Vanilla Butternut Squash Risotto

Isn't waiting so much fun?  Last school year I completed the National Board Certification for Teachers process.  Portfolio with essays, videos, achievements and a test.  All of it was finished by April 10.  Since then I have been waiting for the results.  Last week, I got an email that the results would be in November 18th and was soo excited.  That day I got to work, opened the website with my adrenaline rushing, to find that the server had shut down.  From 8 - 12 my friend and I must have hit the refresh button 100 times or more trying to see if the scores were posted.  Then I got an email saying wait until 4:00 pm.  Since then, every 4 - 5 hours, there is an update on the site saying that Pearson (why do they have their hands in everything?) is still working on bringing the site on line.  Argg!!!  For me, the process was not that hard, which surprised the other NBCT at my school since they all took classes to help prepare.  However, I have been in school for at least 10 years now, writing and reflecting on my teaching, so this was nothing different.  However, I am worried because I have heard that grading is very subjective, and I just don't know how I could have done any better?  Retaking a section of the portfolio or the test costs around $300 so I really need to pass the first time.


In the midst of waiting, comes Thanksgiving.  I have been so busy preparing professional development sessions for work, organizing our school wide data management tool, and getting ready to teach my students I haven't really had any time to find and rehearse any new recipes.  For the side dish, it is a toss up between my sweet potato risotto, which everyone liked last year, and this dish.  For my vegetarian mom I am going to make toasted quinoa with blistered tomatoes, spinach and walnuts because she can't eat white rice because of osteoporosis.  Then, I'm making a new cranberry sauce recipe.  At first I was going to make Spiced Tea Cranberries but as my mom pointed out, some people really hate tea.  So, I am going to go instead with Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce.   


When we went to Michigan over Labor Day, we stopped at a few different farmers markets and found butternut squash super cheap!  Its so nice how squash lasts and last week I finally used it to make a butternut squash risotto.  I wanted to make it differently than my sweet potato risotto, so I found this unique recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.  

To cut and dice a butternut squash, first cut off the top and bottom of the squash.  Then cut in half.  I found it easiest to cut off the peel, even though some people say you could use a peeler (hasn't worked for me yet).

Vanilla Butternut Squash Risotto

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients
4+ cups of vegetable broth
1 vanilla bean
1 small butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional)


In a pot, warm the broth on medium heat.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds and add them and the bean to the broth.  When it begins to simmer, turn heat to low.   Add butternut squash and continue to cook for around 5 minutes until soft.  Using a slotted spoon, take the butternut squash out and put to the side.  Continue to simmer broth on low.  


In another pot, heat olive oil on medium.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Stir in rice and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add in white wine and stir until soaked in. Then add in 1/2 cup of broth.  Cook and stir until liquid is absorbed.  Continue adding in broth 1/2 cup at a time, when the rice has soaked in the previous additions, and stop when the rice is just tender. You may have to add more broth to the pot.  Take out the vanilla bean and take off of stove.  Add in butternut squash and salt and pepper to taste.  Add parmesan if you would like and serve! 

Chickpea Pulao

I originally made this Pakistani recipe as a main dish but it turned out a bit bland.  I think making this the side dish to a type of curry or meat dish would make it much more interesting.   It is a great way to use kitchen staples such as a can of chickpeas, a bag of rice, and a few onions.

Chickpea Pulao

Adapted from Curry Cuisine

3 cups of basmati rice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs of fresh ginger, cut into slivers
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 black cardamom pods
salt to taste
14 oz of canned chickpeas, drained
1 large onion, thinly sliced

Wash rice then let soak in bowl covered with cold water for 1 hr.  Drain.

Heat the 1 Tbs of oil in a pan, add the onion, and cook until brown.  Add ginger, spice, and salt and stir for 1 minute.  Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Add rice and chickpeas.  Cover the pan, reduce heat, and simmer for around 15 minutes until the rice is around 90% cooked.

Get a thick dishcloth wet with water.  Take off the lid of the pan.  Cover with the cloth, then put the lid back on tightly and set the pan over very low heat.  Cook for another 25 - 30 min.

Heat the other Tbs of oil in a large pan, add the onion, and cook until dark golden brown.  Put the onion on top of the rice and chickpea mixture.

