Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Sometimes the meals that have true "romantic dinner" potential sneak up on you. Take today for instance: I woke up, did some research, went to the chiropractor, and thought to myself, "Hey, I should do a new sandwich post today."

I happened to be right by Stop and Shop.

The suspense is killing you, right?

Well, while I was perusing the isles, trying to remember what exactly my chicken cutlet sandwich consisted of, I saw it... Already cut, peeled, and neatly packaged right in front of me: Butternut squash. What a great wintery vegetable. I threw it in my cart figuring I could always find something to do with it, and went on my way.

Turned a corner, and BLAMMO! I was face to face with lamb rib chops. On SALE. When does Stop and Shop have rib chops? When are they on sale!?!? It came to me in an epiphany. I was tempted to scream "eureka!" and run like Archimedes, naked through the isles.

Rosemary Braised Lamb Rib Chops
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Roasted Asparagus with Truffle Oil

Feast fit for a king... or in this case, my family.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, you know what's more exciting than getting flowers on Valentine's Day or your birthday? Getting them when you're not expecting them, for no reason at all, just 'cause.

The same goes for dinners like this one. Sure, I could make my Dad lamb chops on his birthday, but a meal like this on a Tuesday night? You'd better believe he was the happiest guy in town.

So happy, he made his Robert De Niro Face

His favorite part of the meal? Surprisingly, it was the risotto. A risotto done well is always satisfying. I have to say... it's a labor of love. If you aren't going to be patient and take the time to make any risotto the right way, you'd better put down that spoon. This rice takes commitment!

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

1 Butternut Squash, cut, peeled into 1"-2" pieces
4 tblsp Olive Oil
1 tblsp Sea Salt
1 tblsp Light Brown Sugar

2 cups Arborio Rice
1 Shallot, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
4 tblsp Unsalted Butter
1 cup White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio because it is light)
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated + extra for serving


Preheat oven to 400*f

1) Place the squash in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and add the olive oil, sea salt, and brown sugar. Mix well until all of the squash is coated evenly.

2) Spread out all of the squash on a baking sheet*, and place in the oven to roast. You can keep it there basically for the duration of the cook-time. It will take the squash about 20-30 minutes to become very soft.

3) Meanwhile, in a 2 qt. pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

4) Add the shallots and garlic. Saute and let them cook until they are fragrant and soft, about 5-7 minutes.

5) Add the rice to the pot and stir so that the rice is fully coated and combined with the butter and shallots. Add the wine.

6) Once the wine reduces and is absorbed by the rice, add the chicken stock 1 cup at a time, each time waiting until the prior cup has been almost completely absorbed. Stir constantly. Continue this measure until the rice is thoroughly cooked and creamy.

7) Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

8) Finally, add the roasted squash to the pot. Reduce heat to low and stir well, smashing the squash into the rice until it is more or less uniform.

9) Serve with extra cheese!



Intrigued? You don't even know! This rice is the perfect accent to a succulent meal. It's warm and timeless. The squash flavor isn't overwhelming, and just adds something special to a very basic (but still tasty) risotto. It goes great with lamb or beef. Along with our truffled asparagus and a good glass of red, if I closed my eyes I would have thought I was at a cozy homestead restaurant. Bon Appetite!

*I used the Bar Pan from Pampered Chef. I love it because it a) holds seasoning, b) adapts the exact temperature from the oven, so it cooks uniformly, and c) cooks the bottom and top at the same time. It is my favorite thing in my kitchen.

It's Vichyssoise, Sir. It's supposed to be cold.. or not?

When I was a kid I used to spend a lot of time at my Grandma Crowley's house. I always looked forward to the summer because her lawn would become riddled with onion grass. One of my favorite things to do was to pluck the little onions, which I quite vividly remember always grew around the gazebo and behind the hydrangeas. I was like a pig with truffles when it came to onion grass.

I was caught, on more than one occasion, with the stem hanging out of my mouth -- which was probably not the best idea. Man, I loved that onion grass. I remember my grandma telling me that I could make Onion Soup... I couldn't think of anything that could possibly be better than onion soup. So, in the summer, I'd sit there with my sand-castle bucket filled with luke-warm water stirring onion grass. I didn't really get why she wouldn't let me use warmer water.

