butternut squash risotto

Thanksgiving is just one week away. One week! So shocking. I have a list of recipes queued up and ready for you all, all dishes that would accompany a roasted turkey beautifully. In order to get them out to you in time for your big trip to the grocery store, I am going to march them out day after day through Monday. 5 recipes in 5 days. I do believe that will be a new record here at Bella Eats!

I am starting with a Fall staple in our house. Butternut squash is the very first Autumn ingredient that I buy each September, always in anticipation of this recipe. If we were hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house again this year I would absolutely put this creamy dish on our menu, and can't quite figure out why it has never made it there before. I think it would make a great substitute for the sweet potato casserole that typically winds up on the table. Especially because I just discovered my favorite sweet potato dish ever, and its a dessert, and I don't think I could take two sweet potato courses in one meal. Don't worry, I'll be sharing that one too.

I tried something new this time, adding mushroom broth to the risotto instead of standard vegetable. We loved the earthy depth it added, and have permanently altered our recipe. If you don't have mushroom base, vegetable or chicken broth is good too.

Butternut Squash Risotto

serves 4 for main course, 6-8 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, about 1.5 pounds
• 2-3 tbsp butter, divided
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 medium onion, diced, about 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-½ cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 6-7 cups broth made with better than bouillon mushroom base (vegetable if you don't have it)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt + pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Lay the halves cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Place a thin sliver of butter inside the bowl of each half, and another on the flat part of the squash.  Place a small sage leaf over top of each sliver of butter.  Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh pepper.  Roast the squash for 20-30 minutes, until a fork can pierce the flesh with only a bit of resistance.
2. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool until you can handle it comfortably.  Use a small paring knife to peel the skin from the squash, and dice it into ½-inch chunks.  Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and let sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is starting to soften.  Add the garlic and the rest of the sage leaves and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.  Add the arborio rice and stir to combine for 1 minute, until the rice starts to crackle.  De-glaze the pan with the white wine, stirring to get any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Add the squash and stir so that it is evenly distributed with the rice.
4. Add broth one ladle at a time, stirring constantly so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, and only adding the next ladle when the previous has been absorbed.  Continue until all broth is gone and rice is creamy, about 25 minutes.
5. Add the remaining butter (about 1 tbsp) to the pan, along with the parmesan cheese, and stir until distributed evenly.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Charlottesville and Richmond folks...Relay Foods beat me again! Richmond, your one-click recipe is here, and Charlottesville yours is here.

red beet risotto

I do believe that beets are my very favorite spring vegetable. They are quickly overshadowed by tomatoes in Summer, but in May and June I could eat beets every other day. Typically I am a fan of simply roasting the globes and tossing them on a salad with chevre and a light vinaigrette. But every now and then, when I am feeling the need for something a bit more toothy and substantial I'll whip up a batch of risotto. I love the sweetness that roasted beets lend to the savory dish, and of course the vibrant hue that even a picky toddler wouldn't be able to resist.

I"ll admit...I've already written about red beet risotto here, years ago, when we were growing beets in our very own garden. The recipe has changed a bit, and the photographs have certainly improved, but I still love that first post because of its words about our little veggie patch. We're still growing beets this year, although out on Maple Hill Farm rather than just to the side of our house. And this recipe is still a favorite, one that I felt was appropriate to bring up again now that we're at the height of beet season here in Charlottesville. Plus, I just couldn't resist the urge to re-photograph the dish in all of its neon-pink glory, in proper lighting, with less distraction. It deserves to be the star of the show!

These days, I'm adding the beet greens directly to the risotto, rather than cooking them up on the side. They don't add much flavor to the dish, but I do like the additional texture and all of the nutrients packed into the deep green leaves. Thanks to the New York Times for that little suggestion.

Red Beet Risotto

from the new york times

serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound beets (1 small bunch of 3 to 4)
• 1 bunch beet greens, stemmed and washed (from your beets, if fresh and unwilted. leave them out if they are past their prime)
• 6 to 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as needed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cups arborio rice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. First, roast the beets. Preheat your oven to 400°. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the beets are easily pierced with a fork.  Remove from oven and allow to cool, then peel and dice the beets.  The skin should slide off easily.
2. Slice the greens into 1-inch strips, set aside.
3. Place the stock in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
4. In a large, wide, heavy-bottom saute pan, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and stir while cooking until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and the garlic and stir while cooking until the rice is separate and starting to crackle, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the wine has just about evaporated, add in 1 ladleful of stock (about 1/2 cup) just to cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly (adjust heat). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stock is nearly absorbed, then add another ladleful. Continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is dry, for about 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the diced beets and sliced greens. Add more stock and continue cooking as before, for another 10-15 minutes, adding stock when the rice is dry. The rice should be tender but not mushy, with no hardness at the middle. When it has reached the correct consistency, season with salt + pepper. Add the parmesan cheese and the parsley, and stir to combine. The rice should be creamy, if it is not, add another 1/2 cup of stock.
7. Adjust seasonings and serve.

mushroom barley risotto

Happy Friday, friends! What are you up to this weekend? We will be getting our hands dirty in our garden, prepping the beds for a sprinkling of lettuce seeds to hit the soil next week. So exciting! Nothing says "Spring!" like a Saturday spent in the yard. I've got my fingers crossed, hoping that the blue sky I see outside of my window sticks around!

Looking ahead at all of the fresh, green produce arriving in the next couple of months made me realize that I've been holding out on you. I really couldn't let Winter completely slip away without sharing this favorite recipe with you all. This hearty little risotto has made an appearance on our table multiple times these last few months and we just can't seem to get enough of it! In fact, there are leftovers in the refrigerator right now, and I am very much looking forward to lunch.

Mushrooms and I got along very well this Winter. That's a change for me, as I've never been a big fan of the stinky fungi. Not that I had anything against them, but I didn't actively seek them out for recipes. Something happened this year, though, and I found myself picking up a half-pound of fresh Cremini mushrooms nearly every week. Usually they were for this risotto, but also for empanadas, and veggie burgers, and a lasagna I haven't yet shared. What I love about the mushrooms in this recipe is that they really are the perfect mate for barley, which replaces the arborio rice typically found in risotto. Both lend an earthiness to the dish that you expect, but they also complement each other texturally. The barley remains a bit firm, providing the slightest resistance as you chew, while the mushrooms are silky and smooth and nearly melt on the tongue. The whole process is relatively quick and simple, not requiring the constant stirring like a traditional risotto, but also makes an impressive side dish for company.

Enjoy the weekend...get outside!

Mushroom Barley Risotto

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces cleaned and sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Method

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Saute' onion until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add all mushrooms and saute' until golden brown, about 10 minutes, adding 1 to 3 tbsp water if they start to stick.
3. Stir in herbs and garlic, then add barley and stir for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove lid and add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed, until barley is tender but still slightly firm. You may not use all of the broth, but you will use most of it. This whole process, from the time you add the first broth, should take 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat and add butter and cheese, stirring until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.