Discover a fast and easy way to make a lovely creamy ancient grain risotto using buckwheat groats, amaranth, mushrooms and cottage cheese. Gluten-free!
Happy Tuesday everyone!
There are some days when I look at my dry store/pantry and love all the endless opportunity that the legumes and ancient grains offer. Literally any dish is possible!
I have always been a major sucker for risotto, but I have never been a huge fan of standing over the pot stirring, stirring, stirring for an age while it cooks. I also get a little sick of basic rice risotto. I think I have told you before that my perception of white rice is that it is pretty bland at the best of times. I’m not sure if it can be called empty calories, but it certainly feels that way to me most of the time.
So, in my search for interesting and tasty risottos that don’t contain white rice, I ask you to all say hello to this amaranth and buckwheat groats risotto, which contains, funnily enough, amaranth and buckwheat groats :-).
Both of these ancient grains are available at my local whole foods store. The buckwheat groats is available in large bins so it makes it pretty affordable allowing me to buy only what I need. Both of these grains are also gluten free which is good news to anyone with gluten intolerance!
I only use a small amount of amaranth in this dish. I add it because I think it gives the risotto a little bit more of a sticky texture, but you can leave it out as it can sometimes be expensive, depending on availability.
I tend to use cottage cheese in my risottos now as it is less expensive than using a pile of parmesan and also because it gives the risotto a lovely goo-ey texture – trust me!
This dish is so luxurious,
it’s creamy
it’s mushroomy
it’s filling
and
it should feed 4 people easily.
If you have leftovers it is even delicious cold the next day . . . or you can make my Porcini Mushroom & Ancient Grains Arincini Balls!
Enjoy
x
Lisa
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- ⅓ cup amaranth (optional)
- 1 bunch fresh sage, chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 1½ onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15g porcini mushrooms
- 8 button mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 6 shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 2 portobello mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 200g cottage cheese
- 1 cup white wine
- 3½ cups of vegetable stock
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp olive oil spread (olivio) or butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt, for seasoning
- pepper, for seasoning
- Pour boiling water over the buckwheat groats and amaranth and leave to soak for 10 minutes then drain.
- Pour ½ cup of water over the porcini mushrooms and leave for 15 minutes to soak. Once soaked remove the porcini mushrooms and add the porcini mushroom water to the stock. Make sure you check that there is no grit still in the porcini mushrooms (wash if necessary). Also make sure there is no grit in the porcini water before adding it to the stock.
- Put half of the butter and oil in a pan and add the garlic and onions and fry on a low heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add the buckwheat and amaranth and fry for 3 minutes, covering with butter and olive oil.
- Turn up the heat and add the wine, stirring until all of the wine is absorbed.
- Add 2 cups of stock and stir occasionally until absorbed.
- Meanwhile in a frying pan, add the rest of the butter and oil and sage and mushrooms. Fry for about 7 minutes until they are nicely soft.
- Add another cup of stock to the buckwheat and cook until it is absorbed.
- Add the parsley and mushrooms and sage to the risotto and cook adding the rest of the stock until it is all absorbed. It should take about 45 minutes.
- Just before serving stir in the cottage cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with more sage leaves and some parmesan if you fancy it.
- If you have leftovers, don't forget to try my Porcini Mushroom & Ancient Grains Arincini Balls!
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