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Lemon & Asparagus Risotto

Yum

May 8, 2018 By Laura Ligos, MBA, RD, CSSD Leave a Comment

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This Lemon & Asparagus Risotto comes just in time to give you a filling yet light dish for Spring.  Enjoy it topped with grilled shrimp or use it as a side dish at a BBQ.

Nothing beats sunshine and 70-degree weather, am I right? I am LOVING spring and don’t even mind the occasional rain shower. Since it is {finally} spring, that means I need lighter dishes that don’t feel so much like comfort food but instead feel like a refreshing spring rain shower or a light breezy day.

I am a fan of rice and more specifically risotto. If you’re curious, risotto is just rice cooked in broth. I find it to easy to digest and incredibly energizing. It is not like sugar where I get an immediate jolt of energy only to be followed by a swift and drastic crash. Rice happens to give me a boost of energy without that looming crash. Others may disagree but with my level of activity, the carbs are my friend and I would much rather eat real food carbs than junk food. Add some veggies in there, and we have risotto for the win.

My Risotto History

Excuse my swimmer’s hair, it’s amazing it was even pulled back (probably because it was a requirement). Disclaimer: I probably had no idea we were taking pictures that day, even though I’m sure we were told. (Circa 2010)

Fun fact: I have a bit of a history with risotto. Who doesn’t, right? Haha, no idea if you have a history with risotto but I thought it’d be fun to share my brief history with such a lovely dish.

In college, my senior year, we were required to take a class that involved cooking. It was a blend of cooking, science as well as nutrition. You know, here is how we cook X, Y, and Z and here is why it is/is not healthy. And here is how to modify for those that have allergies/intolerances.

It was an amazing class (how couldn’t it be we got to eat food for a few hours). At the end of the semester, we were required to come up with a dish within a certain budget to prepare (within an hour or so) and serve. We also had to present the nutrients in the meal (because science) and I was super excited to find this risotto recipe (I will hopefully dig up that recipe one day). The dish was within budget, had an excellent nutrient profile and seemed reasonable enough to make within the timeframe.

I was wrong.

Being a novice back then, I didn’t realize that risotto was a labor of love. I spent far too much time prepping and not nearly enough time allowing the rice to soak up the broth. It was definitely feasible, but I had NO IDEA what I was doing. So I had to have the food plated ASAP and there was no chance the rice was fully cooked, it was crunchy, at best. Have you ever had crunchy rice? I wouldn’t recommend it.

Here’s my advice to you, be incredibly patient with your risotto and you’ll come running back for more. Be impatient and stubborn and you’ll be crunching on your rice during your final, trying to tell your professor it tastes delicious when it most certainly does not.

So, yeah, risotto and I have a history. I’m pretty stubborn so ever since then I decided I was going to make risotto my thing. I now make some mean risottos and have recently been experimenting with using the Instant Pot to make the risotto. I’ll update you when I have more experience.

White Rice, Really?

Ok enough of my weird relationship with risotto. I get asked this question more often than not. So let’s get it out of the way, shall we?

Is rice healthy for you? Well, here’s your favorite response, it depends.

The nice thing about white rice is that it tends to be one of the easier to digest grains. The major downside is that because it is so easy to digest and it is mostly made of carbohydrates, it has a higher than desired glycemic index and thus spikes the blood sugar post-consumption more aggressively than some other (higher fiber-rich) grains/starches. This is great for those that exercise regularly and have higher carbohydrate needs. It is also great for those who are looking to eat more carbohydrates and/or gain mass.

It is not ideal (especially in the higher proportions) for those who are inactive and/or who are looking to lose weight and/or regulate blood sugar. 1 cup of rice has about 45+g of carbohydrate. If you’ve ever received white rice for dinner at a restaurant, you know fair well they fill your plate with WAY more than 1 cup, just to put things in perspective. A meal like risotto is great post workout and/or great as a side dish as to not overdo the carbs. Not to mention, risotto has far more qualities than just it’s glycemic index. I have loaded this one with veggies and recommend topping it with some delicious sources of protein to fill you up.

Note: Not sure how many carbs you need in a day? I can help. Contact me or check out the custom meal plans I use here. 

lemon & asparagus risottoLemon & Asparagus Risotto

Ready to make this delicious risotto dish? Excellent, the recipe is waiting for you. Remember, patience is KEY when cooking risotto. You also must not travel far. You need to stir frequently so that the risotto does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour yourself a glass of wine and get ready to produce this labor of love. You won’t be sad about it, I can promise you that.

Pro tip: Look for asparagus that is bright in color as deteriorating color means that it is not the freshest! To store at home do so in the refrigerator, upright and with the ends in an inch of fresh water.

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Lemon & Asparagus Risotto

  • Yield: 8 1x
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups arborio rice (or other short grain rice)
  • 1-cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, ends removed and sliced into 3rds
  • 10 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cups broth (+ more as needed)
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Juice & zest of 1 lemon

Toppings: (optional)

  • Shrimp
  • Sprouts
  • Prosciutto, lightly toasted

Instructions

  1. Add butter, onion & garlic to large sauté pan or dutch oven, cook ~3 minutes or until translucent
  2. Add rice, toast for 1 minute
  3. Add wine, stir and cook off alcohol for ~1-2 minutes
  4. Add in asparagus & mushrooms, stir to combine
  5. Add 1 cup of broth at a time, until mostly absorbed.
  6. Once all liquid is absorbed add in peas, cheese, salt & pepper
  7. Squeeze in fresh lemon and add in zest, stir to combine.
  8. Top with shrimp, sprouts & prosciutto if desired and serve.

