I’m craving warm, hearty dishes due to a mid-summer cold snap. Can a dish satisfy those cravings and deliver a big bowl of nutrients at the same time?
Enter risotto. This risotto is made in the typical way of slowly adding broth to the rice which allows the exterior starch on the rice to become creamy. I just substituted in brown rice for an extra delicious nutty, nutrient boost. Add in mushrooms, ginger, garlic and the whole dish is a big bowl of healthy comfort
Don’t keep this one till fall. It comes in handy all Fat and Happy year round.
Brown Rice Risotto
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup Swiss chard stems
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
- thumb of ginger, minced
- 2 cloves ginger, minced
- 1 cup brown rice
- 4 cups broth
- Swiss chard leaves 2 cups, chopped
- Handful of chopped parsley
- Black pepper
- Salt, if needed
Heat the broth and keep hot. Clean the Swiss chard, separate the stems from the soft leaves. In a heavy soup pan, saute the onion and the chard stems in the coconut oil until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Add in the mushrooms, ginger and garlic and cook for minute or two. Add in the brown rice and saute for another minute or two. Now add in 1 cup of broth and lower the heat to a slow simmer for about 20 minutes. Drag your wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan to ensure the broth is all absorbed before adding more.
Now add in 1/2 cup of broth at a time as the broth gets absorbed and repeat until the the risotto is done, stirring occasionally. Add the Swiss chard leaves along with the last addition of broth.
Test the risotto. The grains should be al dente — firm and chewy — but creamy.
Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste
Fat and Happy Tips and Techniques: Try adding in other vegetables to vary the flavors. I like to use brown basmati rice.
For more recipes, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com