Saffron Rice with Curried Apricot Dressing

I miss posting my recipes.  Since April I have been enrolled in the American College of Education, a online masters degree program for instructional leadership.  There has been a lot said about online colleges, but I have to tell you that comparing my masters or Phd classes at UIC to this program, this is a lot more work.  Each week I have a paper (last week 17 pgs this week 13), 2 quizzes, 1 test, 3 discussion posts averaging 1 page each and around 75 pages to read.  Totally overwhelmed.  Plus I am doing my internship as a school administrator, working and coaching Special Olympics soccer.  My brain is about to explode and I spent 7 hours working on stuff for work today and needed a break.  Something that wasn't related to education.

This summer I didn't do much cooking.  I have been so wrapped up in this program that there really was not any time for it.  I was also dealing with switching doctors for my gastroparesis.  The best thing happened though, turns out that I do not have GP and am now on a medicine that is making my symptoms so much better.  I even ate ribs the other day without being in extreme pain for 2 days.  Woo hoo!   That does not mean that I am leaving vegetarianism behind.  Going back to meat, I find that eating well-made vegetarian meals is more flavorful.  However, now I will be able to have much more options when eating out (especially on vacation which was soooo hard for the past 4 years)

This has been my favorite recipe that I have made since April.  It is also a perfect fit for fall.  It has pine nuts and sweet potatoes but the apricot dressing gives it a great tartness.  The dressing also works awesome on salads.  

Saffron Rice With Curried Apricot Dressing

Adapted from Color Me Vegan 

Ingredients for Rice

3 Tbs olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups uncooked basmati rice

1/2 tsp saffron steeped in 1/4 cup warm water

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups of cubed roasted sweet potatoes

1 tart apple, diced and tossed with lemon juice

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 toasted pine nuts

Ingredients for Apricot Dressing

1/4 cup apricot preserves

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbs curry powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup oil

Salt to taste

In a saucepan, add 1 Tbs olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until softened.  Then add the cumin, pepper, and salt.  Saute for 1 min.  Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 min.  Add saffron in water and vegetable stock.  Bring to boil, cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 40 - 25 min until rice is cooked.  Toss peeled cubed sweet potatoes with 2 Tbs olive oil and roast on baking sheet at 450 degrees until slightly browned (around 30 min).  Also toast pine nuts.  

When rice is cooked, put in a bowl and add sweet potatoes, apples, scallions and pine nuts.  

To make dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified.  Add more spices to taste if you feel it is needed.  Combine most of the dressing with the rice and taste.  If you think it needs more dressing, add more.  Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Risotto and Artichoke Risotto

I'm still killing myself here.  I spent 4 hours at the library last night grading papers and inputting grades and I still have to do my IEP report cards.  The same night most of the teachers I work with went to one of our administrator's house for a jewelry party.  Although I did not want to go I get frustrated because I do not understand when they get all of their work done.  I realize that many people just make up things or do not put in a lot of effort, I just can't do that.  So I guess that is why I spend so much time working on work...

Risotto is definitely one of my favorite dishes, especially after I became gluten free.  It is so versatile.  I have made two different versions in the past two months and they are both great dishes.  However, I wish someone would teach me to cook risotto quickly.  In all of the recipes it says that it should only take 35 minutes.  However, I cook it exactly as they say and it always takes an hour or more!

Lemon Risotto 

Adapted to Lemon Risotto

  

Ingredients
2 cups of arborio rice
6 cups of chicken broth or water if you are vegetarian
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tbs of lemon juice
4 tsp of finely grated lemon peel
2 Tbs of freshly chopped basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (if you want vegan, it still tastes good without)

Place the broth or water in a pan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and let simmer.  In a large saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until translucent.  Then add arborio rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the white wine and stir until it evaporates.   Add 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth and simmer till it is absorbed.  Stir frequently.  Then add the broth 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding another, stirring frequently.  The rice is done when it is creamy and tender around 35 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, basil, and Parmesan cheese.  1 cup of cheese is recommended, I like doing it to taste. Add more lemon juice or lemon peel if you like it really lemony.  Then add salt and pepper to taste.      

