I had the chance to interview the fit and fantastic Olympic gold medal winner Natalie Coughlin the other week all about nutrition, food allergy awareness and her role as a spokeswoman for California Dried Plums. Along with good vibes and smart info, she left me with this killer recipe for authentic risotto with dried plums and radicchio. Enjoy!
When Natalie Coughlin has friends over, she likes to stir up a creamy risotto with arugula, radicchio and just the right touch of fruity sweetness from California Dried Plums. This easy, elegant recipe is sure to be a winner at your house, too.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 6 cups hot low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup coarsely chopped arugula
- 1 cup coarsely chopped radicchio
- 1 cup (about 6 ounces) quartered California pitted dried plums
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Daiya cheese if lactose-intolerant
- 1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
- Salt and pepper
- Shaved Parmesan cheese or Daiya cheese for topping
Servings: 6
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add rice and garlic; cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until rice is hot. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine; stir until wine is absorbed. Add chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next addition. When rice is tender and creamy, stir in arugula, radicchio, dried plums, grated cheese and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Portion into 6 shallow bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 272 calories; 19 mg cholesterol; 9 g total fat; 5 g sat fat; 3 g mono fat; 1 g poly fat; 0 g trans fat; 339 mg sodium; 40 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 3 g fiber; 484 mg potassium
To read Natalie’s story and more stellar California Dried Plums recipes, check out her website at http://www.Tummywise.com
