Butternut Squash Risotto with Spinach

 

1. Originally from feastingathome.com

   ingredients

   • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
   • 2 cups sliced leeks (one extra large leek)
   • 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
   • 8 sage leaves, chopped
   • 1 cup Arborio rice or short-grain Spanish rice (Bomba)
   • 2 heaping cups butternut squash, cubed
   • 1/4 cup white wine (or skip it)
   • 2 cups veggie stock or chicken stock or broth (or water and one teaspoon or cube veggie bouillon)
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1/8  teaspoon white pepper (or sub black pepper to taste)
   • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg the nutmeg makes this- don’t leave it out!
   • ——
   • 2–3 handfuls baby spinach or chopped kale
   • OPTIONAL: 1/4 – 1/2 cup parmesan, pecorino, manchego, goat cheese, vegan cheese or cashew cheese – or the leave cheese out and use LEEK OIL for garnish. Or stir in 1-2 tablespoons of butter or ghee, or a drizzle of olive oil.
   • Optional: Maple Glazed Pecans

2. STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: ( you will need 4-5 cups warm stock) 

   1. ROAST BUTTERNUT: Toss the butternut with olive oil, salt and pepper and ROAST the butternut in a 400 F oven on a parchment-lined sheet pan until caramelized and tender 25-30 minutes. At the same time make risotto.
3. RISOTTO: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the washed leeks. Saute until fragrant and tender, covering with the lid for a few minutes to let them steam a bit. Add garlic and sage, saute 2 more minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the rice and saute 1 minute, stirring. Add a splash of white wine, and cook this off. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add 1-2 cups warm stock (enough to cover the rice), stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Continue adding broth 1 cup at a time, letting the rice absorb it slowly, stirring often over med-low heat, until the rice is plumped, slightly al dente, yet creamy, about 20-25 minutes. If adding kale, add it with the last cup of broth. If adding spinach, you can stir it in at the end. Keep the risotto thick and hearty or add more stock to loosen it up a bit.
5. Stir in the roasted butternut and spinach and optional cheese or butter. Taste, season and adjust salt and pepper.  If bland, it probably needs more salt.
6. Garnish with the leek oil and maple glazed pecans.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

From Allrecipes.com

2 lbs beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tea paprika
1 tea Worchestershire
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 c beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worchestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots and celery.

Cover and cook on low setting for 10-12 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours.

Cannellini Bean and Leek Soup with Chili Oil

From River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

For the soup
4 leeks, trimmed (white and pale green parts only)
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb butter or vegan alternative
a few sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
2 14-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
a handful of oregano, coarsely chopped
a bunch of parsely, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chili oil
4 fresh red chiles, seeded and sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
a few sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 garlic clove, unpeeled and smashed

First, make the chile oil. Put the chiles in a small saucepan with the olive oil, theyme leaves, and unpeeled garlic clove. Heat slowly until the oil is bubbling very, very gently and cook the chiles until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

For the soup, halve the leeks lengthwise, wash well, and slice thinly. Heat the olive oil and butter in a sucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks with the thyme and bay leaf, and sweat gently, stirring from time to time, for about 15 minutes, until very soft. Add the garlic and stir for a minute.

Add the stock and cannellini beans, the oregano, and half of the parsley. Season with salt and plenty of pepper, increase the heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in the rest of the parsley. Serve in warmed bowls with a trickle of chile oil over the top.

Lentil Soup

Marlys Waldo and Clarissa Helton original recipe

leftover ham bone with some leftover meat attached
1/2 large onion, whole
1 large carrot, peeled and left whole
2 Tb vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tb tomato paste
1 1/2 cups RED lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 tea dried thyme
1 Tb red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated parmesan, optional

1. Put ham bone in 5 QT soup pot, cover with water (approx. 6 cups). Add one large carrot whole or cut in two and 1/2 an onion, whole, to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the meat falls off the bone (approx. 1 hour). Remove and discard carrot and onion, pull the ham off the bone and discard bone.

2. In another stock pot, add 2 Tb oil and saute onion and carrots. cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minutes. 

3. Add red lentils, thyme, and 5 1/2 cups of ham-bone broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover, cook until lentils are tender, 30-45 minutes. Add reserved ham pieces to the pot and turn off heat. 

4. Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 tea salt or to taste and 1/4 tea pepper. Top with a couple pinches of parmesan, if desired. Serve at once. 

Kale and White Bean Soup

From Epicurious

Makes 6 main-course servings

1 hour active time, 3 hours total

2 cans Canallini beans, drained and rinsed

2 onions, coarsly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb olive oil

5 c chicken broth

2 quarts water

1 3X2 inch piece of Parmesian rind

2 tea salt

1/2 tea black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tea finely chopped rosemary

1 lb sweet or smoked sausage

8 carrots, cut into small chunks

1 lb kale

Cook onions in the oil in an 8 qt pot until soft. Add garlic and stir for a minute or two. Add beans, broth and 1 qt water, cheese rind, salt, pepper, bay leaf and rosemary. Simmer uncovered about 45 minutes.

While soup is simmering, brown sausage. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Cut into 1-2 inch pieces.

Stir carrots into soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Add kale, sausage and remaining qt of water. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool and store covered in fridge for a day. Reheat and serve with crusty GF bread.

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.