butternut squash risotto with mushrooms



What do you make for dinner when you are not eating gluten or sugar, and your dining companion is a vegetarian allergic to pretty much everything under the sun?

I faced this dilemma when my friend Rae came over for dinner last week.  Rae and I lived together for a stint in college, but I typically avoid cooking for her because her allergies give me a panic attack.  (Right up there with my claustrophobia is an irrational fear of accidentally giving someone anaphylaxis.)  Rae is allergic or intolerant to a laundry list of items, including, but not limited to: avocados, mangoes, peanuts, pine nuts, (she has recently outgrown her allergy to walnuts and almonds), barley, hops, and tequila (though I think she's making that one up).  On top of those aversions, she eats no land animals, and very little fish.  A much more compassionate human being than I, Rae became a vegetarian as a precocious preschooler.  She has stuck with it ever since, unlike most children who are just picky and quit their ways when their parents tell them that they have to actually eat vegetables if they want to be considered a "vegetarian".  That may have been what happened to Bollie at age 5.  My mom wasn't going to let her live on peanut butter and cheetos sandwiches forever. 

Though I am, for the most part, a neurotic control freak rational, methodical person, on the rarest of occasions I sometimes forgo logical thought processes.  Like last Thursday.  I chose risotto for our romantic dinner on an 80 degree day.  (Despite its starchy, creamy texture, risotto is actually gluten-free!)  And instead of making it with something "springy", like asparagus, I chose to make it with butternut squash.  Did I mention it was 80 degrees outside?  In my defense, it was March 15, which to me means there remain only two weeks in the Socially Acceptable Period For The Consumption of Winter Squashes.  And since I stockpile gourds like the world is going to end and I am going to be forced into a post-apocalyptic Iron Chef: Winter Squash challenge to determine who gets the last spot on the escape shuttle to outer space (because surely, knowing how to cook butternut squash will come in handy on Planet X), I decided to hone my skillz with a butternut squash risotto.  Plus, Patti made a similar dish for Friendsgiving 2011, and it was a roaring success. 

So, there I was, stirring my butternut squash risotto and straining myself to hear the NCAA tournament playing on the TV in the next room.  There's another rational thought - make the most labor-intensive, finicky dish in the history of Italian pasta when you really just want to be watching March Madness instead.  If you've never made risotto, know that it is time-consuming, tedious, and, above all, an exercise in patience.  It is kind of like a small child.  It requires devotion and constant attention, and you have to be careful how much liquid you give it.  It must be babysat, and you have to stir it gently and frequently.  But when it is done right, it's delicious, so it's worth it. 

Also, it needs to be served immediately.  It is not good if it sits out, and it's not particularly good as leftovers.  I got a late start on the risotto because I know Rae's internal clock is 20 minutes behind the rest of the world's, so it actually worked out perfectly.  I was spooning the risotto into a bowl right when she walked in my front door.  We added some mushrooms to the risotto for good measure, and we really liked the earthiness it added.  We paired our dish with a green salad (with basil! Genius thinking, Rae) and it was a delicious supper.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Mushrooms
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Serves 4 as main course

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, minced (yellow or white)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock, if not making vegetarian)

1 1/2 - 2 cups butternut squash puree (one small squash)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

6 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roast butternut squash (halved vertically, face up in a roasting pan) in oven until soft, about an hour.  Let cool completely and scoop out the flesh.  Puree.  This can be done in advance.   

2.  In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together the stock and 1 1/2 to 2 cups squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.
3.  In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon olive oil.  Saute onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 7 minutes.

4.  Add risotto and another scant tablespoon of olive oil (if necessary) to pan and stir, until grains are coated with oil and are transparent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes.

5.  Stir in sage and rosemary.  Add the white wine until it is absorbed.

6.  Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

7.  When the rice is almost al dente, after about 25 minutes, add the mushrooms and continue to cook as you have been - adding liquid, stirring until absorbed, and repeating. 

8. When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 10-15 minutes more, stir in the remaining two tablespoons of butter, the cheese, salt, and pepper.  Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy (I added a couple more ladlefuls).  Serve immediately.

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blood orange, beet, and fennel salad

Happy Leap Day!  I had a different post prepared for today (a satisfying and substantial dinner), but I am going to save that for tomorrow and give you something a little bit unusual instead.  In honor of Leap Day William, it would be cool if each of you ate something today that you wouldn't ordinarily eat any other day of the year.  Take a leap of faith.  Try something new.  Live on the edge.  If you're at a loss for ideas, you can try this salad.  I know it is a bit weird, but trust me, it's completely awesome.

