It’s spring!! I can’t say how amazing it is to feel the lightness in the air. There’s a honeysuckle bush right outside my house and every time I step out I get a rush of it’s fragrance and I am enveloped by it’s sweet smell. It’s wonderful to hear the birds out, to feel the warm light on my skin as the sun is out. It’s just a beautiful time with the Earth coming alive again.  I feel a strongly that it’s time for our bodies to come alive again as well, using the foods of the season.

One of my favorite foods of the spring season is asparagus. Their bright green stalks are crunchy, full of beneficial nutrients and help reboot your system for spring. Spring is a time to dust off the remnants of winter and allow the light to come into our bodies both psychically and mentally. Asparagus is a great food to add to your diet to help aid in the natural detoxification process as it’s full of potassium, B Vitamins, Vitamin K and Folic Acid.

Ever wonder what causes that awful asparagus pee smell? It  contains aspargine which is great for clearing the urinary tract and filters so quickly through your system. We all know it doesn’t take long to know after you’ve eaten asparagus! With beneficial fibers in can aid in digestion and help to fight belly bloat – which is huge for people with inflammatory issues, the better digestion the better we tend to feel!

When I lived in Italy I had traditional  risotto (rice) quite often. It was perfect for my budget, left me feeling full for a while and when there were endless flavors like pumpkin sage, fig prosciutto and lemon with muscles, what’s not love! I wanted to recreate some of those fond memories in a meat-free dish for spring that’s sure to leave you feeling light but not without fuel.

The combination of meaty Shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower and asparagus make this “risotto” a main dish contender! It’s so simple and light but will leave you feeling satiated. The fragrant Shiitake mushrooms standout alongside the asparagus and give the “risotto” an earthy and silky flavor. Say hello to spring with this simple “risotto”!

MUSHROOM ASPARAGUS “RISOTTO” {AIP+PALEO}

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin (Great Lakes – red can)

1 1/2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons broth (chicken, turkey or beef)

3 1/2 cups riced cauliflower (roughly 1 head)

1 cup chopped asparagus spears

 

Process

1. Heat coconut milk in a sauce pan on low heat. Add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Then add in the mushrooms and allow to simmer on low for 5 minutes.

2. While the milk and mushroom simmer, rice your cauliflower and chop your asparagus.

3. Add salt, garlic powder and broth to the pan and stir together. Then add in the cauliflower to pan and stir until fully covered. Simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes.

4. Next add the asparagus spears and stir together. Simmer again for 5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green in color and just tender.

5. Prepare a freezer-safe bowl, pour risotto mixture into the bowl and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. At this point I promise it is piping hot, it will barely cool it down but it will allow for it to come a safe temperature and for the gelatin to work it’s magic!

6. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Enjoy!

Love and light,

 

Kari