Whole Grain Risotto with Kale and Carrots

Hearty whole grain risotto with kale and carrots is a delicious side dish that goes great with salmon or chicken.

This post is part of the Virtual Potluck! We are teaming up with Bob’s Red Mill and California Olive Ranch to bring you four weeks of healthy eating–A Healthy New Year. This week I’m focusing on a side dish.

For the side dish, we were challenged to pair Bob’s Red Mill’s Grande Whole Grains with California Olive Ranch’s Miller’s Blend Olive Oil. The grain mix includes hard red white wheat, long grain brown rice, whole oats, whole rye, whole triticale, whole barley, white buckwheat, and sesame seeds. Bob’s Red Mill suggests using these grains as a cereal, a pilaf in salads, soups, and pita bread or as a stir- fry with vegetables. California Olive Ranch describes Miller’s Blend as having a “fruity beginning balanced with a bit of pepper at the end.”

I chose to make a risotto and I served it as a side with a roasted chicken.  And let me tell you, this is such nutritious risotto. I love eating healthy foods, it just makes you feel so good. When I got home from the grocery store with this week’s groceries, I washed another huge bunch of kale and put it into the fridge with a smile on my face, knowing that I would be eating so well this week. Okay–so maybe that sounds a little cheesy, but it’s true. I feel better about myself when I’m putting healthy foods into my body.

The grains do retain a fair amount of bite to them (that’s FIBER folks!), so it isn’t smooth like traditional risotto. It is much more chewy. More like a pilaf. The flavors in this are great and I kind of like the chewiness of the grains.

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Whole Grain Risotto with Kale and Carrots

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Hearty whole grain risotto with kale and carrots is a delicious side dish that goes great with salmon or chicken.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups Grande Whole Grains (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 cups chopped kale, lightly packed
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, stirring frequently.
2. Add wine and scrape off any bits that may be on the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for 2-4 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and fresh thyme and bring to a boil. Add the grains, stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 30 minutes.
4. Add chopped kale and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or until grains have softened and liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. If desired, drizzle with additional olive oil.

Notes

• Recipe adapted generously from Bob's Red Mill.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 of 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 1127mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

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