 

Some people buy candy as a once-in-a-while treat from the grocery store checkout line.  I buy cooking magazines.  (Unless they have peanut butter M&Ms, in which case I buy both.)  When I saw this recipe in January's Bon Appetit, I knew I had to make it.  I have had a raging obsession with fennel since visiting Italy last summer, but as it is almost as unwieldy and intimidating as butternut squash, I've never made anything with it myself.  Luckily, I soon learned fennel is pretty easy to prepare if you just read a little bit about it first.  The entire plant is edible - from its white, bulbous base, to its green, celery-like stalks, and its feathery, dill-like leaves.  It's also super versatile.  It is delicious raw - either shaved thin in salads, or alone with a drizzle of good olive oil and sea salt.  When prepared by braising, sautéeing, roasting, or grilling, the bulb softens and the flavor mellows.  Oh yeah, that's the best part about fennel.  When raw, it tastes like black licorice.  When cooked, it becomes a little sweeter and less powerful, but the notes of anise still shine through.  Yum. 

But enough about fennel.  This recipe also includes my other favorite things - beets and winter citrus.  In fact, the stars of this salad are actually the blood orange and the beet, with the fennel taking a supporting role.  Blood oranges are small, but powerful, and replete with fiber and antioxidants.  The tart flavor pairs amazingly with the inherent sweetness showcased in roasted beets.  (If you have missed my love affair with beets, you can read more about it here.  I know I wax poetic about a lot of vegetables, but I am particularly fond of beets.)

I followed this recipe almost exactly, but I've changed the wording in the recipe because some of the original verbage is confusing and misleading.  I also used parsley instead of cilantro, and I threw some fennel fronds in for good measure, too.  Enjoy!

Blood orange, beet, and fennel salad
Serves 2
adapted from bon appetit

4 medium red beets, tops trimmed 
2 blood oranges 
1 medium navel orange 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
6 slices of fennel, sliced very thin on a mandoline
6 slices of red onion, sliced very thin on a mandoline
High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon chopped parsley and fennel fronds, for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub beets, wrap individually in foil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2.  Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from all oranges; discard. Working over a medium bowl, segment one of the blood oranges by slicing between each membrane and allowing them to fall into the bowl.  Squeeze excess juice from membrane into bowl and discard the membranes.  Slice remaining blood orange and navel orange, either crosswise into thin rounds or segmented.  Place in the same bowl and allow to stand for a few minutes in the citrus juices.
3.  Peel cooled beets. Slice beets into thin rounds, wedges, or both.  Layer beets and oranges (without juices) on plates, dividing evenly. Arrange fennel and onion over beets. Spoon reserved citrus juices over, then drizzle salad generously with oil. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and pepper. Let salad stand for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish salad with parsley and fennel leaves. Pin It Now!

in-between salad

In-betweeny salad

When the weather is nice, I run after work most days.  Last week the weather was consistently in the high 50s to mid 60s, so I set out on a longer run from my office down to the Lincoln Memorial and back.  It's about a six mile stretch that crosses Capitol Hill, passing the Supreme Court on my left and the dome of the Capitol on my right, and then traverses the length of the National Mall.  When I'm fully hydrated, the temperature is right, the route is clear of confused tourists, and my allergies aren't yet in full swing, it's delightful.   That was how it was last week.  Three days of mid-length, mind-clearing, refreshing runs.  But yesterday afternoon, I set off to do the same thing, and it was terrible.

Why?  Because sometime between Thursday and yesterday, we have switched seasons.  I set out yesterday afternoon and was delighted to see the cherry blossoms on the Hill in full bloom.  Then I sneezed.  My nose, and more specifically, my congested nasal passageway, was not so happy to see the pink flowers.  Then I got down to the Mall, streaked with school groups and foreign tourists.  (Why do they always ask me to take their picture as I'm running toward them?  Do I look that nice?) Dodging the throngs of people felt like I was poor Frogger trying to cross the road without getting hit by a car.  Yep, it was clear - sometime between last week and yesterday, Spring has SPRUNG in the District.

So how appropriate it is that I made a delicious "in-between" salad last week.  I never posted it because I had enough recipes to cover the blog for the week, and also, it really gets my goat when bloggers post salad and sandwich "recipes."  I mean, come on.  Do you really think that you're the first one to come up with that salad combination?  Or the first person to realize how "lovely" carmelized onions and mushrooms are on a grilled cheese?  That's why I've been blogging for almost two weeks and I've yet to post a salad.

