Sunny Seeds Nutrition

I’m so excited to embark on this Weekday Vegetarian/Instant Pot® (IP) journey with you!
Today, I’m going to highlight a recipe that is a fan favorite in our house. I have to point out that I NEVER made risotto until I started using my IP. I’ve now made the recipe below easily 10 times, if not more. I love it because it’s packed with nutrition (including fiber!) and it’s also a way that my kiddos (3 and 5) can eat rice and not spill little rice grains all over the place! So, without further delay…

Instant Pot® Mushroom Risotto
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup Arborio rice (a short-grain white rice)
¾ cup brown/whole grain short-grain rice
4-5 large garlic cloves OR 3 large shallots, chopped
4 fluid ounces dry white wine or dry marsala wine (*if using dry marsala cooking wine, then omit the salt below)
28 fluid ounces mushroom broth
8 oz of your favorite fresh mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt * (see wine note above)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Select sauté on your IP and allow to heat.
2. Add butter/ghee and oil to cooking pot.
3. Add rice and garlic/shallots and stir for 3 minutes.
4. Add wine and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
5. Mix in mushroom broth, mushrooms and sea salt(*).
6. Lock lid in place and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes. When beep is heard, do a quick release.
7. Turn IP off and then select sauté again. Stir rice until creamy and tender.
8. Mix in cheese and season risotto with pepper, to taste.
9. ENJOY!

On our vegetarian days, I’ll serve this as the main entrée with a side of fresh vegetables (in salad form or just cut-up veggies) and a slice of:

Super easy/healthy/delicious garlic bread!

Ingredients
1 slice of whole grain bread (choose a bread that offers 3 grams of fiber or more per slice)
1 teaspoon of butter, cut into chunks
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients on the bread.
2. Toast until butter is melted and bread is slightly browned.
3. ENJOY!

As promised, I mentioned in my introductory post that I’d nutritionally-highlight one of the ingredients from each posted recipe. So, I think the obvious choice for today’s Nutrition Highlight is…

MUSHROOMS!

Mushrooms usually don’t get noticed nutritionally, but they truly pack a substantial health punch!

Mushrooms contain:
Antioxidants: protect cells from damaging molecules (‘free radicals’)
Fiber: improves digestion and/or decreases blood cholesterol
Phosphorus: critical part of cell membranes, DNA & RNA, important in bone mineralization, energy production, cell-signaling and body acid/base balance
Potassium: helps maintain proper blood pressure and fluid balance, lowers risk for kidney stones, and is associated with increased bone mineral density
Selenium: involved in DNA synthesis, defends against oxidative stress, helps combat infection, and is a part of proper reproductive and thyroid function
If grown in sunlight or exposed to ultraviolet light, mushrooms provide a good amount of vitamin D2: needed to maintain strong bones (promotes calcium absorption), helps with muscle, nerve and immune function
Zinc: helps the body fight off infection and with wound healing, helps make protein and DNA

So, there you have it. . . the first Vegetarian IP recipe of many!

Please feel free to ask questions about my experience with the IP, Weekday Vegetarianism, mushrooms, general nutrition or whatever! See you next time!

References:
1.http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus
2.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/
3. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/
4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
5. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Consumer/

Disclaimer:
Any content you find on Sunny Seeds Nutrition Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.