Butternut Squash Risotto

So, I got the feeling that my dessert posts of the past few days are not everyone's cup of tea. Some people actually like real food more than desserts. Crazy, right? Well, good thing I like making real food, too!

One of my favorite things to make is risotto. Risotto is a mix between rice and pasta. You use Arborio rice, which you can find in almost any grocery store. When made the right way, it's creamy, flavorful, and delicious. The great thing about risotto is that you can add almost anything to it. Lemon zest, asparagus, shrimp, mushrooms, whatever you think of. It's very versatile.

Over Thanksgiving break, I made it with butternut squash, one of my top 5 favorite things in the world (this list also includes dark chocolate, the Real Housewives of Orange County, sleeping, and 90's pop music. In no particular order).

99% of the time, I buy the real squash and roast it in the oven. However, when making risotto, I buy the frozen stuff and steam it on the stove.

So, let's get started.

I really don't have a recipe for this: I've made it so many times, it's kind of in my head. As I've written before, I never really use precise measurements, so I apologize if they seem arbitrary. What you'll need: a little bit of olive oil, 1/4 stick of butter,  1/2 an onion, 1 bag of frozen squash, 1 box of Arborio rice, 32 oz. chicken or vegetable broth, a few cloves of garlic, a little bit of dry white wine, and about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. (This time, I only had a bag of the "Italian blend" cheese, but you're really supposed to use parmesan or romano).

Now, chop up your onions. I only learned how to properly chop an onion last Christmas, when Loving Boyfriend bought me Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vols. 1 & 2 by Julia Child. (I spent Christmas night on my couch, reading the cookbooks from start to finish. I'm not kidding. I love reading cookbooks. There's something wrong with me. And if you've ever seen Julia & Julia, yes, there is a recipe for deboned duck, and yes it did scare me. In fact, when I started this blog, Loving Boyfriend said, "Please don't tell me you'll be deboning a duck on the internet.")

So, what was my point? Ah, yes. Chopping onions. It's hard to describe in writing, so watch this creepy video I found on youtube:






Now, some people whine about how they don't like onions or garlic. First of all, onions and garlic are good for you. Second of all, if you cook them the right way, they're delicious. To me, not liking these ingredients is a serious personality flaw akin to disliking cats and being a Republican.

I know, I know, it looks like a lot.

Listen to me, you onion and garlic haters. In a dish like this, they will be cooked down so much that you won't taste the strong flavors. By the time you eat it, they'll be sauteed in butter, cooked in wine, and blended with the other ingredients.

Melt the putter in a large saucepan. Then, add your onions and garlic.

I apologize for the sorry state of my cooking pans. My darling little brother decides to make omelettes in them sometimes, and takes a BARBECUE TOOL to push the eggs around with. I can't talk about it anymore, even thinking about it makes my blood pressure rise.

Cook the onions and garlic on medium heat for about five minutes, until they're soft and translucent. Don't let them turn brown, however.

While your onions are cooking, put the broth in a saucepan on medium-high heat and simmer it.

Now, add the Arborio rice.

The stuff my grocery store sells always comes in this weird, shrink-wrapped package.

Stir the rice around until it's coated with the butter and looks glossy, about three minutes. This recipe requires a lot of stirring.

Okay, now it's time to add the wine. Some recipes call for 1/2 a cup, but I just pour it from the bottle.

Now, stir the rice around until it has absorbed all the wine. At this point, the rice is very hard and crunchy. Risotto is made by continually pouring liquid into the rice, and stirring as it absorbs. Those little grains will fatten up in no time.

It's good to make this recipe with someone, so you can take turns stirring. Unfortunately, my family was all at work and I was left to do it myself. You're ideally supposed to stir continuously, though.

Now, add a little bit of water to the bottom of a small saucepan, or use a larger saucepan with a steaming basket. For some reason, I brought my steaming basked to college with me, so I didn't have it when I made this. Therefore, I just added about 1/2 of water to a smallish saucepan. Pour your butternut squash on top, cover with a lid, and turn the heat on medium.

I strongly believe that the best way to cook vegetables is to steam them for just a few minutes. I hate cooked vegetables, especially cooked carrots. Boiling vegetables or steaming them for too long leeches out all the flavor and nutrients. If you steam them for a few minutes, they turn a vibrant color (especially green beans and asparagus) and aren't too soft or crunchy. The thought of mushy, grey, over-cooked vegetables makes me shudder!

Now it's time to add your broth. This can be an awesome vegetarian dish if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Pour the broth into the rice, about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir the rice constantly, until the liquid is fully absorbed. It should take up to five minutes. Don't get impatient and drown it! It'll ruin the dish.

Halfway through the stirring process.

It usually takes the whole 32 ounces of broth, but sometimes a little bit less or more. If you're running out of broth and the risotto is still crunchy, just add some water to the broth and throw in a bouillion cube. Bouillion cubes are little squares of dehydrated broth. It sounds gross, but they're really helpful and turn into real broth when added to hot water.

It's very easy to know when it's done. Just taste it! If it's even the slightest bit crunchy, it's still cooking. Now, check on your butternut squash.

It should be soft, warm, and a beautiful golden-orange.

When the risotto is almost done, add about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Then, pour in your other ingredients and stir. For this recipe, I obviously used butternut squash. I also put in a dash of cinnamon to deepen the flavor of the squash and to complement the vegetarian curry I made that night as the main dish. (Don't worry, I'll put that recipe up in the next few weeks!)

Stir the ingredients for about five minutes. Then, add the parmesan cheese and stir well. Risotto is meant to be served immediately. You can keep the leftovers overnight, but they may get sticky. You might want to add a little bit of hot water and stir it around before eating it for lunch the next day.

Finished!

Here it is on the plate:

On the right is the risotto. On the left is vegetarian coconut curry with potatoes and roasted butternut squash. I usually serve risotto as a side dish, as an alternative for mashed potatoes or vegetables, but it can also be served as the main meal.

 Bon appetit!

Just a note: Because I'm at school for the next two weeks, I won't be cooking. I do have a bunch of photos of completed stuff that I've made, so I'll write about those. I'll also try and write about Holiday Gift Guides and some craft projects.