercolour painting.

“Because the historical figures are unable to take part in the conversations, Sam’s paintings hover in the space between question and answer. He offers glimpses of the conversations through imagery and text, inviting us to weave our own narratives.”

Image: Museum of Brisbane

When and where can you catch up with Sam Cranstoun’s painting of Saint Agatha and the other eight historical Italian figures?

The stunning results can be viewed at the Museum of Brisbane exhibition Sam Cranstoun: Impossible Conversations, from 10 Oct 2018 – 31 Mar 2019, and in the QPAC tunnel from November 2018.

The ballet – the pièce de résistance of this cultural event

The Italian theme of the Impossible Conversations celebrates the spectacular first-time visit of Italy’s iconic Teatro alla Scala ballet company to Australia, to Brisbane only, performing Rudolph Nureyev’s grand Don Quixote and the ever-beautiful Giselle at QPAC. What masterpieces are to be enjoyed by the lovers of ballet and theatre.

Image: teatroallascala Instagram

If contemplating these cultural events is making you think of food, why not cook Italian style with Dominique Rizzo’s recipe for Sicilian Arancini? These are show-stoppers in the arancini world.

Where to eat in Barcelona

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Where to eat in Barcelona, Tips from Chef Dominique Rizzo as She Savours the World of Travel, Food, Wine and Cooking

Hi fellow travellers to Spain and welcome to Barcelona. On the eve of my Pure Food Wine & Cooking Tour “A Taste of Spain, Unique Catalonia“, here are a few more tempting insights into this majestic city to whet your appetite.

Tip 1. The best Tapas in the city

Tapas where do you start and where do you finish and that is just in Cervecería Catalana with their fantastic choices, start at one end of the bar and try each one is our advice.

Image: Barcelonaroom

Tip 2. Churros at Xurrieria Dels Banys Nous
A churro is a Spanish traditional deep fried-dough pastry that is powdered with sugar and sometimes dipped in chocolate as a snack. It is a decadent number that you must try at least once.

Image by Yaho Dkr

Tip 3. Must do restaurant in the Ravel neighborhood
“Suculent” on Rambla del Raval, 45 is one not to miss if you love seafood.

Image by Miguel Lanos

Tip 4. The ultimate experience
The word on the street is that “Enigma” by Albert Adria (Carrer de Sepúlveda, 38-40, 08015 Barcelona, Spain) offers a dining experience of a life time.

Image by Nicholas Leong

Tip 5: For chocolate like you have never tasted before
For chocolate check out Enric Rovira Chocolatier. His chocolates are works of art. (Sant Geroni, 17, 08296 Castellbell y Vilar, Barcelona, Spain)

Image: www.gastronomiaalternativa.com

Tip 6. For the deli lovers
Call into La Pineda (Carrer del Pi, 16, 08002 Barcelona, Spain) in the Gothic Quarter – it’s a feast and celebration of Spanish foods.

Image: Jossh Pappon

Tip 7. Mercat De La Boqueria (the marketplace)
One of the best Spanish Barcelona experiences is to eat at Mercat De La Boqueria (La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Spain); find the bar called El Quim de la Boqueria; one of its delicacies is baby squid with egg.

Tip 8. And just another thing …..
There is no tipping just round up the total.
Dinner is usually eaten very late (10p.m.) after bar hopping and tapas.

Travel tips

Essentials To Pack in your carryon: Medications, Prescriptions, Passport copy, Passwords, European adaptor, phone/ipad/laptop chargers; an outfit (in case your luggage is delayed), sunglasses.
And in your suitcase: swimmers, hat, sandals, espadrilles.

Follow Chef Dominique Rizzo on her “A Taste of Spain” travels in “Unique Catalonia” on her Instagram page She Savours the World.

Beef Week 2018 with Chef Dominique Rizzo

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Beef Week 2018 was that wonderful mix of recipe writing, prepping, cooking demonstrations, hosting special dinners and cooking with some of the best beef in Australia. It was also a week of working and laughing with an esteemed group of world class Celebrity Chefs. From the demonstration “Butcher’s Kitchen” where the butchers work alongside the chefs inspired to prepare interesting recipes, to the Chefs showcasing their talents with creative lunches and dinners in the Celebrity Chef restaurant, where there was an explosion of creativity showcasing traditional fine cuts of beef through to the lesser or “Tastier Cuts” and the rarely-heard-of cuts like the Bicep, Bavette, Tri tip, Flank, Coulotte and Flat Iron popular in Europe, the USA and England. Hot topics of conversations were unique cooking techniques and flavour combinations, sustainability and working closely with producers, farm to table and keeping the message alive about Australia having the best beef in the world.

