Butternut Squash Risotto, and bonus brussels!

There's a part of me that loves fall.  It feels like the pace slows down a bit.  Instead of trying to cram every possible activity you can into our short sunny season, fall's rainy weather gives us permission to ease up our pace.  When it's pouring outside, I don't feel guilty about curling up with a book in front of the fire.  And I feel downright proud when I'm doing crafts while watching TV in the evening, whereas in the summer I want to be getting outside and doing something!  Fall's darkness, its rain, its quiet, leave me feeling relaxed.

I really enjoy the meditative aspects of making risotto (stirring as an exercise in mindfulness can be really powerful!).  I know some people are frightened off by risotto, but give it a try.  It's really very inexpensive to make, and you can think of it both as an upper-body workout and a chance to practice your mindfulness.  This week I made butternut squash risotto, which both of my boys devoured.  I served it with balsamic glazed brussel sprouts, which only one of my boys devoured.  But seriously, they're amazing, so if you like brussel sprouts, I highly recommend this method.

Let's get started!

First cut up your squash (I used half a large squash, or you could use a whole small one), and saute it in butter until it starts to brown and the edges soften

Then add your rice and stir for a minute or two.  Then add wine.  The rest of the bottle is reserved for the chef to sip while continuing to stir (heightening the meditative experience). 

After the wine is absorbed, continue to add hot broth in half cup doses, stirring until the liquid is absorbed after each addition.  Knowing when "the liquid is absorbed" is an aspect of making risotto that used to strike fear in my heart.  Maybe I wouldn't know!  Maybe I would do it wrong!  Here's my advice:  the liquid is "absorbed" when you can run your spoon across the bottom of the pan and it leaves a clear path of exposed pan.  That looks something like this:

It will take 30-45 minutes of adding broth and stirring to get all your broth absorbed and your rice fully cooked.  Don't worry.  You'll be drinking wine and meditating.  Once the liquid is all absorbed and you've tasted the risotto to make sure the rice is fully cooked (I occasionally end up adding more broth/water because it's not done), you'll stir in rice and parmesan cheese.  And that's it!  Enjoy with brussel sprouts and a beer (if the chef used up all the wine while cooking):

Yummy!  (and yes, that is a math shirt)

Butternut Squash Risotto

More or less from Martha Stewart 

1 Tbs butter

1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 1/2 inch chunks

course salt and pepper

1 cup Arborio Rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

About 4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken if you're not vegetarian), heated (just keep it on an adjacent burner)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbs chopped fresh sage (you could use a different herb, maybe Basil or thyme if you don't love sage).

Melt butter over medium heat in a big pot.  Add squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges soften and the squash is beginning to brown.

Add rice and stir to coat.  Add wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated (this will depend on how hot your pot is, it could take anywhere from 1-5 minutes I think).

Reduce heat to medium (Martha recommends medium-low--I think that would be easier if you have a gas stove, which sadly, I do not).  Add 1/2 cup hot broth to the mixture.  Cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid is absorbed.  Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more.  This will take 35-45 minutes.  Taste your risotto when all the broth is gone to make sure rice is fully cooked.  If not, you can add another 1/2 cup of hot tap water (or stock).

Stir in parmesan, sage, and season with salt to taste.  Serve immediately. 

Bonus Brussels!  (or Balsamic Glazed Brussels)

I'm sure I must have read a recipe like this sometime, but this time I was just winging it.

Brussel sprouts, cut in half (as many as you can fit, cut side down, in your pan)

olive oil, to lightly coat the bottom of your pan

1/3-1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, oven safe pan.  Place the brussel sprouts, cut side down, in the pan.  Leave them alone to develop a nice brown crust.  This will help bring out their flavor.  And if you're busy stirring risotto, you can just ignore them for about 8-10 minutes.

Once the bottoms are browned, pop them in your hot oven to finish cooking through.  This will take 5-8 minutes depending on how big/thick your sprouts are.  

Return to the top of your stove (remember the handle of your pan will be extremely hot when you take it out of the hot oven---BE CAREFUL!).  Flip over your sprouts, so the cut side is up.  Pour on balsamic vinegar.  Shake the sprouts around in the pan.  The vinegar will start to evaporate and reduce.  If your pan has cooled off too much (for example if you got distracted after drinking too much wine), feel free to turn the heat back up on the burner to assist the vinegar.  This should only take about a minute.  And they're done!  Season with salt and pepper.  See if you can avoid eating the whole pan while waiting for the risotto to finish.