Artichoke Risotto

Ingredients

6 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of arborio rice 

1 Tbs of olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1 15 oz can of artichoke hearts

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese (if you are vegan, you can go without the Parmesan cheese) 

salt and pepper to taste

For the artichokes:  Drain the can of artichoke hearts and chop coarsely. Add a Tbs of olive oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add artichokes and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Take off heat.  

For the risotto:  Place the broth or water in a pan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and let simmer.  In a large saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until translucent.  Then add arborio rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the white wine and stir until it evaporates.   Add 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth and simmer till it is absorbed.  Stir frequently.  Then add the broth 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding another, stirring frequently.  The rice is done when it is creamy and tender around 35 minutes.  Add the artichokes, thyme, and Parmesan cheese.  Its recommended to add 1 cup.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.    

Jerk Pulled Pork With Caribbean Rice and Beans

Its been a long week. I had to do my National Board videos this week and everything went wrong... camera ran out of battery even when I recharged it all night, students were sick, the video didn't go long enough, etc. Then I got sick. Arrggg. Since its been a crazy week I haven't cooked that much, which has made me feel even worse because my husband doesn't cook and is very quick to suggest eating out. I hate eating out and it makes me feel disgusting for days afterwards but as we speak he's out getting a salad for me from Subway from across the street. I wanted sushi, he wanted convenience, so that's what we are getting because he is the one running out for it.

Last week, before the Super Bowl, we had people over for the Silva UFC fight. My husband texted everyone that we were having "light appetizers" but in our house that means there is a lot of food! Everyone knows us for having tons of food when they come over, so I couldn't disappoint. Here are two easy and very tasty dishes. I made these two dishes, along with some other Caribbean ones, when we had our parents over after we eloped and told them that we got married so they are near and dear to my heart. Since we were having people over I didn't get to take great pictures (they were all guys and I didn't want to have to explain why I was taking pictures of food) but you cant go wrong with the recipes.

Slower Cooker Jerk Pulled Pork

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast (or 3 - 4 pound if you are using one with bone, which we prefer)

3 Tbs of Jamaican jerk seasoning

1 cup of water

2 large onions, sliced (optional)

1 Tbs of lime juice

Rub jerk seasoning evenly over roast. Place meat into slow cooker. Pour water into slow cooker. If you want to have soft onions to put onto your sandwiches put the sliced onions in the slow cooker before the pork. Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or high heat for 4 to 5 hours.

After cooked, remove meat from slow cooker and shred it. Skim the fat from the juices and add enough to moisten the meat. Stir in the lime juice to the meat. Place on to rolls for sandwiches or use on its own.

Caribbean Rice and Beans

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 of a large red onion (thinly sliced)

4 Tbs of balsamic vinegar

1 tbs of olive oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup of Arborio rice

3 1/2 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)

1/2 cup of white wine

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp of turmeric

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Place the beans, onions, and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Use salt and pepper to season or, if you have dry jerk seasoning left from the pork, use a little to season the beans.

While beans are sitting, begin the rice. Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent (5 min). Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Then add white wine and stir until absorbed. Add broth, bay leaves, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for around 25 minutes until rice is tender and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Place rice on platter. Drain the bean mixture if there is any vinegar left and then place on top of the rice.

Zucchini and Wild Rice

Well, my fridge is broken... Thats fun. The freezer is fine but the fridge is warm and I have already had to throw out my milk, butter and eggs. I just spent an hour vacuuming cat fur from under and behind the fridge, but I don't think it is going to help. This makes dinner difficult. I think I am going to pickle the radishes (daikon and regular) that I have and then just have mashed potatoes. Not exciting, but at least I am using some things from my fridge and reducing the food I may have to throw away. I am tempted to put the items (at this point, all sauces) in our common area outside my back door. I think with how cold it is outside right now, that this indoor area is probably colder than my fridge!

Here is one of the recipes from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I enjoyed reading this book and it was much easier to get through than the Omnivore's Dilemma, which I am still working on (whenever I eat breakfast, the rest of the time I'm working on different novels- right now the Magicians by Lev Grossman). I feel like it preaches less and makes you want to try new things. One thing that it made me do while reading, was look up kits to make cheese at home. I only like parmesan (which takes a lot of work) and mozzarella cheese, but you can make mozzarella at home and sounds really cool. The book also had me try zucchini for the first time. My mom has always cooked with zucchini, but I would never try it. This dish turned out really tasty, but then I got really sick a few days later. When I pulled back out my food sensitivity test results, I found that it shows I am very sensitive to zucchini (very red) so I guess it is the first, and last, time I am trying it!

