RISOTTO is a wonderful warming winter dish. I find stirring a pot of creamy, savoury rice immensely therapeutic; even more so when you can throw it together in half an hour using things you probably already have in the house.

This vegetarian combination is unusual and delicious, a beautiful marriage of salty blue cheese, toasty pine nuts and sweet, tangy pears.

Risotto with caramelised balsamic pears, blue cheese and pine nuts
(serves 2)

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 small bulb of fennel, finely sliced
½ tsp dried sage
20g butter
180g risotto rice
150ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock, kept hot on the hob
Salt and pepper
A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
50g blue cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted Parmesan, to serve

For the pears:
2 ripe but firm pears
A knob of butter
1 tsp muscovado sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan, then cook the onion and fennel over a low heat until softened but not coloured. Add the sage and butter, stir until the butter is melted, then add the rice. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to coat the rice in the butter, then add the wine and let it bubble until completely absorbed.

Now add the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring after each addition until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding the next. Stop once the rice is tender but still slightly al dente (you may not need all the stock, or if you need a little more then use boiling water), then stir in the blue cheese, fresh thyme and some seasoning.

Quarter and core the pears, then slice lengthways into thin slivers. Heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add the balsamic vinegar, let it bubble over the pears, then remove from the heat. When the risotto is ready, divide between two plates and top with the pears and pine nuts. Serve with parmesan.

• For more recipes, visit Elly’s blog: nutmegsseven.co.uk