Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto


A perfect recipe to warm you up on a cold winter night. Use a short grain rice, specifically for risotto, as any other rice will not produce a creamy texture. Arborio rice is easily available in most super markets, whereas, carnaroli is a type you'll find at an Italian specialty food store. Once you've mastered making a basic risotto, you can create countless varieties using seasonal vegetables. 

Mushroom & Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup good olive oil 
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 shallot finely minced
1 lb. cremini or portabello mushrooms - cubed into bite size pieces
2 cups butternut squash - cooked and cubed into small pieces
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley for garnish


Directions
To cook the butternut squash, peel, seed and cube into 1" chunks. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on it and toss. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 20-30 min until tender. You may need to toss it half way through, so the pieces do not burn. Alternatively, you may steam the squash or even microwave it. 


For the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a simmer. In a separate, heavy bottomed pan, on high heat, saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil stirring frequently until they are nicely browned. They will exude their liquid and then start to brown in about 8-10 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. 


On medium high heat add the other 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan and saute the shallots until soft - about 2-3 minutes. Then add the rice and "toast" the rice for 1-2 minutes, or until it becomes nicely coated with oil and has taken a pale, golden color. Add the wine and stir until the wine has almost evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring constantly. Make sure almost all the liquid is absorbed before each addition. The amount of liquid required varies on the rice, you may not need all 6 cups of the broth. Risotto usually takes anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes. Start checking for the desired "al dente" texture after 15 min.  Remove from heat and stir in the mushrooms, squash, parmesan cheese and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning according to taste. If the risotto is too thick, you can loosen it up by adding some more broth. Garnish with parsley and serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and more parmesan cheese. 

Ina Garten's Split Pea Soup


Okay so this is a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, whom I absolutely adore! Every time I have tried any of her recipes, they come out great and its a hit at parties. I just made this soup tonight from left over ham. The original recipe is vegan but since I had leftover ham, I decided to use it to make the stock. Serve it with crusty bread or croutons. Forgot to take a picture of it but trust me, it is delish!


 Ingredients
2 cups yellow onions - chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic - about 3 cloves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 cups medium - diced carrots
2 cups medium - diced red potatoes with skin
2 pounds dried split peas
16 cups ham or chicken stock or water*
Smoked ham or croutons to serve with


Directions
If you are using left over ham from a holiday party, like a spiral cut ham, make a stock out of that by submerging water and 3-4 bay leaves in a 4 qt. pan. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for two and a half hours. Once cooled, remove the ham and strain the stock. The meat can be used in the soup, so carve it off the bone and cut into bite size pieces. It should yield about 3 quarts(12 cups) of stock.


In a 8 quart stock pot, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil with the salt, pepper and oregano. After about 10-15 minutes on medium heat, the onions will turn translucent.  Add the diced carrots, potatoes, stock and 1 1/2 pounds of the split peas. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 min, partially covered. Then add the rest of the split peas and simmer for another 40 minutes or until the peas are tender. Mix in the reserved ham and serve hot with some crusty bread of sliced croutons.


*substitute vegetable stock or water for a vegan version and omit the addition of ham all together. It still tastes very hearty and delicious! 

Potato and Onion "Vichyssoise" with Fried Onions


The classic Vichyssoise, is a french soup made with potatoes and leeks. I don't always have leeks in my apartment, so this is my version made with onions. This is a vegan recipe, but you can substitute veg. stock with chicken stock and add cream instead of soy yogurt. Serve this with some crusty french bread or croutons.

Potato and Onion "Vichyssoise" w/ Fried Onions

Ingredients
2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, or any other yellow potato - peeled and diced small. About 2-3 medium potatoes
2 cups Yellow onion - diced small. 
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cups Vegetable stock - or more depending on consistency 
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 Tsp. Ground nutmeg
1 cup soy yogurt or 1 cup soy milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Some fried onions and scallions to garnish.


Directions
In a medium size stock pot, on medium heat, saute the onions with olive oil, salt and pepper until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, nutmeg and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10-15 min or until the potatoes are fork tender. Blend the  mixture in a blender in batches. Fill the blender jar half way up, be careful as the mixture is really hot and my explode. The soup should be very smooth, with no lumps. Return to low heat and add 1 cup of soy yougurt. Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more stock. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with fried onions and scallions.


Fried Onions
Thinly slice one medium onion into rings and fry in vegetable oil, on medium to medium low heat. They will turn a deep golden brown in about 15 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. They will get crunchy as they cool.