Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Usually when I bring home butternut squash, I end up just mashing it with some butter, maple sugar and salt. It's good, but I was getting a little bored. It had also been a very long time since I made risotto, so I guess you could say I killed two birds with one stone (although most of the bird killing was probably done before Thanksgiving). Anyway, this was creamy and satisfying. A nice dish if you have the time.

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 oz.)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1.      Preheat oven to 400º F.

2.      Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

3.      Meanwhile, heat the stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

4.      In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.

5.      Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.

6.      Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.

7.      Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

8.      Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

from Ina Garten

raw butternut squash

I conveniently bought mine already chopped
(although I did have to chop it finer).

roasted butternut squash

cooking the shallots and pancetta in butter

rice added

adding the wine

mostly absorbed

stock, saffron, salt and pepper added

mixed

absorbed (after adding stock, little by little)

adding squash and parmesan

.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmigiano-Reggiano

I'm up and running again after my power outage from Hurricane Sandy. My internet connection is finally a little less sluggish and so I'm actually able to upload photos and write a post. You would think after my unplanned hiatus that my next post might be something exciting, but you'd be wrong. I guess after the hurricane I was kind of worn out and looking to keep it simple. So here's an easy recipe for spaghetti squash. It might not blow you away, but then again, people who have recently made it through a hurricane appreciate not getting blown away.
 

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

1 large spaghetti squash (about 5 lb.)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

3/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving

________________________________________________________________________

1.      Heat the oven to 400° F. and arrange a rack in the middle.

2.      Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Brush the flesh with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and roast until fork tender, about 50 minutes.

3.      Remove the squash from the oven and let sit at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Scrape the flesh with a fork to make long strands; set aside.

4.      Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

5.      Add the reserved squash, toss with tongs to coat thoroughly, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese a handful at a time while tossing the squash to evenly coat. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and extra cheese.

from chow.com (by Kate Ramos)

spaghetti squash

spaghetti squash, cut in half

innerds scooped out--brushed with oil
and sprinkled with salt & pepper

roasted

scraping with a fork

spaghetti squash strands

garlic and chopped shallots

cooked garlic and shallots

adding squash

adding cheese

.

California Grilled Veggie Sandwich

I'm warning you right now that this sandwich is a little hard to eat (or at least hard to eat gracefully). So maybe you shouldn't serve it at a fancy garden party. But if it's just for your friends and family, definitely give this one a try. If you can't be a slob in front of them, eat it alone. Or get yourself some new friends (I was going to add family to that, but that seems a little cold, even for me). 

I was surprised at how much I loved this. The garlic mayo and soft, warm feta is just unbelievably delicious with the lightly charred vegetables. Plus using homemade rosemary focaccia didn't hurt. I've never gotten all that worked up over a grilled vegetable sandwich before, but this one has me wondering when I'm going to make it again.

CALIFORNIA GRILLED VEGGIE SANDWICH

Yield: 4 servings

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sliced red bell peppers

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

2 (4- x 6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1.      In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2.      Preheat the grill for high heat.

3.      Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.

4.      Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

from allrecipes.com by Heather Johnson

mayonnaise, garlic and lemon

red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and red onion

veggies on the grill

If you like to grill small stuff, I suggest you get one
of these grill pans (it really cuts down on food loss
between the grill grates and makes it easier to take
things on and off the grill).

getting grilled

homemade rosemary focaccia

focaccia sliced, spread with garlic mayo and sprinkled with feta

focaccia on the grill

grilled focaccia

The feta doesn't look all that melty, but it's
warm and soft (and the bread is toasty). I bought
a really good quality feta and it was so worth it!

zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper added

topped off with onions

.

Butternut Nests

My daughter used to like butternut squash a lot, but lately she won't touch the stuff. So I thought maybe, just maybe, if I put the squash in these cute little nests and drizzled honey over the top (which I know she loves), she would rethink her position. Of course what actually happened was she ate around it and left a little pile of squash on her plate (the same way my dog always managed to find her car sick pill inside the cheese and leave it behind in her bowl). Oh well, at least I made a fun new side dish that looks nice for Thanksgiving (even if I won't be serving it this year).

BUTTERNUT NESTS WITH COCONUT CREAM

Yield: 12 side dishes

1/4 lb. kataifi (shredded phyllo dough), thawed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup sliced almonds (2 oz.), coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil

1 large shallot, chopped

1 medium butternut squash

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ground or finely crumbled

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup water, plus more if needed

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat, not light), refrigerated overnight

honey for drizzling

Kataifi Nests:

1.         Preheat oven to 375° F. Set aside a standard size 12-cup muffin tin (grease if not nonstick).

2.         Gently pull apart strands of kataifi into a large bowl, then toss with butter or oil and almonds until well coated. Divide kataifi among 12 muffin cups and press into bottoms and halfway up sides of the muffin cups, creating nests.

3.         Bake until the outsides are golden, about 12-15 minutes (check by gently lifting one nest up with a small knife). Cool completely in the tin on a rack. (Can be made one day ahead and kept in muffin tin, covered tightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature.)

Squash Filling:

4.         Peel the squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

5.         In a large heavy pot, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the squash, rosemary and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.

6.         Add the water and salt and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until the water has evaporated and the squash is tender, about another 8-10 minutes (add a little more water if the squash needs to cook longer). Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made one day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Assembly:

7.         Open the chilled can of coconut milk, being careful not to shake the can and keep it right side up. Scoop out the thick layer of coconut cream at the top of the can (do not to scoop any coconut water from underneath) and place in a small bowl; mix until smooth.

8.         Using a sharp knife, remove kataifi nests from the muffin tin and gently place on plates.

9.         Just before serving, fill each nest with squash. Top with a dollop of coconut cream and drizzle with honey.

inspired by Kataifi with Candied Pumpkin and Yogurt from epicurious.com.

kataifi

kataifi mixed with butter and almonds

making kataifi nests

peeling the squash

scooping out the squash seeds

cutting the squash

cooking the shallots

adding the squash, rosemary and ginger

broth added

squash cooked and tender

baked kataifi nest

coconut cream

You can actually whip the coconut cream with an
electric beater until light and fluffy. You can also
whip in a little sugar, cinnamon or vanilla
extract for a great vegan topping for desserts.

You can also use the coconut water
for drinking, smoothies or soup.

kataifi nest filled with butternut squash, topped
with coconut cream and drizzled with honey

 .