Riso Venere con la Zucca

I know, I promised you some healthy Italian recipes. I’ve been super busy this week, so I’ll update you now! I have been eating healthily as promised and doing a fair bit of running with the pooch (she’s all better). I have lost about a kilo so it all seems to be working!

One of the tastiest of the recipes I made this week, as well as being one of the most colourful was this rice dish – it looks like Halloween and tastes like heaven! I am a huge fan of squashas I’m sure you will have noticed, so this was perfect for me.

You will need (serves 1)

120g black rice  – you use more because it doesn’t expand the way other rice does.
A cupful of winter squash or pumpkin chopped into cubes
1 tsp olive oil
a sprig of Rosemary, chopped
a clove of Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. simmer the rice over a low heat in lightly salted water, just enough to cover the rice – keep it moist, if it looks like it is drying out add a cup of water. The rice will take around 30 minutes, when it is almost done let most of the water boil off then turn off the heat. The rice will absorb what is left in about 5 minutes.

2, heat the olive oil with the garlic until it begins to soften, then add the squash and cook. If it looks a bit dry add a little water, or some more oil if you aren’t on a diet!

3. Once the squash is almost cooked, add the rosemary and stir. Wait until it is completely cooked and remove from the heat.

4. Briskly mix the parmesan cheese in with the rice – this will make is more compact. Spoon it into the centre of a plate and top with the squash.

Voilà! Provides just 450 calories, 80g of carbs, 12g of fat and 14g of protein. Plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals in the black rice too. Enjoy!

With love, from Italy