Risotto is a classic Italian dish known for its creamy texture and rich flavor. But eaters beware, that’s surely not an innocent bowl of rice you’re dealing with. I looked up the nutrition stats from some popular restaurants and check this out: One popular shrimp risotto had 620 calories, 30 grams of fat and 2,530 milligrams of sodium. A lobster risotto at a different restaurant had 1,103 calories and 25 grams of fat. Yet another joint served a cheese risotto with 1,280 calories and 110 grams of fat. Jeez, what kind of cheese are they using? Or is it the whole cow? The vegetable and lemon risottos scored a little better, but not much.
I found a way to lighten up shrimp risotto without taking away its creamy goodness. The key is quality ingredients and lots of stirring. I replace most of the fat with flavorful broth – beef broth. That might sound odd, but it gives the risotto a “surf and turf” quality. I add roasted garlic for depth of flavor and I stir frequently for the entire 20-25 minute cooking time (stirring encourages the starch and broth to create a creamy sauce).
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By now you’ve probably heard about the recent findings of FDA and Consumer Reports investigations. Testing discovered alarmingly high amount of arsenic in rice and rice products. Tainted foods included infant cereals and formula, breakfast cereals, brown rice and even rice milk.
What is Arsenic?
This naturally existing element can be found in the air, soil and water supply in varying amounts. Consumption over time has been linked to certain types of cancer and deficits in neurological development.
It’s difficult to assess just how much arsenic is too much. Furthermore, it’s not well understood just how long the body holds on it – so it’s unclear how much can accumulate in the system over time.
The Environmental Protection Agency deems small amount of arsenic safe for consumption but recent reports have found the amounts found in rice to be beyond this “safe” dose.
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- Eggs and cheese: (nutritionally) better together.
Some foods just taste great together, like milk and cookies. But others pairs actually work together to help your body get the most nutrition bang for its buck. Here are 5 of the most powerful food combos.
Eat it together: 5 power food combos »
- Ricotta-Spinach Tacos - Photo by Antonis Achilleos/Food Network Magazine
When you’re craving Mexican food, tacos top the list of need-to-have foods. With some simple swaps, tacos can be part of a healthy diet — read through our tips to find out how to order (or make them yourself).
Get tips for healthier tacos »
Just because they call it “Fat Tuesday” doesn’t mean you need to interpret that literally. Celebrate Mardi Gras tomorrow with Southern-style dishes but leave the sticks of butter, mounds of meat and gobs of heavy cream off the shopping list. These healthy picks will make your mouth water.
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Brown rice is an old standby in the whole-grain world, but it doesn’t always get the love it deserves. Find out all the delicious ways you can savor this easy-to-cook grain.
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In this week’s nutrition news: More evidence that obesity decreases your life expectancy, drinking sugary sodas may lead to diabetes during pregnancy and China will soon produce genetically modified rice.
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This week, we told you about some of our quick and easy foods — cottage cheese, leftover rice and top picks for jarred pasta sauces. You came back with even more ways to love them. Here are some of our favorite ideas.
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Make extra rice on purpose and use up the leftovers all week. Here are five delicious ways to clean out that fridge stockpile.
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Did you know combining rice and beans creates a perfect protein? Problem is, many folks sabotage this healthy dish by adding too much fat. Done right, rice and beans can be flavor-packed, quick-and-easy choice. Here is how we do it.
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