LET FOOD BE YOUR MEDICINE…
It was Hippocrates who said: ”Let food be your medicine and medicine be
your food”.
Spring time is upon us and the buzz word this month is DETOX. Spring is a
time of rebirth and renewal and that includes our bodies! At this time of the
year nature gives us many herbs and vegetables to help us with detoxing
our system after the rich winter food; one of these is asparagus.
Did you know? Asparagus is full of natural anti-oxidant polyphenol, it has
anti-inflammatory properties and contains important minerals like potassium.
It is also a powerful diuretic, making it an ideal ally against water retention.
So how about a delicious bowl of “risotto con gli asparagi”? Risotto is a
typical Northern Italian dish, made out of rice, butter and cheese, virtually
non-existent in the south of the country: the north of Italy is famous for its
fertile rice fields and butter is also a product of the north, while the south is
the land of olive oil.
ASPARAGUS RISOTTO (for 4 people)
Ingredients:
500g of Arborio rice
500g of white or green asparagus
x1 knob of butter
x1 litre of chicken stock
half an onion
grated Parmesan cheese
To cook the asparagus:
Blanch the tender part of the asparagus in boiling water for five minutes,
then drain, chop in small pieces and put aside.
Chop the half onion very finely, put in a pan with a knob of butter and stir
regularly on a very low fire until the onion is golden and soft.
Add the asparagus, a couple of ladle-full of stock and cover with a lid,
leaving to simmer until the asparagus is soft and well blended with the onion.
To cook the rice:
Put about 30g of butter to melt in a wide frying pan with a thick bottom. Add
a handful of rice alternating with a ladle-full of stock and stir continuously
until you have added all the rice and the stock. Keep the fire very low
throughout the process and keep stirring. The rice will be cooked but will still
be “al dente”.
Once the rice is done, add the asparagus and stir. Add a bit more butter
(optional), a pinch of salt and the grated Parmesan cheese.
Giovanna Franklin
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