Butternut Squash Risotto

When I first met the Monkey Scientist, he was taking his MCAT and getting ready to apply for med school.  I knew when I met him that he probably wouldn't be staying in DC, but I think it only took about 3 months of dating before I agreed I'd probably move wherever he went.  The main reason being that I knew he was from Chicago and therefore that's where he'd probably end up.  After college, a whole bunch of my friends moved to Chicago (and my baby brother is here for college), so I'd actually been contemplating a move here long before I met him - he was just giving me the push I really needed to make it happen.

Lucky for me, this is exactly what happened.  By the time we moved here, some of my Chicago friends had moved on to other places, but some were just moving here and others were contemplating moving back.  It's been so wonderful being close to family and friends, even though it's meant leaving some DC friends behind. This week was a great example - we had my college roommate and her boyfriend over.  She's one of my favorite friends and we went through a lot together in college, so it feels like old times when we eat with her.



For this particular meal, I decided to make one of my favorite comfort foods - risotto.  My college roommate and I learned to make risotto when we shared a tiny bedroom in our first apartment. It was so small, we could lie in bed and hold hands - despite our twin beds being up against opposite walls.  We would often lay in bed late at night or on a lazy Sunday and watch Food Network.  That year was a huge learning experience for me cooking.  It was my first time living on my own in a place with a kitchen and we spent loads of time experimenting with all different recipes.

The risotto we made in college always started with shallots and was pretty simple, but the basic technique for this was the same.  This version is just perfect for fall, though.  It fit well with ingredients I had leftover from making this pizza a few days prior (but with bacon instead of proscuitto, duh).  The butternut squash adds the perfect bit of sweetness to risotto.  The smell of grated butternut squash mixed with the chopped sage smelled perfectly like October.  And now that it's getting cold outside, risotto is just the perfect stick-to-your-ribs food.  We all really loved this recipe and I'm sure your family will, too!



Butternut Squash Risotto
very slightly adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients
4-6 c low-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable for vegetarian)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 small butternut squash- peeled, seeded, and grated (about 4 cups)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
1 c dry white wine
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice of 1 lemon

Instructions
1. Warm the broth in a small saucepan over low heat. (Seriously, keep it on low.  Do not turn it higher.)
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the chopped sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated squash and garlic and cook until the squash begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until the rice becomes somewhat translucent. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
4. Keeping the stove on medium to medium low, add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you add more and then occasionally while it's absorbing. Waiting until it is absorbed before adding another 1/2 cup.  To tell when it's time to add more, I like to push the rice to the side so I have a little well in the middle where I can see the bottom of the pan.  If that well has liquid in it, stir and wait a minute.  If it's really dry, time for more liquid. It should take about 30 minutes for all of the broth to be absorbed.  Start with 4 cups and taste it.  If the rice is still really hard, keep adding until it has a bite but doesn't taste uncooked.  When it's almost done, squeeze the lemon juice in and stir to absorb.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Spoon into individual bowls. For presentation, you can garnish with chopped sage (or in my case, chopped chives).

Duck and Chorizo Risotto

I have always had a love affair with duck.  I'm pretty sure it runs in our family.  My dad's brother has 4 kids, and had very similar bar/bat mitzvah parties for each of them...same caterer and location etc.  I distinctly remember my brother, who was young at the time, talking about the duck that they'd serve at the reception on the whole drive to Connecticut, and practically running to the duck serving station after the ceremony.  I'm almost sure he's counting down the days until the youngest is bat mitzvahed.



For me, there are just some dishes made very special by duck.  I'll never eat at California Pizza Kitchen again, since they took their amazing duck pizza off the menu.  And I cannot wait to go to New York with my coworker to try the duck she raves about at one of her favorite Chinese restaurants.  Proteins can become so monotonous  but, especially because we eat it less frequently, I find that duck has such a unique flavor. It's fatty and sweet and simply delicious.

Unfortunately, the Monkey Scientist won't eat duck.  Ducklings are one of those cute little animals with a family unit, and he's not into it.  I keep telling him I only buy "childless, old maid" ducks, but he's not buying it.  Oh well, more for me!



