Asparagus and Ham Risotto
A risotto dish so rich and creamy you'd never guess it's low fat
Mar 15, 2009
Risotto may not traditionally be thought of as diet food, but the more rich and decadent you perceive your meal the less likely you are to grab something less desirable.
Asparagus is a great vegetable to add to any diet. It is an ample source of potassium and folate. Potassium is the micro-nutrient responsible for making asparagus a natural diuretic. This makes it a fantastic option when you are jump starting a work out routine because it will reduce the soreness in the muscles thus reducing your recovery time.
Asparagus and Ham Risotto Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound extra lean ham
- 2 cups brown rice
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 package mushrooms
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 large white onion
- 1 tbsp butter or yogurt butter
Preparation:
- Chop ham into bite size pieces. If necessary trim off any visible fat.
- Snap ends of asparagus and chop into bite size pieces.
- Dice red bell pepper and mushrooms.
Instructions
- Add diced ham, brown rice, and butter to large pot over medium heat.
- Stir until ham and brown rice is coated with melted butter.
- Once coated add just enough liquid to cover brown rice mixture.
- Stir liquid is completely absorbed, add another cup of liquid to cover brown rice mixture, repeat until all 6 cups of liquid have been absorbed into rice mixture.
- After last round of water begins to be absorbed, add asparagus, bell pepper and mushrooms.
- Stir until remaining liquid is absorbed and vegetables are slightly tender.
Nutritional Facts:
Servings: 8, Serving Size: 1 - 1 1/4 cup
Calories: 287, Protein: 17.38 g, Carbohydrates: 44.25 g, Fiber: 4.26 g, Fat: 4.60g, Saturated Fat: 1.31 g, Sodium: 880 mg
Cost Per Serving: $1.86
Keeping this dish inexpensive and other great tips:
- Reduce the expense and sodium of chicken broth by replacing half the necessary amount with water.
- When selecting broth, go for the organic variety. Organic broth does not contain monosodium glutomate (msg). MSG is a flavor enhancer to which many people have negative reactions. It allows the manufacturer to use less of the product you are hoping to add to your meal.
- By replacing the arborio rice that is customarily used in risotto with brown rice you will increase the fiber intake by 25 percent per serving.
- When purchasing packaged vegetables or vegetables priced per unit be sure to weigh each item to make sure you are getting the most for your money.
- Mushrooms are a great way to fluff up the volume of any meal. An entire cup of chopped mushrooms adds a mere 8 calories! With all that extra volume they will add to your meal you will feel fuller faster allowing you to eat less. Not to mention they are always on every super food for their content of various B vitamins.
The copyright of the article Asparagus and Ham Risotto in Healthy Cooking is owned by Tabatha Juestel. Permission to republish Asparagus and Ham Risotto in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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