Butternut Squash Risotto {Baby Friendly!}

Hi, friends!  I posted a short version of this recipe last night on snap chat {username: andy-adler}, and there was a lot of interest to post a full version so I thought that I would share it.  This is actually a recipe that I posted on here almost 2 years ago.  I dug it out of the archives, and have made some minor tweaks to it over the past couple of years, but the cooking process is exactly the same.

This recipe is also extremely baby friendly.  Isla absolutely loves risotto.  She loves the creamy consistency of risotto, so I make a big pot of it about once a week for her, and always grate up {read: sneak in!} seasonal veggies into the mixture.  

Once the weather starts to cool down, and butternut squash becomes readily available, I LOVE to play around with different ways to prepare the sweet tasting squash.  One of my favorite ways is to roast it in the oven, and add it into risotto.  Risotto is one of my staple recipes that I've really mastered and the addition of the sweet & nutty flavored butternut squash combined with the creamy risotto really embodies cold weather comfort food.

Tackling a butternut squash for the first time can be a little intimidating and most of the time I seek out squash that has already been prepped & cut into small chunks from the produce department at Whole Foods {out of pure laziness}.  If you're unsure about peeling & cutting up your squash, here's a good link that shows you exactly how to do it!

This recipe is excellent served on it's own, or makes a great side dish to chicken or fish.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Ingredients

3 cups prepped butternut squash, cut into small chunks
Olive oil
Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Garlic powder
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 large shallot, minced 
1 cup arborio rice 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired 


Directions

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place squash in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil {enough to thoroughly coat it}, and heavily season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder.  Toss to coat.  Spread out squash on a baking sheet and bake for around 15-20 minutes, turning twice throughout the duration of cooking.  You want the squash to be soft, and lightly browned up for extra flavor.  Remove from oven and set aside.

While the squash is baking, heat chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Once heated, reduce heat to the lowest setting to remain warm but not at a state of simmer.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in shallot and saute until fragrant, around 1 minute.  Add in dry rice, and stir constantly, ensuring that each grain is coated in the olive oil.  The rice will begin to "toast" up, and once you begin to smell the rice after a couple of minutes, it's time to move onto the next step.

Pour in 1 and 1/2 cup of the warmed chicken broth, and about half of the cooked butternut squash, stirring and pressing down on the butternut squash with the back of a large spoon to "smash" it down so that it can easily blend into the risotto.  Reduce heat to medium low.

Constantly stir the rice until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and when the pan starts looking & feeling dry again, add in another 1/2 cup of broth.  Continue this stirring/adding broth process until you have transferred all 32 ounces of the broth to the rice pan, and the rice is "al dente", around 30 minutes total cooking. 

Next, add in the last half of your cooked butternut squash into the rice mixture.  Don't mash this batch of squash down {you'll want larger chunks to stay intact for texture}.  Stir well to incorporate.

Add in cheese, if desired, and divide evenly among plates.  

Thanks for reading.  Have a great weekend! xx

Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe

Morning friends!  Once the weather cools down, and butternut squash becomes readily available, I LOVE to play around with different ways to prepare the sweet tasting squash.  One of my favorite ways is to roast it in the oven, and add it into risotto.  Risotto is one of my staple recipes that I've really mastered {you might remember a while back when I shared this recipe which is my go-to risotto recipe}, and the addition of the sweet & nutty flavored butternut squash combined with the creamy risotto really embodies cold weather comfort food.

Tackling a butternut squash for the first time can be a little intimidating and most of the time I seek out squash that has already been prepped & cut into small chunks from the produce department at Whole Foods {out of pure laziness}.  If you're unsure about peeling & cutting up your squash, here's a good link that shows you exactly how to do it!

