MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS RISOTTO W/ MARINATED TOMATO SALAD

Risotto is serious Italian comfort food. And its really easy to make.

Have you tried it before? I ask because I had it for the first time just a couple weeks ago at Sunday family dinner with my boyfriend. I know I can't believe I'd never had it before either. What kind of Italian girl am I?

Anyways, his mom is one helluva cook and she made this luxurious mushroom risotto that inspired my recreation.

Traditionally, risotto relies on butter and cheese for flavor but this recipe accomplishes umami through oil and nutritional yeast. Its usually not the type of dish most would consider healthy but this is Caras Kitchen.

Health is part of our DNA.

So in an effort to make this something your tastebuds and sexy body will love:

I used fiber rich brown instead of arborio rice (but use what you prefer).

Insert brain and immune boosting shitake and crimini mushrooms and we are well on our way to a nutrient dense dinner.

Since its still spring I tossed in detoxifying asparagus. So fresh and so green green.

AND its served alongside sweet and tangy cancer fighting marinated tomato salad that is bright, refreshing and the perfect compliment to the heavier risotto.

Heaven is a place on earth.

Ingredients

FOR THE RISOTTO

2 Cups brown rice

6 Cups vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons avocado oil

1/2 small onion, diced

1 Cup shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 Cup crimini mushrooms thinly sliced

1 bunch asparagus, chopped in 1 inch pieces

1/2 Cup dry white wine or white wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, optional

Nutritional yeast to taste (optional)

pink salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD

4 Cups cherry tomatoes, halved

4 Cups arugala

1/2 Cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 Cup fresh basil, sliced

pink salt and pepper, to taste

fresh lemon juice and slices

Instructions

1. First prep the salad so the tomatoes have time to marinate while you cook the risotto.

Slice the tomatoes in half and put in a bowl with vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and basil. Let sit.

Reserve arugula until ready to serve.

1. Make the Risotto:

In a medium sauce pan warm up the vegetable broth but do not bring to a boil. Cover and keep warm. Set aside.

1. Heat a large frying pan with a tall edge/lip over medium heat. Once hot add 1 tablespoon oil. Add sliced mushrooms and asparagus, cook for a minute. Add a small pinch of salt, toss and then cook for another minute. Toss and cook one more minute. Set aside.

2. In the same pan over medium high heat, add the remaining oil and the onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add the rice. Toast by stiring every 20 seconds or so until fragrant and nutty smelling. About 3 minutes.

Then add in the white wine, stiring gently for 2-3 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Lower to medium heat.

1. Using a ladle, add warmed vegetable stock 1 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly, giving the risotto little breaks to come back to a simmer.

There should always be a slight simmer.

You want the mixture to be cooking but not boiling, or it will cook to fast.

Continue to add vegetable stock, stirring as you go, until the rice is 'al dente' - cooked through but still has a little bite.

The whole process should take 15-20 minutes approx.

1. Add in 3/4 the mushroom and asparagus, reserving the rest for serving. Mix well to evenly combine.

Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and more oil (or vegan butter) if using.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, vinegar ect.

1. TO SERVE: Divide the arugula amongst plates and top with equal portions of the tomato salad and the marinade.

Spoon the risotto along side topping with the reserved mushrooms and asparagus.

Squeeze with fresh lemon juice before serving, garnish with fresh basil and lemon slices if desired.

KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER BOWL

I recently read an except from Mark Mansons book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Not only is the title attention grabbing with the use of an F-Bomb, the book cover is too. You've likely seen it posted all over instagram. His blog is full of easily digestable nuggets about career, relationships and a general approach to the good life. If you're looking for new perspective on such a topic I suggest spending your lunch break on their today instead of Facebook.

After no more then a few minutes of deliberating I got myself a copy. From the excerpt I gather the book expands upon the idea of saving your worries for things that truly matter and to not give a F about what others think of you.

In the spirit of things post digestion of an article which has the F-word written over 100 times I decided that if a curse word pops up from time to time on my blog I'm ok with it.

Are you shaking your head at me RN? Or saying ya girl ya, go on with your bad self?

There are afterall several examples of respectable people/brands who are sort of known for their use of extreme language. Examples include Tony Robbins, Chelsea Handler or Gary Vee and I've seen the use of swear words on The Skinny Confidential and Thug Kitchen - both of which are well known and respected brands in the blogsphere.

