risotto

I have been slacking on cooking, relying on extremely convenient dishes like nonethless than a pre-made chocolate piece of cake. I know. It was gone in less than one minute and I was still hungry. I have been picking up on my work out regime including a kick boxing class that left me incapable of walking for 3 days. I have noticed, however, that I have built endurance and muscle at a point that I need to take my work out at the next level. Tomorrow I am going to rock climbing (inside…what were you thinking?;).

I have survived the past days on salads, greek yogurt, granola, chicken, peanut butter, bananas, grilled cheese sandwich and 90% dark chocolate. I am just hungry all the times because of this work out thing. Is that normal? Anyway, I decided to invest in making more “filling” dishes and avoid relying on snacks, even thought when you are at your office and you don’t have a kitchen most likely you will feed yourself with snacks (nuts, apples, dried food, etc).

Dinner tonight is Mushroom Risotto – risotto ai funghi

One cup dried porcini (you are welcome to use fresh mushroom like shiitake)
1/3 fresh onion chopped
Grated ginger (one teaspoon)
Fresh parsley (1/2 cup)
Fresh scallion (one table spoon chopped)
Fresh thyme (at your discretion)
One tablespoon curry
Brown rice (enough for two people)
Coconut milk (one or two cups)

In a bowl soak the mushroom in water. Leave for at least 30 minutes. Drain them but keep the water because you will need it for the rice. Repeat the process twice. Make sure to rinse the mushroom very well because they will taste like dirt. For more taste you can add to the water some Marsala or Japanese rice cooking wine.
Chopped all veggie. In a pot with olive oil brown the curry onion mushroom and fresh herbs. Add one cup of coconut milk, stir add some mushroom broth. Let cook on low heat. In a different pot start cooking the rice. Add some oil, brown the rice for 3 minutes and slowly add broth. Keep doing until half cooked or when broth has been absorbed. At that point pour the mushroom coconut sauce on the pot of the rice and keep cooking until the rice is ready!!
Serve the rice on a plate with a spoon of Greek yogurt.