Saturday 14 June 2014

Mushroom, spinach and sun-dried tomato wheat berry risotto


Hola,

Let's start with a morning smile, shall we?






















Now that this is out of the way, let's talk about wheat berries.

Wheat berries and I, we go way back. I just didn't know they were called wheat berries until recently! They were a comfort food for me growing up in France, where they are marketed under the brand name "Ebly".

A few months ago, I asked my parents to bring some back from France for us. Man, had I missed my Ebly. I have since realized that Ebly is just wheat berries, and that YES, we can find them in Canada (just not in a yellow package, but usually in the bulk section).
Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels. They are a good source of magnesium, potassium, B Vitamins and Vitamin E.

Most importantly, they are delicious. They are quite versatile and can be used in most recipes that call for pasta, or rice...

Hence this mushroom, sun-dried tomato and spinach risotto!



















- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 cups (packed) spinach
- pinch of salt
- ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup uncooked wheat berries
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine (pardon the giant bottle - the parents were just visiting...)
- Vegetable stock (I used 2.5 cups, but you may need more or less depending on how much liquid is absorbed)
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Optional:
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil, until onions are translucent.
Add mushrooms and cook until soft, then add spinach and sauté for an additional minute or two.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the wheat berries, balsamic vinegar and white wine.
When white wine is completely absorbed, add a 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.
When the pan is mostly dry, add another 1/2 cup of broth.
Repeat until the wheat berries are cooked (it took me about 20 minutes and 2.5 cups of broth).
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and optional ingredients if desired.

Enjoy!



















I absolutely loved this risotto. It was filling without being too rich - the perfect meal to end a Saturday of Zumba, swimming, walking the dog and studying. I feel sorry for The Husband who is out of town, but the good news is, there are lots of leftovers!

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Now let's play a little game:
Can you guess which junk food these ingredients belong to? Please post your answers in the comments below or email me at flyingfrognutrition@gmail.com!



















Have a wonderfully healthy weekend everyone (just don't eat the stuff in the picture above)!


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