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One of the most painful parts of trying to eat healthier is usually a busy schedule we have, with very little time to cook. But after some time, you are starting to understand how to go super-fast with cooking, even making ahead for a couple of days. But it's really not that easy when you are new to this, and you don't really know what to cook and then usually you cook something easy like rice or buckwheat and if you don't add right ingredients to those amazing grains...well, they shucks, and again you are ordering from a restaurant or getting something on foot. Not that delightful neither for your health, neither for your pocket.
Don't get me wrong I love restaurants and fast food, and food in general. But the hint here is that I eat in those places just when I really want to have an experience, not just to feed my tummy. I hope you understood what I meant. Don't hesitate to share your struggles down below in the comments.
So what about this Risotto Alla Caprese, even though it sounds super fancy, but in reality, it is one of the easiest dishes you can make in a bunch. Of course, it's not the classic risotto, because here I wanted to have the most similar risotto-like dish but easy and with no specific skills required. I even made mine in a multicooker (amazing thing to have at home if you are busy) so I even haven't cooked rice myself - that's how easy it is :D
But of course today we will combine a bit of knowledge about Risotto and Caprese and the recipe just down below!
Risotto (/rɪˈzɒtoʊ/, Italian: [riˈzɔtto], from riso meaning "rice") is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and parmesan cheese. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. Saffron was originally used for flavor and its signature yellow color.
Risotto in Italy is normally the first course served before the main course, but risotto alla Milanese is often served with ossobuco alla Milanese as the main course.
Rice has been grown in southern Italy since the 14th century, and its cultivation eventually reached Milan in the north. While, according to a legend, a young glassblower's apprentice from Flanders, who used to use saffron as a pigment, added it to a rice dish at a wedding feast, the first recipe identifiable as risotto dates from 1809. It includes rice sautéed in butter, sausages, bone marrow, onions with hot broth with saffron gradually added. There is a recipe for a dish named as risotto in the 1854 Trattato di Cucina ('Treatise on Cooking') by Giovanni Vialardi, assistant chief chef to kings. However, the question of who invented the risotto in Milan remains unanswered today.
The rice varieties now associated with risotto were developed in the 20th century, starting with Maratelli in 1914.
Caprese
The Italian classic is thought to originate from the Island of Capri, but there has been no way to officially determine where it came from. It is however credited to the southern Italian region of Campania. Caprese is considered a summer dish, in part to the ingredients being in season at that time, specifically the tomatoes. What makes caprese so amazing is its simplicity, traditionally using only 4 ingredients of buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di bufala), basil, tomato, and extra virgin olive oil. It did not gain world fame until the 1950s when it was discovered by Egyptian King Farouk while on vacation. He is also credited to inventing the caprese sandwich, one of his favorite ways of eating it, and one of our best sellers!
Not only is Caprese an incredibly simple dish, but it is also very versatile. There is caprese salad, the original, as well as the aforementioned sandwich. It can be also made into lasagna, pizza, put on bread, skewered, made into soup, and many more. There are also many different variations, such as replacing tomatoes with red bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, radicchio, and even watermelon caprese salad.
And now it's time to jump straight to the recipe!
Prep: 2 min
Cook time: 5 min (if your rice is precooked in multicooker if not + 40 minutes in multicooker or in a pan for around 15-20 minutes (depend on the type of rice) - follow the instruction from the pack)
Level: easy
Servings: 4 portions
Calories per serving: 409 kcal
Find the recipe & nutrition facts below :
Ingredients:
270 gr. (1 cup + 1tbsp) uncooked rice (Arborio works the best for the creamy texture)
400 gr. can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp pesto
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
400 gr. can of beans (black or red kidney) (optional but a good source of protein)
Method:
Step 1: Rinse and drain the rice and cook in a multicooker or in a pan following instructions from the package.
Step 2: Right after the rice is cooked(you need your rice to be hot) add canned chopped tomatoes and sugar, give it a good stir. (sugar removes the sourness from tomatoes)
Step 3: Place pesto, white wine, and spices (salt, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper), stir again.
Step 4: Then if desired add a can of beans and stir one more time until well combined.
Step 5: Store in a fridge for up to 5 days.