However there are brands that I respect immensely like Cupcakes and Cashmere or Minimalist Baker that don't have any kind of obscene language used on their platform at all. Like not even once.

That is their brand voice and I believe its best that I stay true to mine, too.

Often I'll find myself writing what could be described as a stream of consciousness (tips I learned from this book) and a curse word will appear on the page. Poof. During the editing stage I will ponder over it... Id go so far as to say overthink the use of the word. Should I change that damn to dang? Will it offend someone? Does anyone notice? This is a healthy food blog, is that ISH necessary? ect.

(insert shugging girl emoji)

There are however some things in life that I never have to think twice about, let alone overthink.

The use of cauliflower in place of meat in a dish is one of them.

So with that lets get on to what you're really here for ---> the food.

Kung Pao is a classic dish in Sichuan cuisine originating from the south-western part of China. It is a spicy stir-fry style meal and Kung Pao chicken is a staple of westernized Chinese cuisine but seeing as I don't eat chicken and tofu seemed a little to obvious here I went with cauliflower.

Let me just tell you it is (insert use of F-Bomb) delicious.

I wanted this particular recipe to be really approachable and easy to make so I used pantry staples like cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper and black pepper in place of harder to find and less likely to have on hand Sichuan peppercorns or Sichuan Chili Peppers.

Rest assured that this dish will zing and pop in your mouth.

It is full of flavor. And texture. And crunch.

Luscious, tender, yet crunchy cauliflower smothered with a sweet yet spicy kung pao sauce and generously sprinkled with sesame seeds, layered with sweet red bell peppers, crunchy carrots, pungent green onions and salty cashews.

Served alongside fluffy, nutty rice, nutrient dense green spinach and loaded with good phatz avocado.

#brainfood #goodmoodfood #nom

This dish has it all and comes together in just over 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

P.S. Happy first day of May. New month = New beginning :)

Ingredients

KUNG PAO SAUCE

1/2 Cup rice vinegar

1/4 Cup tamari

1/4 Cup water

1/3 Cup coconut sugar or reg. sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 Teaspoon pink salt

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (white or black)

2 Teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

8 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

VEGGIE MIX

2 large heads of cauliflower

2-4 Tablespoons tamari1

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced on angle

spinach

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 Cups chopped cashews

1 Teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 Cup green onions, sliced on an angle plus more to garnish

TO SERVE

4-6 Cups rice, cooked

avocado, sliced

lime slices

Instructions

1. Make the Sauce:

combine rice vinegar, tamari, water, sugar, corn start and salt in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add sesame oil, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds and cook until a gentle sizzle starts. Turn to medium low. Cook and stir until the chili powder turns dark bowrn but does not burn. If the oils bubbles and gets to hot remove it from the heat.

Then add in the black pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. It was smell dang good at this point.

Stir the vinegar sauce with a whisk vigorously then slowly add in to the sauce pan. Stir and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. It will thicken up more as it cools.

1. MAKE THE VEGGIES: Chop the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl with the tamari and garlic powder. Mix and let marinate while you prep the other veggies.

2. Peel the carrots and chop into 1/4 inch pieces on an angle. Remove the seeds from the red bell pepper and cute into thin strips and then cut the stripes in half. Peel and minced the garlic. Chopped green onions and cashews.

3. After the cauliflower has marinated for about 10 minutes heat 1 tbsp oil (coconut or sesame) in the same frying pan used to make the sauce. Once the oil is hot add in the garlic, cauliflower and all the marinade. stir around for 30 seconds. Cook the cauliflower in batches if there is too much to fit in the sauce pan.

4. Add in the kung poa sauce, carrots and bell pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and top with a lid. Let cook for 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. Repeat if you have more veggies. Right before removing from the heat add the cashews and green onions then stir around.

5. Make the Bowls:

divide up cooked rice, spinach, and kung pao veggies amongst bowls. Garnish with avocado, green onions and fresh lime. Pour extra sauce on rice and spinach if desired.

