Did you know that saffron can boost our mood and cognitive health?
My blog-partner Jennifer Cauli —a talented food & travel photographer and a friend, also from Italy— and myself joined forces to create a series of recipes (and pictures) that would use the typical Italian ingredients, but also have a contemporary and healthy twist.
This is the last recipe dedicated to the mental health topic.
We created this alternative risotto using barley, also known by its Italian name: orzo. Barley is an incredible whole grain which is often added to soups and summer salads in Italy. It is full of fibre (10.5g per 100g), minerals such as molybdenum, manganese, selenium and has a lovely nuttier taste compared to rice. If you are allergic or intolerant to gluten, please note that orzo/barley contains it.
The star of this recipe, though, is saffron. This powerful spice, collected manually from the threads of a Mediterranean-Middle Easter flower called Crocus sativus, contains natural anti-depressant properties and can help improve cognitive health.
If you are experiencing low mood or mood-swings, anxiety, insomnia… try to eat a whole foods diet, reduce sugar consumption and use more saffron in your recipes.
Saffron can also help improve digestion and calm gastrointestinal complaints, so we thought it was perfect spice for this week’s recipe!
You can add saffron to soups, stews, primi piatti… but you can also have it with some warm lemon water as a comforting and uplifting tea.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jcim-2015-0043/html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717315884
RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 150g dry barley
- 20ml olive oil
- 70g leek, chopped
- ¼ tsp saffron strands
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 courgette (about 180g)
- a sprinkle of salt
To garnish - shaved parmesan
- chives
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small cup place the saffron strands and pour in about 100 ml of warm water on the top. Leave to soak overnight or at least for two hours.
Wash and finely chop the leek.
Cut the courgette in cubes discarding the ends.
In a deep saucepan bring the vegetable stock to a boil.
In a medium saucepan, heat up the olive oil, stir in the chopped leek and half of the courgette. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft .
Spoon in the turmeric powder and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the barley and cook it for about 2 minutes.
Add in the water you previously used to soak the saffron and half of your vegetable stock. Stir continuously until the liquid is fully absorbed.
Season to taste.
Add in the remaining courgettes and half of the stock left. Keep stirring until it is fully absorbed and pour the remaining water if you need.
Let stand off heat and cover for 5 minutes, then stir and serve with chives and Parmesan cheese, if you like it / are not dairy intolerant or a vegan.
Cromo Nutrition 