This recipe is excellent served on it's own, or makes a great side dish to chicken or fish.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients

3 cups prepped butternut squash, cut into small chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & fresh ground black pepper
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish


Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place squash in a medium bowl, and drizzle with olive oil {enough to thoroughly coat it}, and heavily season with salt & pepper.  Toss to coat.  Spread out squash on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes turning twice throughout the duration of cooking.  You want the squash to be soft, and lightly browned up for extra flavor.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Once heated, reduce heat to the lowest setting to remain warm but not simmer.
In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in garlic and saute until fragrant, around 1 minute.  Add in dry rice, and stir constantly, ensuring that each grain is coated in the olive oil.  The rice will begin to "toast" up, and once you begin to smell the rice after a couple of minutes, it's time to move onto the next step.

Next, add in the vinegar and allow it simmer and burn off {this process is very fast}.  Don't worry about any bitter vinegar taste, vinegar sweetens as it cooks :)  When the pan is nearly dry, add in a half cup of the warmed chicken broth and reduce the heat to medium low.  Constantly stir the rice until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and when the pan starts looking & feeling dry again, add in another 1/2 cup of broth.  Continue this stirring/adding broth process until you have transferred all of the broth to the rice pan, and the rice is "al dente", around 30 minutes total cooking. 

Now, transfer in your cooked butternut squash.  Using the back of a large spoon, smash down a good amount of the squash so that it can easily blend into the risotto.  Stir well to incorporate.

Add in cheese and divide evenly among plates.  Finish with desired amount of cheese + salt & pepper for garnish.

Have a great weekend! xx

Black Truffle and Mushroom Risotto

For some reason risotto has a bad rap.  It's often branded as 'too difficult" to make, or 'too fattening' to eat.  Case in point: earlier this week my girlfriend, Jenn, was over at my house while I was cooking & photographing the risotto for this blog post.  I asked her if she ever made risotto at home, and her answer was, "No way. It takes too long to cook, and is too fattening with all that cheese and cream".  Chicas, I'm here to tell you that a).  there is absolutely no cream, and very little cheese in my recipe {the natural starches that are released by slowly cooking the arborio rice result in the creamy consistency of risotto, cream isn't needed} and b). it is WAY easier than you think to cook risotto at home.  

This recipe is my own, and has developed into a go-to recipe in my kitchen simply because the key players needed to throw together a basic risotto are staple ingredients that I always have in my pantry.  If I'm ever questioning what I'll cook for dinner, risotto usually takes the win in that it is so, so satisfying, and never fails to impress.  The addition of soft, earthy mushrooms and a small amount of black truffle oil elevates this basic risotto recipe into a rich & decadent dish that can be enjoyed year round.

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. shallot, minced
1 c. arborio rice
1/4 c. white wine {I used Pinot Grigio because who actually cooks with wine and doesn't drink it too?}
1/2 c. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. truffle oil** {I used black truffle oil}
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
Truffle salt** {optional}

** I purchase my black truffle oil from Whole Foods but you can always find truffle oil in specialty grocery stores, or at places like Williams-Sonoma.  The truffle salt I use in this recipe is optional, but adds great flavor.  I purchase it from Williams-Sonoma.**



Directions

Heat the chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Once heated, reduce heat to the lowest setting {you want the broth to remain heated, but not to the point of simmering}.

In a large saute pan, heat butter & olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallot, and saute until slightly translucent & aromatic, around 2-3 minutes.

Add in dry rice, and stir constantly, ensuring that each grain is coated in the butter/olive oil.  The rice will begin to "toast" up, and once you begin to smell the rice after a couple of minutes, it's time to move onto the next step.

Next, pour in the wine and allow it to simmer & burn off the alcohol.  When the pan is nearly dry, add in a half cup of the warmed chicken broth, stirring constantly until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  When the pan starts looking & feeling dry, add in another 1/2 cup of broth.  Repeat this process for around 13 minutes.

Add in the sliced mushrooms, and continue the stirring/adding broth process until you have transferred all of the broth to the rice pan, and the rice is "al dente", around 30 minutes total cooking.

Stir in the truffle oil.  Distribute evenly between bowls, and top with desired amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and truffle salt.  Serve immediately.

Thanks so much for reading!