Butternut Squash “Risotto”

Welcome to the new website! I hope you find it even easier to navigate and enjoyable to look at.  Also, check out our new video if you haven’t had the chance yet!  You can find the link on the sidebar…  For some reason I can’t figure out how to link to it and will have to ask my wonderful web programmer.

The site was supposed to launch on the 15th so if you’ve been waiting, I apologize for the delay.  After Thanksgiving we’ll be diving into working on the member site portion which will hopefully be done sometime in January.

I am feeling a need for a break from the more technical areas of my work, so I thought I’d post a new recipe for you today!  I am very excited about this one.  I am finding that the cauliflower rice is very versatile and works in so many wonderful dishes you’d normally use regular rice in – like Chicken and Rice Soup.  So I thought I would give Risotto a try and I ended up loving it.  I believe my son would have loved it had I not put so much garlic in it!

If you’ve never made regular risotto with Arborio rice, it is really quite easy and not as hard as it may seem.  The main trick is the heat the stock apart from the rice in a separate pot, and then slowly add it to the rice as it cooks, stirring very frequently.

I used the same idea in this recipe, however I didn’t use nearly as much stock as you’d use in regular Risotto. I didn’t really consider this to be a Thanksgiving recipe but I am sure this would make a lovely addition to the table!

So here you go:

Butternut Squash “Risotto” with Cauliflower Rice (grain-free and rice-free)

Time (about 45 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp coconut oil, or olive

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed (use very little or garlic powder instead for small children)

1 head of cauliflower, grated or chopped very finely in a food processor so that it looks like rice bits

about 1 cup or more chicken stock (preferably home made) – I ended up using 1 1/3 but start with 1 cup because the size of cauliflower heads can vary.

1 1/2 cups butternut or other sweet winter squash, cooked and mashed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup nutritional yeast – optional (you can also use Parmesan cheese if you can eat it, also optional)

Steps:

1.  If you don’t have cooked squash on hand, bake some ahead of time.  Then let cool,  scoop out and mash.  Prepare cauliflower.

2.  Heat the stock in a medium saucepan until it is boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

3.  Meanwhile, saute the onion in the oil over medium heat.  You’ll want to use a large saute pan with a lid or a large pot with a heavy bottom and a lid.  Saute until translucent and soft.  Add the garlic and and saute for a minute or so, stirring frequently to prevent burning and sticking to the pan.

4.  Add the cauliflower “bits” to the pot with the onion.  Add about 1/2 cup of stock to the cauliflower and stir.  Heat should be at about medium so that it starts to cook the rice but not too quickly.  Stir frequently until the stock is absorbed and rice starts to cook.  Add another 1/2 cup and continue stirring.  You can cover the pot for a couple of minutes to let it cook.  If it is boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer.  The rice should cook about 7-10 minutes, or until the bits are cooked through.  Add more stock if you think it needs more liquid or time to cook.

5.  Once the rice is cooked, add the mashed butternut, salt, pepper and parsley.  Stir to combine and turn off the heat.  If you want to add nutritional yeast or Parmesan, do so at the end.  Then cover for a couple of minutes to let the flavors meld and the cheese melt.  Enjoy!