Experiencing Beef Week Australia 2018 in Rockhampton is a meat-lover’s dream where the taste and quality of the meat reigns supreme across the board. It was a great experience to also meet some of the producers and to learn from them the intricate cuts that chefs and butchers alike are not so familiar with. Each International Chef was paired with an Australian Chef to showcase how Tasty Cuts are incorporated into everyday meals as well as showcasing culinary masterpieces.

The choices on where and what to eat were endless, from the “Beef Australia Bar and Grill Restaurant” to the Beef Australia Smokehouse – presented by “Black Bunny”, the food kiosks in “The Paddock” and the number of independent outlets all showcasing the best of Australian beef and the various ways in which to cook, flavour and enjoy it.

One of the personal highlights of this year’s event for Chef Dominique Rizzo was seeing how much the esteemed Iron Chef Sakai enjoyed her signature ” Veal Carpaccio” dish, also cooking alongside Chef Jack Stein and meeting some of the world best Australian Beef ambassadors in one of Australia’s leading beef events. Meanwhile on a professional basis, the opportunity to cook, talk and share ideas with Australia’s top celebrity chefs, is the inspiration behind many of the new dishes on the Putia Pure Food Kitchen’s seasonal menu. Dominique was so impressed by the brisket and the cuts of beef under the brand “Oino Gustus” by Blair Angus, she now proudly uses this on the Putia menu. Showcasing the point end of the brisket, Putias’ Slow Roast Brisket with green pea smash, potato and three cheese hash, gravy, fried egg and topped with wicked crispy onions is such a show-stopper that it sells out in a flash.

And in the name of rich, hearty Winter comfort food, Putia has also included dishes such as super-tender beef cheek pie and Italian slow braised beef ragu with fresh tagliatelle pasta and in Clapham Junction Wine Bar, the New York style bicep beef dish is a knock-out.

Putia Pure Food Kitchen sources its top quality beef from North Queensland producer Signature Beef. Signature Beef is the culmination of four generations of the Angus Family’s continual dedication to produce the world’s best beef. With a surname steeped in beef history it was, in a way, inevitable that this proud tradition was passed down through their family. Signature Beef owned by Blair and Josie Angus and their four children, is a company strong on tradition yet constantly looking forward with a culture of innovation.

To get a feel for the action and atmosphere at Australia’s National Beef Expo by listening to the Beef Australia 2018 Podcasts – this one features Jayne Cuddihy speaking to Shane Bailey – Celebrity Chef Coordinator, Jess Pryles – Cook, Author and ‘Hardcore Carnivore’ and Dominique Rizzo Chef Putia Pure Food Kitchen.

Since a large part of the program at Beef Week Australia is dedicated to a paddock to plate experience, they talk about food vans, pop up restaurants and the Celebrity Chef program that is dedicated to not just treating people to a beefy taste sensation, but educating people on cooking techniques and cuts of meat.

Click on the Listen Here to catch some of the action of Beef 2018.

Listen here

At the end of Beef Week, we look back and marvel at the hectic pace visiting farms, sharing stories, meeting incredible food pioneers and passionate producers and look ahead to Beef Week 2021 in three years time. We loved Beef Week Australia.

UrbiPod Know How with Chef Dominique Rizzo

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This video “How to plant with the Uribod & Chef Dominique Rizzo” – UrbiPod Know How

Follow Chef Dominique Rizzo as she shows you how to grow your herbs on your kitchen bench with Urbipod Know How.

Dominique prepares her new Urbipod for planting, giving you hints on which way is up with the self-watering system and which way is down for the natural coir growing discs, before she gets to the best part, actually planting the seeds.

After watching Dominique go through the steps, it will take you a mere 10 minutes from start to finish, to unpack, confidently set up and plant your new Urbipod. Just sit back

Register your details to Save 50%

Watch “UrbiPod Know How with Chef Dominique Rizzo

And these are the results of your UrbiPod Know-How in just a few days:

Try some of my delicious RECIPES using herbs or Purchase my cookbook, “My Taste of Sicily” with over 150 Italian inspired recipes celebrating herbs.

How to Grow Fresh Herbs with the Urbipod and Chef Dominique Rizzo

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How to grow fresh herbs with Chef Dominique Rizzo made easy. My new project is to grow herbs for my kitchen in my NEW Urban Feast Cooking School due to open in 2020. The Urbipod is so useful when I am cooking. I have been using the Urbipod for over a year and I have had great success. It’s wonderful to have all the herbs in reach and always fresh. Herbs don’t keep well in the fridge and I know that they are items that tend to be thrown out – that’s your money your throwing away. I found it easy to use and so easy to maintain and I also started growing lettuce and edible flowers. I’m starting a new round of seeds and I look forward to sharing my harvest with you.

