It happens to the best of us. We get a cold, we feel lousy, we can’t taste much, and we can’t be bothered to eat. That’s how I’ve felt for the past week—sore throat, low grade fever, slightly upset stomach. The last thing I want to do is cook a meal. In my twenties, I’d have made myself a piece of toast and gone to bed early. It’s not that easy anymore. There’s a family that wants dinner, whether I do or not. There’s also a whole mess of vegetables out in the garden, clamouring to be eaten.

So I fall back on the standards—meals I can cook with little effort and without the need to taste test them before they reach the table. Oven-baked risotto is one of the best. This recipe is a variation on a recipe in Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson.

Oven-baked zucchini and eggplant risotto

My beloved Le Creuset makes oven risotto a breeze.

3 cups water or vegetable stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

handful fresh basil, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 medium eggplants, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

3 Tbsp butter

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Warm the stock over low heat in a small saucepan. Put the oil in a flameproof, lidded casserole dish and set over medium heat. Sauté the eggplant, onion and garlic gently for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened and the eggplant is partly cooked. Add the rice and the cook for another minute before adding the zucchini. When the rice becomes opaque, add the tomatoes and basil. Pour the hot stock into the casserole and stir well. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Stir in the butter and Parmesan just before serving.