Thank God for adulthood. I still think about sitting in the sun behind the hydrangeas, picking onion grass, every time I cut open a leek.

I like to keep it in the family in this recipe, the onion family. Potato Leek Soup is one of my favorites, especially when the weather gets colder. In the warmer months, I eat it cold and call it Vichyssoise which is equally (if not more) fantastic. Traditionally, Vichyssoise is served cold... I like it hot, too. I think its just a question of semantics. If it's hot, it's potato leek. Cold = Vichyssoise. Either way, its taste is heartwarming.

Potato Leek [Vichyssoise] Soup
3 Leeks, chopped
1 Shallot, minced
5-6 Cloves of Roasted Garlic
2 tblsp Butter
2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 cup half and half
Salt
Black Pepper
Water

1) In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over low heat, add the shallots and one bay leaf. Saute until the shallots are soft and sweet.

2) Add the chopped leeks to the pot and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes, remove the bay leaf.

3) Add roasted garlic, potatoes, and stock. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the second bay leaf and keep the lid on the pot.

4) As the soup cooks down and thickens, add liquid to keep it the right consistency, alternating broth and water. Cook until the potatoes are soft.

*Something to keep in mind is that potatoes absorb salt, so you'll definitely need a generous amount. Just make sure you are tasting as you go.

5) With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, let cook for 10 more minutes.

6) Add half and half after the flavors have settled. Serve hot or cold!

Rigatoni with Sausage and Wine-Truffle Sauce

Jim is still away, so I've been struggling to make Romantic Dinners for Me. This is a great dish, and you can really make it to order.

I don't have a quirky story for this one. It's a go-to recipe. My mom made a variation of it all the time at home, and I basically ran with it. It's easy to make, tastes fabulous, and people usually love it. It's wonderful fresh, and just as good left-over. There is a lot of depth of flavor, and you can play around with what you put into it. GO!

Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage and Wine-Truffle Sauce
1 package of Sweet Sausage (with Fennel Seeds)
1 bunch Fresh Asparagus
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
1 tblsp Butter
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1 medium Shallot, sliced thin -- against the grain
1 cup White Wine
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp Truffle Oil

1 lb Rigatoni, cooked al dente -- save 1/2 cup pasta water before draining

Preheat oven to 350*F

1) Cook sausage on a sheet in the oven for 15-20 minutes. You don't want to cook them all the way through, you just want them to firm up. It's okay if they're a little pink on the inside. This makes it easier to cut them.

2) Remove sausage, place asparagus on the same pan (whatever grease came from the sausage will cook the asparagus). Cook for 10 minutes -- they should be slightly softened, but still firm, and bright green.

3) Cut the sausage in to 1/2-inch pieces. Quarter the asparagus, disposing of the last quarter (the thick stem).

4) In a saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots, cook until they are soft and begin to caramelize.

5) Add the sausage in one layer, brown each side.

6) De-glaze the pan with white wine. Add pasta water, chicken stock, and truffle oil. The starch in the pasta water will help the sauce thicken. Let this cook down for 5 minutes or so until it begins to thicken.

7) Add the whole cherry tomatoes and pasta to the pot, cover and cook until the tomatoes burst. Stir occasionally to make sure that the pasta is coated and cooking... about 5-7 more minutes.

* If your sauce seems to be cooking down too fast, you can alternate adding more liquid to it. The chicken stock will add some body to the sauce, the wine will thin it if it gets too thick.

8) Once the tomatoes burst, gently squish them down so that they break a little bit. Add the asparagus, stir, and let all of the flavors settle for a minute.

9) Serve it up in a big pasta bowl! Have some freshly grated parmesan cheese to top it off.



This dish is such a home run. It's great because it's easy to adjust the quantity, so you can make it for two, or twenty! You could even go nuts and serve it with the Roasted Garlic Bruschetta. Try it my way, and play around and see how YOU like it!