Urbotanica, a forward-thinking Australian company has now released the latest Urbipod. The UrbiPod Smart Garden – which as the name suggests will have added features including a sensor to gauge the local growing conditions and best of all its all controlled by your smartphone.

Urbotanica is launching the UrbiPod Smart Garden through an international Kickstarter campaign which allows customers to buy in advance of production at heavy discounts to the RRP. There will be limited stock through this campaign, we are first offering the opportunity to our close friends, supporters and their networks.

We would appreciate it if you could share our post with your network as it will allow them access to the launch day and early-bird discounts available. Click Here For Details.

How to grow fresh herbs with Chef Dominique Rizzo

Join me as I demonstrate the first in a series on my Urbipod experience from unpacking the box of all the pieces, simplifying the jigsaw of putting them together ready for planting. I want to share my tips on what bits of the pod fit in where and which way up so that you can confidently move onto the next exciting step of planting your herb seeds. This may save you time and streamline the assembly of your Urbipod when you join the ever-growing number of kitchen-herb-gardeners.

Watch How to grow fresh herbs with Chef Dominique Rizzo

If you would like to check the Urbipod, here is their website Urbotanica.

Once you have all your herbs growing, join me in my kitchen. I have a great collection of easy, flavorsome RECIPES using herbs.

Register Here

Next in this series “How to start planting with the Urbipod”: This video takes you through the next stage in setting up the Urbipod for growing,

Make food waste a thing of the past with clever cooking techniques – Chef Dominique Rizzo and Sam Thaiday

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Make food waste a thing of the past with clever cooking techniques – Sam Thaiday & Celebrity chef Dominique Rizzo set out on a mission to bust the fact that food waste costs the average household about $2200 to $3800 per year.

At the Brisbane City Council Green Heart Fair, Chef Dominique Rizzo and NRL legend Sam Thaiday shared their tips on how to turn what is already in the fridge into creative meals, how to reduce your food waste and how to save time and money creating delicious dishes at home.

That’s good for your budget and good for the environment.

Living sustainably is all about reducing waste, recycling, reusing and being kind to the planet.

Getting into action on stage at the Green Heart Fair, Dominique and Sam chose the ingredients for the dishes that they were cooking from food leftovers that usually were tossed out in the garbage bin.

Together, they demonstrated how to cook a delicious menu of dishes starting with

Corn Soup with Avocado Salsa,

Vegetable San Choy Bow,

Sweet Potato Pizza,

Bacon and Vegetable Strudel.

There were no sad lonely vegetables in the kitchen after this cook-off.

Watch Brisbane City Council’s video of Dominique in “Make food waste a thing of the past – Chef Dominique Rizzo” on You Tube

If you want to know more about how to cut down on food waste, join the “Love Food Hate Waste Workshops” supported by The Brisbane City Council and presented by Dominique at her cooking school at Putia Pure Food Kitchen.

Why Spain, why Catalonia?

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Catalonia, Costa Brava and Barcelona – A must to visit on your travel bucket list!

Why Spain, why Catalonia? It’s hard not to think of Spain without thinking about wine, world-class cuisine, tapas, Unesco world heritage sites and some of the most incredible architecture ever designed.

One of the questions that I am often asked is why I chose Spain and why Catalonia for one of my 2021 food tours?

Well if you love Spanish wine, are a discerning diner who values first-class gastronomy, luxury accommodations and architecture. And you relish in discovering the rich history of food, culture, and art of this region that rubs shoulders with the borders of France. Why wouldn’t you want to travel to Spain…

Nominated as the BEST country to visit in the world for the third year in the 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitive Report by the World Economic Forum. With more than 3,000 miles of coastline, and no fewer than 48 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the most Michelin star restaurants, and some of the world’s best chefs, renowned artists, and acclaimed architects. Spain and the Catalonia region has to be a must on any avid travellers bucket list.

The capital and largest city is Barcelona. It is the second-most populated municipality in Spain. Tourists flock Barcelona year-round for the “buzz of Barcelona”, one of Spain’s most visited destinations. Barcelona has more than 70 top-notch museums and 24 Michelin-starred restaurants. Its medieval quarter boasts surprising modernist architecture and a vibrant urban culture. Not to mention perhaps one of the most famous ongoing constructions, the Sagrada Famiglia, and the must-see Boqueria Markets.

Boqueria Markets

Getting out of your hotel and heading out on foot is one of the best ways to explore Barcelona. Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Batlló and Casa Mila designed by Gaudi are within minutes of each other. This colorful seaside city is full of attractions and things to do. Rivaling Barcelona in historic importance and one of the tour highlights is the medieval town of Girona.