5 EASY WAYS TO GET MORE GREEN VEGETABLES IN YOUR LIFE

This may or may not come as a surprise to you but I effing love vegetables. All of them. I havent met one I don't like and green ones in particular I take a special liking to. Now, I know you have heard it hundreds of times: eating vegetables is vital for your health but studies show that diets higher in plant based foods are linked with lower rates of chronic illness including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Unfortunately for many people vegetables are not enjoyable foods to eat. And we're not just talking about childern here either. Think about your friends and family for a minute. I bet that you can name at least one adult who struggles to get enough vegetables in their diet simply because they do not like them or don't know clever ways to sneak them in. Share this list with them and start utilizing them in your daily life to up your vegetable game!

moreI focused on green vegetables for this list because it is my favorite color for foods (hello avocados) and the health benefits of leafy greens and green vegetables are off the chart. Just to name a few:

• Vitamin K- California researchers found that it plays a roll in preventing several age realted conditions including kidney function, cardiovascular disease, bone and artery health. One-cup raw serving of nealy every leafy green has your daily reccomended dose if not more. For example Kale has 6 x, dandelion greens 5x, chard 3.5x.

• Vision Health- Leafy greens like kale and swiss chard among others are great sources of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that help protect against damaging light, decresase the risk for cataracts and help with vision overall. Think outside of carrots !

• Antioxidant powerhouses- antioxidants play a major role in protecting your body against free radicals and help slow the aging process. Eating atleast 3 servings of different greens will get you the protection you need.

• Phytonutrients - these are special chems found in green things that do the body good like boost your immune system and protect your cells from damage.

• B5 & Energy- leafy greens are high in B5 which helps fuel the body so you have energy to crush it in life.

• Calcium bitches- Forget cows milk which is inflammatory ground zero for the body and turn to bitter leafy greens like kale, dandelion greens, mustard greens, swiss chard and collards for your bone health.

• Cleans out the Colon- A study published by Journal of the American Dietetic Association found a corralation between eating plants in the nutrient-rich Brassica family to have a decreased chance of colon cancer. Think kale, mustard greens, broccoli and cabbage.

• Low in calories and carbs- you can eat as much of these as you want and mostly likely you'll stay fit. Its one of the reasons I love being on a plant based diet..., I have a HUGE appetite and love eating.

The key is to mix it up and eat a wide variety of green fruits and vegetables so you get a broad spectium of vital nutrients that the bod needs to thrive.

Some of my favorite green things are brussels, broccoli, kale, spinach, arugula, cucumber, avocado, swiss chard, cilantro, parsley, kiwi

Here are some fun ways to get in your greens:

1. Smoothies- try mixing a big handful of spinach & small handful of kale with banana, kiwi, almond milk, hemp seeds and chia seeds in a high speed blender. Other combos include: kale, pinneapple, banana, coconut water, lime juice. Or spinach, cilantro, cucumber, celery, lemon, zuchinni, almond milk for a savory smoothie.

2. Breakfast Salads- this is one of my all time favorite ways to get in my greens- I will toss some mixed greens (spinach, kale, lettuce, cabbage, whateves) in a bowl with some balsamic and avo oil and put an over easy egg on top. A runny yolk is damn good on top of greens. Add some avocado toast, roasted veggies and you have yourself one helluva breakfast.

Sandwiches - skip the iceberg and use arugula, kale or spinach on your sandwich for a healthier version. Add in some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil, spread on kale pesto (link below), avocado slices and sprouts for good measure.

PESTO- sneak it in a delicious way that no one will notice: PESTO- Try this recipe for Kale pesto, and sub in any green you want: arugula, spinach, fennel tops, carrot tops, or beet tops ect. You can put pesto on just about anything- pasta, rice, roasted or raw veggies, toasts and sandwiches

Macro Bowls and Meal Prep- whenever you are tossing some food together or planning out meal prep be sure to add some greens to your plate. This could be adding in spinach to pasta, cauliflower rice, smoothies, eggs, salads, stir frys..., you name it. In the picture below I added some sauted kale, roasted broccolini and avocado to my hummus and falafel plate for a wellrounded and balanced meal.

1. be sure to check out my Instagram for more tips and tricks. you can find me at CARASKITCHEN

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-eats/healthy-eating/6-health-benefits-of-leafy-greens

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-power-of-green-foods

http://www.livestrong.com/article/363954-what-are-the-benefits-of-supergreens