I'll admit, in those early years of becoming vegetarian I purchased, shared and thoroughly enjoyed one or more of those boxed "cruelty-free" roasts. In most cases I would take one or two of the smaller slices of said roast, drizzle some mushroom gravy, then surround the meager helping with copious amounts of freshly mashed potatoes, casseroles, assorted roasted vegetables and heavy helpings of homemade desserts, all things that recall pleasant moments from Thanksgivings past. I've never been much a fan of mock meats and while those holiday substitute turkeys tend to be the (soy)cream of the crop, in no way do they resemble poultry in taste or texture. After a couple years, however, they did provide that much needed staple food to signify that Thanksgiving had indeed arrived. I have many fond memories from those holidays I shared with friends and family that I wouldn't trade for anything but for now I would like to encourage anyone reading this to pass on that frozen faux-fowl this year and opt for something equally if not a more autumn inspired dish that I hope will impress all that partake.
For the past few years I've relied on butternut squash as my go-to vegetable for a hearty main dish. Risotto is surprisingly easy and incredibly versatile, although in any traditional recipe I guarantee any one of a variety of hard italian cheeses will be called for. Fortunately, it's a rather small amount that can be omitted while having relatively no impact on the outcome and in this recipe the squash actually contributes to the creamy texture. Here's what you need:
1 small butternut squash
1 1/2 cups arborio rice, or any "risotto" rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
1 onion
1/3 cup crumbled roasted hazelnuts
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
oil (I prefer coconut, but olive oil is good too)
2 Tbsp minced sage leaves
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
First, take your biggest nice and carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp, save the seeds and roast like you would pumpkin seeds for snacks or garnishing this dish. Take one half of the squash and rub it with oil. Roast in the oven for roughly 45 minutes or longer, until the squash is browning and a knife can be easily inserted into the deepest part of the squash. When cooled, mash or puree the squash and set aside. Take the other half of the squash, peel and dice into half inch pieces. Toss with oil and roast for 12-15 minutes, turning the pieces about 8 minutes in, until the corners start caramelizing and set aside.
Bring the vegetable stock to a low simmer, you'll be adding the warm stock in small quantities to the rice.
Dice the onion and over medium-low heat start sweating the onions in 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot, add about half a teaspoon of salt. When the onions are translucent add the rice and stir, making sure all the rice is coated in oil. After a minute or two the grains of rice will become clear around the outsides, this is where it become a bit of a chore. Add the wine and start stirring, you're going to need to stay near the pot for the rest of the cooking time, roughly 30 minutes. You're going to want the rice to start absorbing all the liquid very slowly, as the rice absorbs liquid it will release starch, thus creating the creamy texture we're hoping to achieve. Stir the rice frequently, constantly if you can, making sure no rice is sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. If any of the grains are browning, your heat is too high, lower the heat! When the wine is absorbed, add about a cup of the simmering stock to the rice and start stirring again. When the rice has absorbed the stock, add another cup of stock. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender, as the pot's contents increase you may need to adjust your heat a bit, turning it ever so slightly higher. When the risotto has reached the right texture add one last installment of stock, the squash puree and pieces, nuts, ginger, sage, and any more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in all the ingredients until everything is well incorporated. Serve immediately, garnish with more nuts or sage if you'd like, and maybe some really nice olive oil.
This year I made the risotto with chestnuts rather than hazelnuts, but I think I prefer my original plan of action. I may try adding more spices and making a curried butternut squash risotto. This dish loses it's creamy texture quickly, so if you happen to be making a lot of other dishes, are planning on taking this to a potluck, or just aren't able to serve the risotto immediately I might suggest preparing it the night before, then on the big day form balls or patties with the rice, coat them in breadcrumbs and pan fry (or bake, but really, not nearly as good) until the crust is golden. I know this recipe is a little late for Thanksgiving 2010, but this dish is quite easily made any night of the week, and there's also another holiday creeping up which would be perfect for risotto as well. Thanks for reading! I was busy cooking all day and wasn't really able to get any photos, but there was a couple cameras floating around that evening so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of the feast we compiled.
1 small butternut squash
1 1/2 cups arborio rice, or any "risotto" rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable stock
1 onion
1/3 cup crumbled roasted hazelnuts
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
oil (I prefer coconut, but olive oil is good too)
2 Tbsp minced sage leaves
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
First, take your biggest nice and carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp, save the seeds and roast like you would pumpkin seeds for snacks or garnishing this dish. Take one half of the squash and rub it with oil. Roast in the oven for roughly 45 minutes or longer, until the squash is browning and a knife can be easily inserted into the deepest part of the squash. When cooled, mash or puree the squash and set aside. Take the other half of the squash, peel and dice into half inch pieces. Toss with oil and roast for 12-15 minutes, turning the pieces about 8 minutes in, until the corners start caramelizing and set aside.
Bring the vegetable stock to a low simmer, you'll be adding the warm stock in small quantities to the rice.
Dice the onion and over medium-low heat start sweating the onions in 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot, add about half a teaspoon of salt. When the onions are translucent add the rice and stir, making sure all the rice is coated in oil. After a minute or two the grains of rice will become clear around the outsides, this is where it become a bit of a chore. Add the wine and start stirring, you're going to need to stay near the pot for the rest of the cooking time, roughly 30 minutes. You're going to want the rice to start absorbing all the liquid very slowly, as the rice absorbs liquid it will release starch, thus creating the creamy texture we're hoping to achieve. Stir the rice frequently, constantly if you can, making sure no rice is sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. If any of the grains are browning, your heat is too high, lower the heat! When the wine is absorbed, add about a cup of the simmering stock to the rice and start stirring again. When the rice has absorbed the stock, add another cup of stock. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender, as the pot's contents increase you may need to adjust your heat a bit, turning it ever so slightly higher. When the risotto has reached the right texture add one last installment of stock, the squash puree and pieces, nuts, ginger, sage, and any more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in all the ingredients until everything is well incorporated. Serve immediately, garnish with more nuts or sage if you'd like, and maybe some really nice olive oil.
This year I made the risotto with chestnuts rather than hazelnuts, but I think I prefer my original plan of action. I may try adding more spices and making a curried butternut squash risotto. This dish loses it's creamy texture quickly, so if you happen to be making a lot of other dishes, are planning on taking this to a potluck, or just aren't able to serve the risotto immediately I might suggest preparing it the night before, then on the big day form balls or patties with the rice, coat them in breadcrumbs and pan fry (or bake, but really, not nearly as good) until the crust is golden. I know this recipe is a little late for Thanksgiving 2010, but this dish is quite easily made any night of the week, and there's also another holiday creeping up which would be perfect for risotto as well. Thanks for reading! I was busy cooking all day and wasn't really able to get any photos, but there was a couple cameras floating around that evening so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of the feast we compiled.
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