Farther afield, in the idyllic countryside of verdant valleys and gently rolling hills, we discover quaint medieval towns, picturesque seaports, and quiet country villages where chirping birds and church bells are the loudest noises. Here you can visit the coves of Cadaqués on the Costa Brava and every stop along the way, the local gastronomy will tempt you. Stretching Northeast from the coves and beaches of Blanes to Catalonia’s border with France, the Costa Brava is Spain’s most beautiful coastline. This 1,240-mile coast of rugged cliffs and idyllic beaches is one of Europe’s favorite seaside playgrounds, and its pretty little whitewashed towns have lured artists that include Dali, Picasso, and Marc Chagall. The House of Dali, and the Museum which many people say is “the must-see” of a lifetime.

Art galleries and boutique shops line the cobbled streets of Cadaques

Bordered by the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, Catalonia is the traditional region of Spain that is fiercely proud of its unique culture. The 4 most important regions of Catalonia are Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Catalonia has beautiful sandy beaches like Costa Maresme, reaching into the Mediterranean Sea, unlike those other feet-breaking pebble beaches, that were until more recently were unknown to tourists who happily headed south of Barcelona to Sitges (although Sitges is still a favourite). Many locals of Barcelona preferred to head north towards The Costa Brava where many owned their weekender beach apartment – white tiles throughout, clean and cool in the summer months.

Costa Brava

What do you do after a day swimming at the beach but eat fresh seafood and this is where the famous fish markets at Arenys de Mar comes in to play. They say it is something else to watch the fishing boats come into port in the late afternoon, followed by flocks of seagulls hoping to feed on some fish. There is a fish auction at the port at night – perfect to take home the freshest of fish to cook for dinner.

The history of food in this area is what really is fascinating – from sauces introduced by the Phoenicians, olive oil brought in by the Greeks, and then the influence of the Romans, Carthaginians, and Jews bringing with them their own exotic flavours and spices.

Pescaíto frito – Fried fish

While paella is the traditional food of Spain, the Arabs instilled the love of almonds and gazpacho, while the Christians introduced Spanish Jamon (ham) previously banned by the Jews and Arabs alike. Garlic, garlic, garlic – it’s gastronomical flavor making even garlic soup a must-do.

When not at the beach or eating bocadilos – the amazing baguette with Spanish ham or drinking cava the champagne of the area or rich coffee, you can dine in some of Spain’s finest Michelin star restaurants taking your dining experiences to the next level.

Michelin dining in Spain

Sometimes the reasons why I chose Catalonia are endless.

Dominique’s Spanish tours for 2021 include a focused tour to Barcelona, Catalonia and Costa Brava, and likewise, the same gastronomic and luxury tour is now available to Rioja and Basque Country including the South of France. Claimed as one of the best-kept secrets of Spain and celebrated as one of the best regions for the excellence of food and wine. These tours have been personally designed by Dominique to give you the best of the best and are limited to a maximum of 19 travellers only.

The beauty of bakes – 7 reasons why they are so great

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Pasta, rice or vegetable bakes are something that we all grew up on and the best thing about having them for dinner is that they taste even better the next day. The beauty of Bakes and 7 reasons why they are so great are:

They are a fantastic way of throwing a pile of wonderful tasty ingredients together in the one pot.
They makes an easy meal for anyone to put together a Bake.
Also they don’t have to be heavy and full of fat.
You can combine wonderful ingredients that are healthy and still full of flavour making them ideal for everyone.
Bakes are perfect for school or work lunches, when they cool they are very easy to cut and place into takeaway containers.
Use the combinations and suggestions given under the salad heading for grains and vegetables to make your bakes something a little special.
Grains such as rice, pasta, quinoa, cous cous, barley are all perfect and when teamed with all sorts of vegetables including spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, spices, cheese and eggs.

Well the list is endless and the possibilities are many. So get your bake on with this super tasty recipe:

Rice and Tuna bake
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
3 cups of cooked basmati rice
425g tin of tuna in brine, drained
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 green shallots, sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed, grated and squeezed of all its liquid
½ cup chopped parsley
3 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
160g ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 egg white
20g parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200c

Spray a ceramic dish or individual muffin trays with oil. Combine the tuna, lemon rind, juice, chopped shallots, grated zucchini, diced tomatoes and the parsley in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, ricotta and parmesan and season well with salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mix into the rice and mix well, spread this into the greased baking dish and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden.
Substitute the tuna for salmon, cooked fresh fish, cooked mince seasoned with Mexican spices and a tin of diced tomatoes or diced cooked chicken. If you are looking for dairy free alternative you can use soft tofu in this dish and dairy free
parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!