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. 

Fettuccine with raw avocado "Alfredo"


In my attempt to create a vegan version of Fettuccine Alfredo, I tried out many recipes that included nutritional yeast and a bevy of other ingredients in minuscule quantities to imitate the "cheesy" flavor. Well, the end result never really great and I ended up with an ingredient I wouldn't normally use. So this recipe came to me as a result of being too lazy to go to the market and too frugal to buy anything too exotic. The avocado and pistachios gives the sauce the richness and texture of the classic Alfredo sauce. Enjoy!

Fettuccine with raw avocado "Alfredo"

Ingredients

1 lb. Fettuccine or any long pasta

20-30 basil leaves

1/2 cup nuts - roasted and unsalted (if you only have salted ones, they are okay too, just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe)*

2 ripe but firm avocados - roughly chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped.

1/4 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/4 cup unseasoned toasted bread crumbs 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Roasted red bell pepper (optional)

Directions

Put the basil, nuts, avocados, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in the food processor and process until smooth drizzling in the extra virgin olive oil until it has reached the desired consistency. It should have the consistency of a thick mayonnaise. Reserve some basil leaves for garnishing the dish. Pour out into a large bowl and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1tbsp salt to it. Boil the pasta according to package instructions. When the pasta is boiled, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and drain. Add the hot pasta to the bowl with the sauce and toss to mix. Add in the toasted bread crumbs and roasted pepper and toss.  If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the water used to cook the pasta, 2 tbsp at a time. The sauce should cling to the pasta and not be soupy at all. Serve with a sprinkle extra bread crumbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish with basil leaves.

*I used pistachios in this recipe, but you may use whatever you have on hand. Walnuts, almonds, cashews or pine nuts are really delicious as well. 

Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta Fazool is a rustic Italian soup that is perfect for a cold night. It is not only inexpensive and delicious, but also very nutritious. I am not Italian, and I don't claim to make the best Italian recipes. But, I've tried many different versions and come up with this version which I like the best. I have used dried beans here, but of course you may substitute 2 cans of beans for a quick 30 minute dish (just be sure to rinse the beans first!) Be creative with this recipe, if you like more heat, add more red pepper flakes. If you like basil, add it. Serve it with some grilled or toasted Italian bread. 

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients


2 cups dry beans - Soaked overnight in cold water and drained*
2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1 medium carrot - chopped
1 celery stalks - chopped
1 head garlic - coarsely chopped
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp fennel seeds
Handful of parsley leaves- coarsely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes - to taste (optional)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups pasta - ditalini or any small shaped pasta
6 cups water (you may use a combination of chicken/veg. stock and water)
Salt and pepper to taste.


Directions


Heat a heavy bottomed pot, with olive oil on medium high. Add the bay leaf, garlic and crushed red pepper and stir to ensure garlic does not burn. The raw smell of the garlic will evaporate in about a minute. Next, add the onions, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper until they are soft, about 5-8 min. Add, half of the parsley, crushed tomatoes, beans and water. Bring to a boil.

Let the beans cook on a medium low heat, covered for 45 minutes to an hour. Check them after 45 min to see if they are thoroughly cooked. They should be easily smashed by the back of a wooden spoon, without any "tooth" to them. When the beans are fully cooked, smash some of them with the back of a spoon. You can also adjust the amount of water at this point, if you like a lot of broth, add upto 2 more cups of water. Next add about 1 tbsp. of salt and the ditalini. Cook uncovered for 15 min. Adjust heat so that the soup is at a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings by adding more salt, pepper or more crushed red pepper flakes. Serve with a fresh drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley.


* I used Northern and Garbanzo, but you may use whatever you have available. I would refrain from using dark colored beans as they bleed their color into the soup and discolor the pasta.


Making ahead

Make the soup up to the point of adding pasta and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 6 months. When ready to serve, bring to a boil and proceed with the recipe.