Tag: Rice

Purple rice is ideal for dieters – here's why – Italian Cuisine

Its colored beans are a concentrate of substances beneficial for health and for the figure. Find out what they are and how to make the most of them at the table

In the supermarket and organic shops you can find different types of rice. One of the newest to try is purple rice, also known as violet rice. Traditional ingredient of oriental cuisine, this exotic-looking variety is also grown in Italy. Thanks to its particularly aromatic taste, it is ideal for preparing risottos, soups, salads and even desserts. From a nutritional point of view it is a very valuable cereal because it is wholemeal, therefore much richer than refined grains in vitamins, minerals and other precious substances. It also provides a large amount of polyphenols, called anthocyanins, responsible for the purple color that act on health and on the figure in various ways. With the help of Valentina Galiazzo, a nutrition biologist specialized in clinical biochemistry, let's see what benefits purple rice has and why it is convenient to use it in the kitchen.

What it contains

«Purple rice is rich in fiber that gives you satiety. They limit the absorption of sugars and the secretion of insulin, which predisposes to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, overweight and many other disorders ", explains nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. It also ensures good amounts of tryptophan. "This amino acid in the body promotes the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for the regulation of hunger".

What is different from other varieties

Compared to white and semi-wholemeal ones, purple rice grains ensure a higher content of antioxidants, including flavonoids called anthocyanins. «It is a category of polyphenols that have a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action on organs and tissues. They counteract the action of free radicals that damage cells and promote aging. They then strengthen the body's defenses and promote the disposal of waste substances and excess fluids accumulated with food. And finally they act on the circulation: they improve the fluidity of the blood and lower the risk of encountering high cholesterol, triglycerides and hypertension .

How to combine it at the table

Purple rice is rich in fat-soluble vitamins. In particular, it has a good content of vitamin A, an ally of the skin and vitamin K, precious for joint health. "To facilitate its assimilation, it is essential to associate it with a source of lipids such as extra virgin olive oil, hazelnuts, cheeses or salmon and all varieties of blue fish. To increase its anti-aging power, however, the ideal is to combine it in recipes with vegetables such as red cabbage and radicchio, which are also rich in powerful antioxidants ".

Purple rice is ideal for dieters - here's why

Here are the other benefits of purple rice

Counteracts cellulite

Purple rice is rich in antioxidants that strengthen blood vessel walls and promote microcirculation.

Quench your hunger

Thanks to the richness of fiber, it helps to modulate blood sugar, the level of sugar in the blood and induces satiety.

Promotes relaxation

Purple rice is a source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, a precursor of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Combats fatigue

Thanks to the richness of complex carbohydrates and B vitamins, it guarantees long-lasting energy.

Promotes intestinal health

Purple rice is a source of soluble fiber that favors the multiplication of "good" microorganisms in the intestinal flora, which positively affect the health of the whole organism.

Recipe Mini rice arancini with prawns and green beans – Italian Cuisine

To keep the arancini more compact, pass them in egg and breadcrumbs twice: this operation will also help to give the typical slightly pear shape as well as making the covering more robust and crunchy

Ingredients

500 g fresh prawns
500 g breadcrumbs
300 g Carnaroli rice
120 g clean green beans
50 g fresh ginger
50 g butter
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano Dop
30 g dried ginger
3 eggs
1 g celery stalk
1 carrot
1 spring onion
1 onion
dill
lemon
dry white wine
peanut oil
extra virgin olive oil
coarse and fine salt
pepper

Duration: 1 h 45 min

Level: Medium

Doses: 20 pieces

Clean shrimp, keeping the scraps: peel the tails and remove the dark fillet of the intestine. Put them in the fridge.
Collect the scraps of the shrimp and the heads emptied into a saucepan with the onion, carrot and celery, a pinch of coarse salt and 2 liters of water. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes from the boil, finally filtered, obtaining a broth.
Chop fresh ginger and mash it in a sieve to get the juice. Cut the dried one into cubes.
Chop the white of the spring onion and brown it in a saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for 2 minutes, then toast the rice. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and cook with the shrimp broth, adding it little by little until cooked, in about 15 minutes. In the last 6-7 minutes, add the green beans cut into spools.
Switch off, whisk the risotto with the butter and Parmesan, add the shrimp tails cut into small pieces, the ginger juice and the cubes, a drizzle of oil and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper, spread the risotto on a tray, cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool.
Model it then in arancini as large as an apricot (about 50 g each); pass them in the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.
Fry them in peanut oil at 175 ° C for 3-4 minutes and drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
Serve completing with grated lemon zest.

the version with rice, lentils and crunchy bacon – Italian Cuisine

For those who have never tried stuffed onions, for those who have never tried to stuff them with lentils. A delicious appetizer, soft and crunchy at the same time

When you think about onions the classic probably comes to mind sautéed, indispensable base for a thousand dishes. But onions are also perfect as a main ingredient, for example stuffed. Their delicate taste makes them suitable to be stuffed with different foods, to obtain a soft and succulent casket. Do you want a light aperitif, but at the same time rich in taste? Prepare these onions stuffed with rice and lentils, wrapped in bacon. You will like them a lot!

Onions to use

Of onions there are different qualities, some sweeter, others with a stronger flavor. In any case you can leave them to soak for about 30 minutes. This way they will lose their pungent tone and have a more delicate aroma. Before stuffing them, dry them with an absorbent paper towel to prevent them from remaining too moist and breaking when cooking.

Rice but not only

For the rice, you will have to boil the cereal separately, and then mix it with the lentils. You can also stuff these onions with spelled or barley: the procedure remains the same, but it will no longer be a dish suitable for those who suffer from celiac disease.

Stuffed onions

The recipe for onions stuffed with rice and lentils, wrapped in crunchy bacon

Ingredients

4 medium-sized onions, breadcrumbs (gluten-free if you want it to be a dish suitable for celiacs), 250 g boiled rice, 200 g boiled lentils, 1 carrot, extra virgin olive oil, 16 slices of bacon.

Method

First clean the onions, cut them in half, and sear them in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. At this point, drain them with a slotted spoon, dry them and remove the central part. In a pan, fry the sliced carrot in a little oil. When it is golden, add the already boiled lentils, cook, add salt and turn off. With a mixer, reduce them to a puree, adding a spoonful of water if necessary. In a bowl, mix the rice and lentil puree, season with salt and stuff the onions with a spoonful of this filling. Level well, sprinkle the onions with a thin layer of breadcrumbs and then wrap them with two slices of bacon. Arrange the onions in an oiled baking dish, one next to the other, place in a hot oven and cook for 10 minutes at 175 °. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

In the tutorial some tips for a perfect dish

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