Recipe of the Week: Risotto with Mushrooms, Red Peppers, and Spinach

Been out of the game for the past few weeks with an illness that kept me from trying out and eating tasty recipes but here it is. We’re back with a delish recipe involving, rice, cheese and spinach… my favourite!

Risotto with Mushrooms, Red Peppers, and Spinach

Ingredients:

– 1 cup Arborio rice

– 3 cups chicken stock

– 1/2 onion or three shallots, chopped

– 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

– 1/2 a red pepper, chopped into chunks

– 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped

– 1 cup of spinach

– Handful of parsley, chopped roughly

– 1 TBSP butter

– 1 TBSP of olive oil

– 1 cup of good wine

– 1 tsp salt

– 1/4 cup of parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat three cups of chicken stock.

2. In a separate pot, gently sauté garlic, onions, butter and olive oil. Add mushrooms, and spinach.

3. Turn up heat under garlic/onion mix to medium/high and throw in rice.

4. Stir continuously until rice is semi-translucent around the edges.

5. Add wine and salt, stirring constantly until wine is almost all evaporated.

6. Add stock to mixture, half a cup at a time, stirring continuously. Wait until almost all absorbed before adding more.

7. Simmer gently so the rice doesn’t cook too fast.

8. With a cup left, taste rice to see if it’s close to being done. You may not need to use all stock. Add pepper and parsley.

9. Remove from heat when almost cooked. Add parmesan and half tablespoon of butter. Cover and let sit for a minute or two to set.

10. Garnish with parsley and serve.

The Merits of Spinach

– high in folate, which preliminary studies show that it may reduce heart disease and prevent stroke.

– rich source of iron. According to the USDA, 180 g of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas 170 g of ground beef contains 4.42 mg.

– although it is a rich source of calcium, the body is only able to absorb about five percent of the calcium present in spinach, whereas it is able to absorb about 50 percent from broccoli.  Calcium, as we all know, helps build strong, healthy bones. Women especially need high levels of calcium as they are at a higher risk of osteoporosis.

– contains vitamin K, which helps with blood coagulation and bone metabolism.

– high in lutein, which is an antioxidant that protects against macular degeneration in the eyes. It also keeps them safe from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is involved with many diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzeimer’s and chronic fatigue syndrome.

– spinach also has anti-inflammatory nutrients, which help with arthritis.