You can use short grain brown rice to make this. It gives the risotto a full flavor and can be much more satisfying to eat than white rice risotto, which is starchy and apt to disturb blood sugar levels.

1 onion, chopped small
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, cubed (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups mushrooms – any type, sliced (porcini mushrooms are best for flavor; if using dried porcini mushrooms, soak in hot water and retain the stock to use for cooking the risotto)
1 cup short grain brown rice, uncooked
8 oz. white or red wine
2 cups (approximately) organic chicken or vegetable stock
freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Mediterranean herbs, dried or fresh (e.g., thyme, basil, oregano), to taste

Directions:

• Boil the rice for 10 minutes to partially cook it (don’t skip or you will find yourself stirring the risotto for a very long time).
• Cook half of the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 4-5 minutes and put aside.
• Gently sweat the onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-based pan for a couple of minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. [If using chicken, add at this point.]
• Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes.
• Add the uncooked mushrooms and cook for a minute.
• Raise the heat and add the brown rice. Let it crackle for a few seconds.
• If you are using wine, add it now and mix it into the rice, letting it sizzle.
• Add 1 ladle of the stock and stir it into the rice until it is absorbed. Keep adding the stock one ladle at a time in this way. Keep the heat on medium/low so that the risotto is just simmering. Keep stirring all the time.
• When the rice is cooked (this will take about 45 minutes so you will need to listen to the radio and drink a glass of wine at the same time) add the rest of the cooked mushrooms and stir through.
• Add herbs, black pepper, and a little parmesan cheese to taste.

Serves: 4
(If not adding chicken pieces to the recipe, serve with a salad sprinkled with nuts and seeds or beans for protein.)

1 cup buckwheat flour
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, DIVIDED
1 small or medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon vegetable bouillon or 1/2 cube chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tomato, chopped
2 cups black beans, either canned, or dry and soaked overnight
1 teaspoon mixed Mediterranean herbs
1/4 cup feta cheese
freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

• Put the flour in a bowl and, using a fork, mix about 1 cup water to make a fairly thin pancake-type batter. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottom pan. Add the onion and gently cook for 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring to prevent burning.
• Add the vegetable bouillon or chicken bouillon cube, tomato paste, and a little water if necessary to mix it.
• Add the tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until soft.
• Add the beans and herbs and simmer gently for 3 or 4 minutes, then mash them up with a potato masher (how mashed up you want the mixture is up to you).
• While the beans are heating, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in enough pancake batter to make a thin pancake. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side so that it is starting to turn golden.
• Place the buckwheat wrap on a plate and put the bean mixture down the middle. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and black pepper to taste, and fold the sides of the wrap over the top.

Serves: 6

Truly delicious little pancakes which make a great breakfast or teatime snack for kids!

1 cup buckwheat flour
2 cups oat flour (you can make your own by putting whole oats in the blender for a minute or two)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons live plain yogurt
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 teaspoons butter or ghee (pure clarified butter)
about 2 cups of water

Directions:

• Mix the buckwheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a bowl.
• Melt the butter or ghee in a frying pan. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the butter or ghee in. The frying pan should be left with a little butter or ghee in it, which you can use to cook the pancakes.
• Put the lemon juice, yogurt and raw honey in the well and add a little water. Mix, then add more water until you have a pancake mixture with a slightly thicker texture than half and half.
• Put the frying pan on medium heat and, when hot, spoon in approximately 2 tablespoons of the pancake mixture. If you use a large pan, you should be able to cook 4 pancakes at a time. Cook for around 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Serve with raw honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, or all-fruit apricot jam.

Serves: 6