4 Delicious Copper-Rich Recipes

What are the nutritional benefits of copper? Where can you find copper? When you go shopping, look for dry fruit, avocado, legumes, cacao, and red meat, the main sources of copper.

The following copper-rich recipes are easy to make and offer essential nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy and strong.

Not many people know about the positive health effects of copper. It’s a great idea to incorporate various foods that have a high proportion of copper into your diet.

Copper is one of the most important and essential nutrients. Some of the ways this element benefits your health include: improving the immune system, preventing cell death, slowing the development of osteoporosis, and strengthening the heart, among other things.

Copper-rich recipes 

1. Lemon shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp or prawns
• 6 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 7 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Finely chopped chives or parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 thin slice of onion
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Put the cucumber slices, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the condiments into a bowl and mix well.
• Fry the cucumbers on both sides in a pan for 2 minutes, or until they’re soft.
• In a blender, add the chives or parsley, the onion, the lemon, and the rest of the olive oil. Mix well.
• Fry the shrimp in the lemon juice in a pan.
• Finally, put the cucumbers on the plate with the shrimp on top, and arrange the lemon around them. 

2. Cuttlefish with grilled vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini
• 4 small cuttlefish
• 2 scallions
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 carrot
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Clean the cuttlefish well. Remove the skin and the guts. You can also ask the fishmonger to do this step for you, which will save some time.
• Grill the cuttlefish with a little oil. Add a little salt before grilling.
• Chop the carrots into thick slices, about half an inch thick. Chop the scallions into quarters and cut up the zucchini without removing the skin.
• Grill the vegetables with a little oil until they’re golden-brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the cuttlefish with vegetables and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and thyme.

3. Oysters and kidney bean soup with mint

Ingredients

• 2 scallions
• 1 leek
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup fresh cream
• 8 mint leaves
• 20 oysters
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Olives and mint leaves for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• In a pot, melt the butter and then add the scallions and leek, finely chopped.
• Put the scallions and the leek, the mint leaves, the cream, and spices in a blender. Mix well until it’s a thick, soupy consistency.
• Heat the mixture in a pot.
• Put the olive oil and the oysters in a pan. Roast both sides. When they’re ready, add them to the soup. They should be very lightly cooked or they’ll have a rubbery texture.
• Boil for a few minutes, salt, and serve. 

4. Risotto with mixed mushrooms

Here’s the last option on today’s list of delicious copper-rich recipes.

Ingredients

• 7 oz. paté de foie
• 1 cup rice
• 3 1/3 cups mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup zucchini
• 6 shallots
• 1 1/2 cup stock
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Peel and finely chop the shallots  and sauté in a pan with butter. If you don’t have shallots on hand, you can replace them with a combination of leeks and scallions.
• Add the zucchini to the pan, after first washing, peeling, and cutting them into cubes. Next add the mushrooms.
• Add the rice, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for a few more minutes.
• Add the wine and cook it out.
• Add the stock and continue cooking  until the rice is ready.
• Add the cream and mix all the ingredients well.
• The key to a good risotto is to stir the rice continuously as you add the liquids bit by bit.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. Serve with two slices of foie.
• The rice should be cooked al dente, not overdone.

Although these aren’t the kinds of quick recipes you can make in just a few minutes, they’re certainly delicious. Additionally, thanks to these copper-rich recipes, you can enjoy great health benefits from this essential nutrient.