Monday, September 20, 2010

Butternut Squash Risotto

3 cups peeled, diced fresh butternut squash
olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c onion, diced
1 Tb olive oil
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
1 Tb garlic, minced
1 c arborio rice
1 Tb fresh thyme leaves
1 Tb fresh sage, minced
1/2 c fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
1/4 c shredded fontina or parmesan cheese
2 Tb chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 425. Toss squash with a little oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread squash in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Set squash aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; keep warm.

3. While broth is heating, saute onion in 1 Tb oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute until they start to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add rice and stir to coat with oil and vegetables.

4. Add 1/2 c warm broth; simmer and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in another 1/2 c warm broth; simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost all evaporated. Continue adding broth in 1/2 cup increments, adding more only after previous addition has been absorbed. Taste rice after three-quarters of the broth has been added. Rice is done when it's tender but still slightly firm and white in the very center (not chalky). Continue adding broth until only 1/2 c remains.

5. Add thyme, sage, peas and cheese to pan with last 1/2 c broth; stir until cheese melts, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat before all liquid is absorbed. Gently fold in cooked squash and walnuts. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional thyme, if desired, and serve warm.

Garlicky Mussels

From Clean Eating September/October 2010

1 1/2 lb tightly closed raw mussels
2 tsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
zest and juice of 4 limes, divided
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
5 scallions, bulb removed, white and green parts thinly sliced on the diagonal

1. Place mussels in a large bowl of cold water. Soak for 15-20 minutes. With your fingers, lift out mussels and place in a colander. Rinse under cold running water and discard any mussels that have opened. Check each mussel for a thread-like string hanging out of the shell (called the "beard"). To remove, use a tea towel and take hold of the beard. Pull firmly toward the hinge end of the shell and tug free.

2. Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add oil, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno and lime zest. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pepper is soft. Add lime juice, broth adn 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and mussels. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, until shells open and mussels are cooked through. Sprinkle with cilantro and scallions and serve immediately with warm corn bread or corn bread muffins.