Detox diet after the holidays? Get back in shape with the celery risotto!
They call it “negative low-calorie food”, since the calories taken by eating it are consumed with the energy used to chew and digest it.
Celery, a winter vegetable, is therefore perfect for a light and detox risotto, as recommended by Risotto.us, the Italian website dedicated to risotto with over 350 online recipes that are easily available.
Benefits of celery
First, celery has few calories (only 20 in 100 grams), contains a lot of water and provides a good supply of potassium and vitamin A. It is also a vegetable rich in fibres, which help reduce triglycerides and cholesterol. Then there are sedanine (the substance that provides the classic aroma), which helps gas absorption in the digestive system, and phthalides, which help regulate blood pressure.
Celery risotto
As always, to benefit from the precious nutrients in the celery, you should consume it raw.
Our suggestion for the celery risotto is therefore to use some raw cubes for the final dish decoration, or to blend it raw with a little warm water and to use this purée to stir the risotto at the end, obtaining a creamy effect but without overcooking the vegetable.
Making risotto with the continuous addition of broth is similar to the technique of “stewed” vegetables, therefore to the techniques recommended by nutritionists.
The benefits of celery, which is purifying and diuretic, are thus added to the classic properties of rice, which is astringent and promotes digestion: that’s why the celery risotto is a low-calorie, balanced and detox dish, but decidedly tasty.
You should normally choose a rice from the “superfine” variety, which allows you to have a creamy risotto thanks to the release of starch, but at the same time “al dente”, with the evident consistency of its individual grains. Carnaroli, Arborio, Roma are superfine rice varieties.
The combination with pears, carrots and cucumbers is ideal for deflating and eliminating the liquids that accumulate in the legs and feet: in the risotto, the most contrasting and therefore well matched taste is that of pears.
For those who want an extra touch of crispness, we recommend adding some crumbled walnuts at the end of cooking. At the expense of some additional calories, however, 50 grams of sweet gorgonzola cheese can be added in the creaming phase and the result would be great!
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