But, a lot of you have told me that you lack creativity in the kitchen; not so, you just haven't found it yet!   I'm willing to talk about salads for a bit, and how to make a daily staple turn into a dish that's different each time.  This salad was born completely out of desperation.  I basically just took everything I had, roasted it, and threw it on top of a bed of spinach leaves.  I roasted the last of my winter squashes in the pantry (an acorn squash, to be precise) with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a hint of maple syrup (from my friend the Canuck.)  I also threw in some wintry brussels sprouts along with 'em.  At the grocery store, I had picked up an artichoke, some plum tomatoes, and skinny asparagus.  I roasted those as well, topped with some feta, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and voilà!  A delicious betweeny salad. 
 
Some of you have said that you don't like salads, or you would never choose to eat them.  I think that is because too many people think of salads as synonymous with house salads.  You know the deal - cucumber, tomato, and croutons all atop a bed of romaine.  Boring!  Salads, by their very nature, are flexible.  Don't get stuck in the same old salad rut all the time - that gets tiresome and you will become uninterested!  Be creative with your salads!  Unsure where to start?  Here are some tips for making a delicious salad time after time.

1.  Mix up your base - I love spinach as my base but also like mixed greens or arugula from time to time.  Romaine is fine, though it isn't a nutritional superstar like the other two.  Remember that the deeper and darker the leaf, the more nutrients the green contains.  (That means that there is absolutely no nutritional value in iceberg.)
2.  It doesn't have to be raw - A lot of people don't care for crudite, but have no fear!  Roasted vegetable salads are great.  Just remember that if you're roasting vegetables in olive oil, you should go easy on the dressing.  You don't want your salad base to be bogged down in oil.
3.  It doesn't have to be all veggie - Pears, apples, berries, grapes, oranges, and grapefruits are all delicious options for a slightly sweet salad.  Think of a classic Waldorf with grapes, red onion, avocado & grapefruit, or roasted beets with feta & orange.
4.  Eat with the seasons - For fall and winter, go with broccoli and cauliflower, acorn squash, brussels sprouts, and big bad Mr. Butternut.  Choose juicy heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini in the summer.  Spring is the time for asparagus, artichokes, and vidalia onions.  When you eat with the seasons, your food will have so much more flavor (and it will be cheaper, too!) 
5.  Texturize like you'd accessorize - Crunchy items like celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, walnuts, almonds, or apples provide a stark contrast to soft or creamy salad toppings like chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, or roasted mushrooms and squashes.  Opposites attract!      
6.  Go with the flow - change up your dressing!  A little bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is my favorite, but I also love a good cilantro-lime dressing or a honey-dijon vinaigrette.  I barely ever buy pre-made dressings anymore, but I do have a few brands that I love: Annie's Naturals (I am obsessed with her Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette), Brianna's (very good Blush wine Vinaigrette and a delicious Ginger Mandarin dressing), and Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion dressing (Dad's favorite!  You can get it at Costco).
7. Walk the balance beam - This is probably the most important tip.  Don't think of salad as diet food, think of it as a delicious way to get nutrients.  Sure, if you're looking to add volume to a meal, keep it small, simple, and don't go overboard.  However, if you're eating a salad as your main course, you will want to get a good mix of healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates, just like any other meal.  You can get healthy fats and proteins from nuts, beans, and cheeses.  I am partial to feta cheese or goat cheese on salads. Vegetables are a natural source of complex carbohydrates; you could also toss some grains on your salad like couscous, orzo, or quinoa (okay, I know I said quinoa isn't a grain, but it kinda is...)

Follow those tips and you're sure to get a great salad 90 percent of the time.  (The other 10 percent of the time I end up with a "kitchen sink" salad, in which there's a couple of ingredients that just don't belong). I eat some sort of "salad", whether it's a side salad or entree-sized, almost every day, even when I wasn't a sometimes-vegetarian.   Salads are a great way to boost your vegetable intake and add volume to your meals without a lot of unwanted fat and calories.  I've noticed that getting in a salad a day gives me more energy, clearer skin, and even makes my hair shinier!  And you know what, it never gets boring!

What do y'all like on your salads?  Roasted veggies or raw?  Sweet or savory?  Let me know in the comments! Pin It Now!