When PW posted this recipe, and said it was originally from David Leite's cookbook, I knew it had to be made.  If a recipe sounds good, and it's a collaboration of chefs from 2 of your favorite blogs, I think that's a sign. Go home and make it.  I obeyed. It's important to obey signs.



Surprisingly, I can almost always find duck at my local grocery store.  It's usually sold near the organic or not-so-normal proteins (like where the lamb and bison is sold).  Each piece (a leg or breast) is sold individually and cryo-vaced, shipped in from our neighbors to the north (yes, Canadian duck...old maid, childless Canadian duck, now will you eat it?).  It's actually relatively cheap (a leg was a little over $2) especially because you can buy exactly the amount you want.



For whatever reason, I totally misread the ingredients before I went to the store and didn't get enough chicken stock.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I almost never buy stock in a can either, but I was feeling cheap I guess. It was no matter, I supplemented with water and added a little ancho chile powder for extra flavor.  Since it was mixed with the can of stock, and the duck cooked it in, I thought it was plenty flavorful.  In retrospect, I would have used all stock.... next time. You live and you learn.



Now normally, I love making risotto.  I think there's just something special about a meal that you tend to the whole time it's cooking - you can really taste the love.  However, the AC in my apartment does NOT reach my kitchen and man-oh-man did I get hot making this one.  I have a magnet thermometer on my fridge that was off the scale (it only goes to 85).  I was melting.  But it was worth it.



This meal was absolutely delicious.  The sweetness of the duck and the orange, the spiciness and smokiness of the chorizo, the creaminess of the risotto - it all blended in perfect harmony.  This was one of those meals that my parents and brother would devour. I thought the extra kick from the red pepper flakes at the end was totally necessary.  It may have been the best risotto I've ever made - and it didn't even have cheese in it! Maybe it was better that I didn't have to share!



Duck and Chorizo Risotto
adapted from David Leite on Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 whole duck legs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 chorizo sausage, removed from casing
1 whole small yellow onion, minced
1 c Arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of one orange
Crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the duck legs well with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, add the duck pieces, skin side down and sear until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the legs to a medium pot and cover with chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until the meat is tender, 1-1/2 hrs.
2. Drain most of the duck fat from the skillet but do not throw out. Add sausage to skillet and sauté over medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels and drain fat into jar with the duck fat. Wipe skillet clean.
3. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and shred into bite sized pieces. Set aside. Spoon the fat from the top of the stock and bring to a simmer over low to medium low heat.
4. Add 1 tbsp of duck/chorizo fat back to skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat, and cool until translucent around the edges, about 2 minutes. Splash in wine and cook until absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring continuously, until the liquid has almost burbled away. Keep up this rhythm of adding stock, stirring, and cooking until the rice is tender but offers just the slightest bite of resistance in the middle and almost all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Stir in sausage and duck, then add orange juice and stir until absorbed. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Add in orange zest and serve.

Welcome to my blog! And Spring Vegetable Risotto with my very first Pot Roast

After much talk, I've finally decided to start a blog instead of just posting my new recipes to Google Buzz.


So although there are no pictures from last night's dinner, I thought I'd share with you the recipes I made and let you know how they were.  My friend KCW was in town and enjoyed this meal with me.  I'd let him review, but he's not quite picky enough - he even enjoyed the tomato sauce I made the night before with whole instead of crushed tomatoes, leaving it far too thin - NOT acceptable!



Main Course:
Balsamic Roast with Mushrooms courtesy of randrok.


