Holistic Recipe: Sprouted Risotto with Shallots & Mushrooms. High in Protein & Uberlicious

I made dinner for my good friend Elaine of ilikerealfood.com and my sweetie Walker — sprouted risotto with mushrooms and shallots alongside wild salmon (omit if you are a vegan obviously) and sauteed spicy brussels sprouts (of which I did not make personally, Walker worked his magic). I will post his brussels sprouts recipe later this week. This recipe was an excellent source of both protein and fibre, which you need to stay fuller longer and prevent cravings.

Dessert was roasted apples with cinnamon, maple syrup and walnuts on a scoop of Coconut Bliss ice cream. Are you drooling yet? If you want that recipe, please do check back on Friday! It was a foodgasmic evening. We enjoyed this delicious meal with some local Niagara Pinot Noir.

If you’ve never heard of “sprouted” risotto before, don’t worry, this was a first for me too – making sprouted risotto that is. I purchased this risotto mix a few weeks ago from Mulberry Health food store in Leaside. I absolutely love this brand and purchase many of their products because I find they are always fresh and they are certified organic. I have made regular risotto for many years using arborio (white) rice, TONS of cheese, garlic and onions. However, now that I’m a nutritionist I look for new ways to create classic dishes that still taste amazing, but are better because they are absolutely nutritious too.

Here’s what you need, ingredient-wise:

• 1 cup sprouted risotto mix (This brand has brown rice, lentils and flax)
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock. If you are using store-bought make sure it’s low in sodium and does NOT contain MSG, a common neuro-toxic food additive
• A few splashes of white wine (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6-7 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• A few pinches of good quality sea salt (less if your cheese is salty), freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup cheese. Daiya vegan cheese is fine, but since I’m not a vegan I used low-sodium fresh parmesan, but hard goat cheese would be lovely too.

Note: Risotto is actually VERY easy to make, it just takes patience. I actually enjoy making it when I’m cooking dinner for others because everyone hangs in the kitchen anyways… so you can always take turns stirring

Method:

Step 1: Heat a large pan on stove to medium temp, melt the coco oil and sautee the shallots and garlic. Be careful not to overcook. Once they start looking juicy, add the dry risotto mix and let it soak up the flavours of the shallots and garlic for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, heat the stock in a pot and once warm add the stock using a soup ladle into the risotto mix. Keep stirring the risotto and once most of the liquid has disappeared, add more stock.

Step 3: When the risotto is getting close to being done, add the mushrooms. Keep adding stock until it is gone. Be patient. This can take up to 35 minutes. Taste test it. Whole grain risotto is going to be more firm than white arborio rice risotto, but you don’t want it to be chewy either.

Step 4: If you eat cheese, add it at the very end along with the black pepper.

Serves 4 bellies quite nicely.

A few tips for the best risotto:

1. Add a few splashes of white wine in the beginning.
2. Never let the pan get totally dry, otherwise you risk burning the risotto, keep adding the stock until it’s cooked.
3. Don’t let it sit and cook for more than 1-2 minutes, stir constantly.
4. Once you’ve added the cheese, remove from heat and cover the pan with a lid or transfer to a bowl with a lid. Let the flavours mingle.

The brussels sprouts and wild salmon were cooked at the same time as the risotto. I always like to cook something green when I make risotto, not only does it look pretty on your plate, but anything green is a sign of a high level of nutrients including minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium and vitamins including A, C and K plus antioxidants. This is food that is going to satisfy and NOURISH your whole body. When you eat nutrient-dense food you are far less likely to overeat and suffer from cravings.

I had the leftovers for lunch today.

Have a joyous week!
Joy