At least once a week I think of how fortunate I am. I’ve had many people come into my life over the last few years who’ve made it possible for me to cook and write, two things I love most. I’m fortunate enough to stay at home with my kids and I take pride in having good meals ready for my husband when he gets home.
Over the last two years I’ve struggled with Hasimoto’s disease and also had to move away from Florida (I still miss that place), but through it I’ve felt so blessed to be able to cook, photograph, and write for you. I constantly think, “What would they like to see next? What topic can I discuss that will help them the most”.
I’d like to pay-it-forward and answer questions you may have. Whether it’s about food, organics, cooking, what appliances to use in the kitchen. You may have a health issue, aren’t getting the answers you need and want someone to give you some new resources. I’m open to any questions. If you’d like to leave a comment and ask publicly so others can see your question, then go for it. If you’d like to ask me something and be a bit more discreet you can email me at deliciouslyorganic [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Brown Rice Risotto with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
If you’ve never made risotto, there’s no reason to be intimidated. It’s an easy process of sauteing a few ingredients, adding liquid and keeping things at a simmer until the rice is tender. It’s as simple as that!
Serves 6. Adapted from Bon Appetit. Cooking time: about 45 minutes
12-ounces cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups short brown rice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine (I prefer Frey Vineyards)
2 cups arugula
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Place tomatoes on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast until skins begin to wrinkle, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Pour stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a very low simmer. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in rice and stir for 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in white wine and let rice simmer until almost all of the liquid is gone. Pour in 1 cup of stock and simmer until liquid is almost gone. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been added and liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in arugula, cheese, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Deliciously Organic will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. We appreciate your support!
 |
I rave about myself every night at the dinner table, “Honey, can you believe I made this??” And it’s all thanks to you!! (and teaching me that organic butter is welcomed and embraced! No more fat free, yay!!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m curious about agave nectar. Being from Alabama, I’ve grown up on sweet tea! I’m wondering if you’ve had any success making tea with agave nectar.
Also, I’m thinking of purchasing a juicer. Do you juice? If so, what juicer do you recommend, and do you have any good recipes?
I love the idea of using brown rice for this dish. I have some chicken for tonight and an arugula salad(arugula from my garden) and this would compliment both of those so well. Mmmmm!
Hi Carrie,
I just stumbled upon your website while looking for an alternative to coffee creamer. Having had my 1st child 8 months ago, I’ve been on a quest for health, and slowly moving towards more “real foods.” I made your vanilla creamer and really like it. I think I will be able to kick the old stuff to the curb. Thank you so much!
I went on to read more of your blog, particularly the page about fat and how its actually not the demon its been made out to be. I am so intrigued– that really registers with me. I think I would like to move into that mind frame and allow fats back in my world, but I’m kinda nervous. My goal is to lose a bit more weight before we try to get pregnant again (aiming for a good soild BMI) and so I’m not sure how to add fats into my diet without sabotaging all the progress that I’ve made.
I was curious as to about how much fat you allow into your daily diet. And if you have input on weight loss while including fats.
Thanks so much! I’m really glad I ran across your site!
The best book I’ve read so far on this topic is “Eat Fat, Lose Fat” By Mary Enig. It’s an easy read and helps you understand the role of fats in our diet. To lose weight, she recommends 10% protein, 60% fat, and 30% carbs. I’ve done this diet a few times and really like it. The fats you consume are mainly coconut oil, organic butter, and cod liver oil. It keeps your insulin levels down and gives you lots of energy while losing weight. It took me many years to get over the idea that “fat makes us fat”. And after eating plenty of healthy saturated fats (coconut oil, organic butter, cod liver oil) for many years now I can honestly say it helps keep me slim. When I get into bad habits and start eating more carbs and less fat I usually notice weight come on. I highly recommend her book. She has several meal plans in there for losing weight. Another fantastic book that I just read is “Why we Get Fat” by Gary Taubes. I couldn’t put that one down. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much! I will definitely be reading these! I really appreciate it!
I keep finding myself reading about gluten-free, dairy-free, fermented, GAPS, WAPF, Paleo, and other seemingly extreme diet ideas that claim scientific support. I don’t have obvious health issues that make me suspect any food allergies or gut problems, and yet I wonder if I would have more energy and less depression/anxiety and fewer environmental allergies if I did one of these diets — and would it be worth the social, taste, and familial costs.