Notes

For 8 Servings (Macros listed are per serving):
10 g Protein
50 g Carb
5 g Fat

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @@thesassydietitian on Instagram

Have you tried risotto before? Do you like it?

xoxo,

Sassy

Pin Now, Risotto Later

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Filed Under: Main Course, Recipes, Snacks & Sides

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@thesassydietitian

We’ve made it over a week together and it feels We’ve made it over a week together and it feels like it’s always been this way.

Motherhood is a wild ride & it’s only getting started. I have never been so tired & simultaneously so fulfilled in my life. That’s not to say it’s not filled with tears, worries and doubts but what fun would it be if it were all sunshine and roses anyway?

Going into this all I have felt so supported by friends going through this with me BUT I felt so unsupported by the general public. It seems like we want to fear and shame moms because misery loves company, right?!

The focus quickly shifts from mom to baby (still shocked that I only have an appointment at 6 weeks even though my body went through the biggest event of its life) and there also seems to be this shift from joy to shame & guilt.

Here’s some of what I heard from people:

😕Sleep when baby sleeps. You’ll never sleep again.
😕Don’t let baby sleep in a car seat, or a bouncer, or anywhere but their crib EVER. 
😕You’ll never have time to shower again, enjoy it now. 
😕Cry it out is cruel and harmful to the baby. 
😕Get baby on a schedule/never put baby on a schedule.

These are all things I heard and that truly led me to believe I was going to lose all sense of who I was and my life as I knew it.

What I wish people had said instead were:

🥰Your heart will grow bigger than you could imagine.
🥰You’ll cry the happiest tears you’ve ever cried.
🥰You’ll feel like a giant hole was filled that you didn’t even know was there.
🥰You won’t feel guilty about cleaning your house, it just won’t matter anymore.
🥰Babies pooping will make you laugh so hard you will feel like a kid again.
🥰You will have time to eat and shower and you don’t have to neglect yourself.

We need to do a better job of building each other up, supporting one another and our decisions while refraining from offering unsolicited advice and opinions. 

So for all you future mamas and new mamas out there, I see you, I’m proud of you and I cannot wait to share our stories with one another and the world.

Let’s stop fear mongering (just like the diet world) and start building one another up.

Xoxo,
Sassy & lil sassy man
🌈Some things truly are worth the wait. It’s b 🌈Some things truly are worth the wait. It’s been a long year of loss, unknowns and worry but it’s all been worth it to get to meet my lil man🥰
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Now time to introduce this sassy human who is already so well loved to the world...
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Introducing 

💙 Connor James Ligos 💙
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After an almost 24 hour labor, Connor joined us over a week past his due date on 2/12/21 at a whopping 9lb2oz & 22.5 inches long with a full head of hair and lungs to scream hello to us with.
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We are so in love already and cannot wait to share him with the world. Thank you for all the love and support from friends and family and to all those that helped us in the hospital. Holy cow labor & delivery teams are truly magical and I cannot imagine doing it without all of their support.
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Now back to snuggling this human of mine and trying not to cry at every last thing he does 🥰 
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Mom, Dad & Bode are all doing well!
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#babyboy #pregnancyafterloss #rainbowbaby #birthdayboy #birthannouncement
I get it, we all eat so we all then want to talk t I get it, we all eat so we all then want to talk to others about what worked for us. That's great!
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What's not great is when we push our nutrition and eating behaviors onto others ESPECIALLY when we are not qualified to do so.
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So often when people meet me for the first time they are worried to eat around me and/or buy groceries around me. My friends can attest I am not judgemental around food and will gladly eat that cake, queso dip or sip on that glass of wine right alongside of you. I am not the food police and do not offer unsolicited nutrition advice unless it's a client who is paying for my help OR on Instagram and other social media platforms where my goal is to educate.
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Why do I share this? 
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Because I see far too many people diving down diet rabbit holes, finding success & then claiming to be nutrition experts purely because something worked for them. 
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I've also seen this alot being pregnant, everyone wants to tell you what worked for them. IF you use that stipulation of "this worked for me" then fine, share away but if you start doleing out advice please pause, take a breath and think about NOT doing it.
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People are OVERWHELMED by diet culture and some so badly want to change but YOUR way is not the only way and it most likely is not what will work for your friend/coworker/cousin/neighbor so please, stop trying to be an expert in something you aren't.
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Got it!?! 
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Ok, carry on.
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xoxo,
Sassy
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#nutrition #nutritiontips #nutritionist #dietitianapproved #rdapproved #rdchat #dietitiansofinstagram #dietitian #dietitiansofig #albanyny #albanynutrition #albanynutrition
Your nutrition does NOT need to be all or nothing. Your nutrition does NOT need to be all or nothing. I'm not saying you have to find perfect balance (does that even exist?) but I am saying that we shouldn't feel like either we have to eat perfectly or that we might as well give up.
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Instead we should look to the grey area in between for our nutrition guidance. 
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What do I mean?
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I mean that we need to realize that we can still eat cookies but we probably should throw some veggies in there. 
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We can have a glass or 2 of wine but we should probably also drink some water. 
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We can take rest days but we should also find ways to move our bodies regularly.
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And the list goes on.
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It's not about all or nothing it's about doing something daily to help your health and nutrition without it feeling like a set of rules or a free for all.
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How do we find that grey area in between?
👉🏻 stop hopping on and off fad diets
👉🏻listen and trust your self, not your coworkers and cousins 
👉🏻focus on the simple things (ie drinking water instead of worrying about supplements)
👉🏻work to remove guilt and shame around food & body
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Where do you currently fall Right now?!
🤪 all
👍🏻in between 
🙅🏻‍♀️ nothing 
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Xoxo,
Sassy
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#dietitian #dietitiansofig #dietitiansofinstagram #nutrition #nutritionist #nutritiontips #thesassydietitian #rdchat #realtalk

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