Health Benefits of Vegan Mushroom Risotto & Recipe

This dairy-free recipe for a classic mushroom risotto is delicious and nutritious, carrying many health benefits!

It is super-easy and quick to make - excluding time for the rice to cook; it takes just under 10 minutes!

(If the rice is uncooked, add on an extra 30 mins).

This dish is perfect for when you just want to relax and throw something together quickly, but that you know is still deeply benefitting your body.

Brown rice, black (wild) rice, mushrooms, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast and parsley enrich this dish with nutrition.

Main health and beauty benefits of each ingredient of the risotto (recipe further down the page):

BROWN RICE: The wholegrain mother of its stripped counterpart white rice, this integrative grain carries fibre for an efficient digestive system, protein to build and repair tissues, antioxidants to keep you young, selenium which maintains skin elasticity and promotes beautiful hair, magnesium to grow strong bones and contribute to nerve health, vitamins B1, B3 and B6, Vitamin E, folic acid, manganese for weight loss and phenols which are anti-cancer. . BLACK/WILD RICE: Black rice, aka wild rice, aka forbidden rice was a prized commodity in Ancient China, where it is rumored that it was reserved solely for the Emperor and Royal Family for centuries. The bran of black rice contains the highest amount of anthocyanins - a key antioxidant - amongst ANY food - even blueberries!! Anthocyanins fight free radical damage in the body, boost cardiovascular health, improve eyesight and even suppress cancer cells. Black rice also detoxifies the liver, improves the digestive system and promotes health of the brain. .

🍄MUSHROOMS: Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein in a vegetarian and vegan diet, and are a rare plant source of Vitamin D! The body uses Vitamin D, usually sourced from sunlight, to absorb calcium and promote healthy bones. Also in the line of promoting bone health, mushrooms carry iron, copper and Selenium. Selenium is a key selling point of mushrooms that is often overlooked! It can be hard to source in a vegetarian diet but mushrooms are rich in Selenium. Selenium increases bone strength and longevity. It also strengthens the teeth, nails and hair, as well as acting as a powerful antioxidant to sweep the body from free radicals. Ergothioneine, another powerful antioxidant found uniquely in mushrooms, sweeps the body of free radicals as well as boosting the immune system. Mushrooms are naturally antimicrobial, which boosts the entire immune system and research has also found that the fungi also have anti-cancer properties, with the ability to significantly suppress breast cancer cells! Lentinan, found in shiitake mushrooms, has been approved to treat stomach cancer in Japan for over thirty years. Mushrooms also improve the blood circulatory system by lowering the blood pressure and lowering cholesterol with their chitin and beta-glucan fibres. Phytonutrients and potassium in mushrooms clear the blood vessel walls. Lastly but just as importantly, mushrooms tend to carry high amounts of phosphorus and calcium.

ONIONS: Onions contain one of the most powerful antioxidants for rejuvenating the skin - quercetin - which neutralizes free radical damage and also protects against heavy metal damage and strengthens the blood capillaries to prevent varicose veins. Onions are full of Vitamin A, C and E which are the most powerful antioxidants for keeping the body young, and also contain flavonoids to detoxify the liver. Onions help the blood circulation by increasing elasticity of blood vessel walls and by thinning clumps in the blood vessels, facilitating the flow of oxygen more freely to the cells.

GARLIC: Garlic, like onion, is excellent for the blood circulation as it thins the blood. Like onions, garlic contains a plethora of antioxidants, and garlic also aids the lympathic system which is the body's 'secondary circulatory system' through waste elimination. Garlic is antimicrobial and has a powerful antiseptic effect - raw garlic was used topically to treat wounds in the World Wars. NUTRITIONAL YEAST (OPTIONAL): Nutritional yeast is a powerhouse of nutrients whose flavour lends itself an excellent vegan alternative to cheese! It is a good source of complete protein for vegans and contains sixteen different amino acids and lots of B vitamins (including Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6 and folate). Nutritional yeast also usually contains B12 or is fortified with it, which is unusual for a vegan food. Lastly, it carries phosphorus and chromium, which can assist in weight loss.

PARSLEY (OPTIONAL): This herb is a superfood due to its ability to cleanse the body of heavy metals. Heavy metals from pollution and even from eating seafood get stored in the body's fat cells where they contribute towards ageing and the appearance of cellulite. As parsley cleanses the fat cells of the metal, it can reduce the appearance of cellulite and give the body a younger appearance as the ageing heavy metals are removed. Parsley further adds to rejuvenation through its high antioxidant content of vitamin A, C and E. This potent herb also offers Vitamin K to build and support healthy bones, and folate which is beneficial for pregnant women or women trying to conceive. Parsley is rich in iron, and even freshens the breath through elimination of microbes in the mouth.

RECIPE

Serves 2

Ingredients

· 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

· 1/2 an onion, diced

· 3 garlic cloves, minced

· 100g rice

· 500ml water

· 100g mushrooms, sliced

· 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

· Fresh parsley to garnish

· Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive or coconut oil in a large frying or saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and saute on a medium-low heat until soft.

2. Stir in the mushrooms and cook together for a couple of minutes.

3. Pour in the water and add in the rice. Bring the whole pan to the boil and reduce to simmer for around 30 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed. Continue to stir in more hot water whenever necessary. OR, if rice is already cooked, simply stir in the cooked rice and cook for a few minutes, till the ingredients have blended well together.

4. Once the rice, onions, garlic and mushrooms have cooked, simply stir in the nutritional yeast (optional), stir in a handful of chopped fresh parsley (also optional) and season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve and enjoy

You can also add in additional vegetables for taste and nutrition, such as green or yellow peppers, asparagus, spinach, etc.