What’s your perspective?
That’s a great question, especially since you say you don’t have any major health issues. From my perspective, if you’re healthy then following the WAPF diet would be great. Whole grains, grass-fed meats, healthy saturated fats, organic dairy, and vegetables will help your body perform at it’s optimum level. You would probably notice your allergies subside and you will most likely have more energy. If you don’t have any issues with gluten or diary, then a diet free of them might not do you much good (of course, this is just my opinion).
It’s totally worth it taste-wise. All of the “real” stuff tastes so much better. So I don’t think you’d have much problem there. I still splurge, so if I’m out with a group, I make the best choice I can and then simply enjoy. No use in beating myself up. After several years of eating this way, I don’t even crave the processed foods anymore, in fact, they kinda make my stomach turn.
I follow the WAPF diet, but also really have to watch my gluten intake so I only have it every once in a while. I also ferment a few foods and eat them on a regular basis. I did the GAPS diet for a full year when I first found out I had Hashimoto’s. I needed to heal my gut and give my liver a break. So all of the different diets have come in handy for different stages in my life. It’s really a matter of personal preference but definitely worth looking into.
I should clarify that while I don’t have any obvious connection between health concerns and gluten or dairy, I wonder if I have a non-obvious connection — because some folks claim a link with depression, and/or energy, and I do notice sometimes a slight sick stomach feeling after cereal or oatmeal.
Meanwhile I’ll keep on keeping on towards more organic. We already eat grass-fed beef and free range eggs, but still have conventional poultry, “organic” milk from the store, and conventional butter. We use a lot of whole grain, with some white flour for better textures and tastes for most things. I haven’t done much soaking or fermenting of grains — first two tries of oatmeal soaked with whey or yogurt were awful, (still need to try with buttermilk) and I never really loved anything I made with sourdough, with the exception of english muffins. I have tried many ferments, some more than once even, and have yet to really like any of them — my own sauerkraut and pickles and salsa, someone else’s kefir and kombucha (I might just might get to like kombucha). I’ll likely try pickles again, maybe kimchi. And I am dismayed, very dismayed, to find that I do not like the taste of raw milk and butter. So while I rave over the beef, and I love fresh veggies and fruits and and most stuff with whole grains, not everything WAPF tastes better to me.
If only I could make a whole wheat french bread that is as good as white! Or a sourdough sandwich loaf that wouldn’t crumble too much, wouldn’t taste too sour for peanut butter…
Thank you for your response.
Also, what ferments do you regularly eat / drink?
I make my own sauerkraut, kefir (just started), and beet kvass. I’ve always loved sauerkraut but the others I eat b/c I know they are good for me.
I’ve noticed that as I’ve gone along my taste for fermented foods has grown. The kombucha you tried – was is sour or sweet? If it was sour then it probably fermented too long. I forgot about my kombucha one week and had to throw it out b/c it was way to sour.
My favorite bread book is “Whole Grain Breads” by Peter Reinhardt. Every recipe calls for soaking overnight. He has a recipe for just about every type of bread out there. They are all really great. Also, have you tried whole wheat pastry flour? It’s much lighter in texture than whole wheat flour eliminating your need to substitute with white flour in other recipes. If you haven’t tried it then maybe start with this recipe: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/whole-wheat-waffles/ (It might just convert you.)
The kombucha I tried was sweet.
I have used some information from Reinhardt’s website about sourdough; will have to look for the book at the library and give it a shot.
I haven’t tried whole wheat pastry flour — my question about it would be the same as my question about “white” whole wheat flour — how exactly does it get to be so fine and white-flour-like, and does that extra processing negate its whole-grain-ness?
Pancakes and waffles I make with all whole wheat; bread, pizza, biscuits, cakes, cookies, I make with a blend. I’ll have to try your waffle recipe — the one in my cookbook had a variation for buttermilk but it wasn’t as tasty as the buttermilk pancakes are.
Oh, and I’ve made the butterflied chicken twice — I love how it turns out. It cooks faster, gets a nice crispy skin, the inside is thoroughly cooked but not dry.
{ 1 trackback }