Sprucing Up Our Sides

We eat the same side dishes over and over again around here, so I wanted to try something new. Generally we have very basic rice or potatoes, but in the spirit of fall we added a warm butternut squash risotto to the mix a few weeks back. I made it on a weeknight, which worked out okay, but the arborio rice took longer than expected to become tender. And grating a butternut squash takes a few minutes too!

I just got some new cookbooks from Michael's grandmother that I will have to dive into because our risotto dish was based off of another Rachael Ray recipe (check it out at the end of this post and note the frozen puree). In any case, upon arriving home from work I threw a pork loin in the oven with some extra liquid to keep it tender. This would give me about an hour to pull the risotto together.

I chopped up the onions quickly and rummaged through the cabinets for the required spices. I used dry parsley flakes that we keep on hand, instead of fresh. I mixed up some salt and pepper, in addition to a few dashes of paprika and nutmeg. After pulling the necessary broth and margarine from the fridge, I snapped a few shots and got back to work -- grating the squash. If anyone has tips on making grating anything, less awkward or uncomfortable, please let me know.

By this time, I knew that the meat was going to be done before the risotto. I embraced the delays and kept working. Once the margarine had soaked up the pan, I tossed the squash, onions, and spices. After they were warm and tender, I brought the broth to a boil over the squash mixture and threw in the rice. With impatient stirs every few minutes, the rice took about 30 minutes to cook through over medium to high heat.

The best part on this process was plating the side adjacent to a soft pork and firm green beans. The risotto brought great color to the plate and wonderful warmth to a fall weeknight evening.

Hopefully we will continue to boost our repertoire of side dishes and I will share what we come up with and welcome new ideas too!

Ingredients 

• 1 32 ounce container  (4 cups) chicken broth
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
  
• 2 cups arborio rice
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
  
• 1 12 ounce box  frozen butternut squash puree, thawed
  
• Nutmeg
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 10 leaves fresh sage, slivered
  

Directions 

1. In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low.

1. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO , 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. When the oil is rippling, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast for 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add 2 ladlefuls of the warm chicken broth to the rice and stir until the liquid evaporates. Repeat with the remaining broth, cooking the risotto until creamy, about 18 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the squash; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. During the last minute of cooking, stir in the cheese and butter. Top with the sage.