Ingredients:

• 3 pounds Chuck Roast
• 8 ounces, weight Button Mushrooms (sliced)
• 8 ounces, weight Baby Portabello Mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 whole Sweet Onion, Chopped
• 1 package (1 Oz. Packet) Dry Onion Soup Mix
• ½ cups Red Wine (she requested "one you would drink," we all know for me this means the wine that was on sale 2 for $12 at Giant.  I may have used more than this as I used the wine to de-glaze the pan I seared the roast in and then added more to the CrockPot)
• ⅓ cups Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper
• 1 pinch Dried Rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions:


Season the roast with salt, pepper and rosemary on both sides. Sear over medium-high heat in the olive oil.
Add chopped onion to the bottom of your crock pot. Place the seared roast on top of the onions.
Put the soup mix on top of the roast, then pour on the red wine and balsamic.
Place the mushrooms on top and set your slow cooker to low. Let it go for 6-8 hours.

Review:

Couldn't have been easier to make!  I'm officially in love with the CrockPot that just finally came out of the box for the first time.  I seared it off in the dutch oven before work, threw everything in the CrockPot, set it to low 8 hours (mine has an automatic timer and turns to "warm" after the time is up), then enjoyed it once the rest of the meal was ready.  When it is in the CrockPot before cooking, it doesn't look like much juice, but it has much more once the onions have cooked all the way down. The meat fell apart - which I couldn't believe since it was the thickest piece of meat I've ever bought.  The juices turned into an au jour that was tasty poured over the meat.  I thought the meat was a bit dry (KCW disagreed, but I also think he'd be afraid to tell me it wasn't good) but the au jour helped.  The mushrooms shriveled up and turned close to black - which wasn't all that attractive, but they still tasted good.  Overall, definitely would make it again, especially due to the ease.

Side Dish: Spring Vegetable Risotto courtesy of hailskitchen. 

(photo credit to tastykitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Asparagus, Cut Into Bite-sized Pieces
• 2 cups Peas
• 1 wheel Shallot, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 bulb Leek, White Parts Sliced (Not sure what is considered a "bulb" as I bought it in a "bunch" - I used about 3 stalks. I could have used more but didn't feel it was missing anything)
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Arborio Rice
• 6 cups Broth, Vegetable Or Chicken
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• ½ cups Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs: Dill, Chives, Or Italian Parsley

Instructions:

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another minute. Drain and place in an ice water bath to halt the cooking. Once the vegetables are totally chilled, remove and set aside.

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.

In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and leeks. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring often, until it turns from opaque to translucent (be careful not to brown), another minute or so. Add the wine, stirring frequently, and cook until nearly evaporated.

Gradually stir in the hot broth about a cup at a time. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the rice absorbs almost all the broth. Stir in another cup and repeat, keeping the risotto at a steady simmer, adding more broth until it’s almost gone and the rice is barely tender, about 20 minutes in total. If you run out of broth or if the rice isn’t tender, use hot water. Add the asparagus and peas, lemon zest and juice and herbs to the rice. Stir well to heat through and then add the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with more cheese and herbs.

Review:

This was YUMMY!  I'm a huge risotto fan, and I loved the veggies snuck into this one. My "healthy diet program" at work would be proud  I'm not even a pea fan normally - but with stringy Parmesan cheese and asparagus and risotto they were perfect! By stopping the cooking in the ice bath, the asparagus and peas retained a beautiful green color.  However, by the time they were leftovers today, the bright green color had definitely faded. I used a giant lemon for this recipe because I love lemony flavor, but it was still not overpowering (I think Dad and MJL still would have enjoyed it). Also, the 6 cups of broth was plenty for me to get the rice tender - I probably even could have used less, so I didn't need the extra hot water.  Also - I left out the fresh herbs because I accidentally bought cilantro instead of parsley.  I HATE cilantro!

One interesting note - I remember Rachel Ray (no I'm not a huge fan but I do have a Food Network addiction at times) once saying that when you make risotto you should add the scoop of broth, stir it in, and then not touch it until it absorbs and you add more broth. This recipe says to continue stirring constantly.  It definitely is more work to stir constantly, and I'm not sure I noticed a huge difference - although the rice did become perfectly tender in this recipe.

Overall, I LOVED this recipe and will definitely make it again!  I would only caution that you should probably halve the recipe unless you are cooking for loads of people.  This made a TON of risotto - I'll be eating it for the next few weeks.  Although it was so good, trust me this is not a complaint!

yelleBELLYboo