Zucchini and Wild Rice

Adapted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked wild rice (book uses 3/4 lb of orzo pasta)

1 chopped onion

4 cloves of garlic

3 large zucchini

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs fresh thyme

1 Tbs fresh oregano

Parmesan cheese

Use a grater to shred the zucchini. Then saute the garlic, onion, and zucchini together in olive oil on medium heat. The zucchini mixture is supposed to turn lightly golden, but I sautéed until all the items were soft (couldn't get it to golden). Add thyme and oregano and remove from heat. Toss with wild rice and add cheese, salt, and pepper to taste.

Wild Rice with Caramelized Onions and Cranberries

This has to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. I think it is a perfect dish for Christmas to follow my sweet potato risotto for Thanksgiving. I thought it was soo good because of the butter which I rarely cook with but my dad said that it is the caramelized onions and my grandfather agreed saying that even putting them on top of ice cream would taste good (I don't know about that one).

I am making this dish again tomorrow for my husband's family's Christmas party. He doesn't think that they will like it, because they have very traditional tastes, but I think the situation is like the one that I had with my aunt and cousins. When I brought my sweet potato risotto and ginger cranberry sauce to Thanksgiving I really thought they wouldn't like it because they have traditional tastes and have eaten the same thing at Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. My aunt revealed that she didn't know what risotto was and my cousin said she hadn't eaten sweet potatoes before (they've had it for Thanksgiving before but it is usually covered in marshmallows). However, after getting past the initial reluctance, my risotto was the first dish finished and they ate all of the cranberry sauce too. I think that many people don't try new foods because they are not comfortable in making something new. I think once they try it, and the ingredients are not too far from their comfort zone, that they will find that they like it, and I hope that is what happens tomorrow.

Wild Rice with Caramelized Onions and Cranberries

Adapted from Ocean Spray

Ingredients

2+ cups vegetable or chicken broth (depending on directions on bag/box)

1 cup of wild rice

3 Tbs of butter

3 medium onions sliced in thin wedges

1 cup of dried cranberries

Cook wild rice according to directions using chicken or vegetable broth. Melt butter in a medium skillet, add onions, and stir to coat onions with butter. Reduce heat to low and cook onions until caramelized (around 30 minutes). Stir in cranberries. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low until cranberries start to swell then mix cranberry onion mixture into cooked wild rice.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

So I am trying to do something to get my brother off of my mind. Right now he is in Louisville, Kentucky on a job interview. He is graduating in May as a chemical engineer and has been very industrious on trying to find a job while his friends haven't even started looking. Right now you have to take any type of job you can get starting out and luckily it is a job that he would like, but it is 5 hours away. I am having empty nest syndrome and Im his sister! We are 8 years apart and I have always been his "second mom." My family is very close and we all live in a 30 minute radius so to think of his moving 5 hours away to a new job where he doesn't know anyone is sad. He is excited about the new adventure but I am having a hard time accepting it. We don't even know if he has the job, and am hoping he does, but it will be a big change in all of our lives.

I am still on a liquids and mashed potatoes diet, but here is one of the recipes I made before my stomach revolted. I was hungry for something sweet and since I'm gluten free, and making gluten free crust isn't that easy, so I made pumpkin rice pudding with the items around my house. Using the arborio rice makes the rice pudding creamy and would have been even better if I had a milk with a higher fat content.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Adapted from Worth The Whisk

Ingredients
4 cups of milk
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree (not spiced)
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 cup of arborio rice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt


In a sauce pan, stir together rice, milk, and sugar. Heat until about to boil and then lower and simmer for 25 minutes. Check at 25 minutes to see if it is at the texture you like. I usually take longer for softer rice. Stir continuously so it doesn't burn. In a bowl, mix pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Then when the rice is cooked turn off the heat and mix in the pumpkin mix. This works both warm and cold.

Sweet Potato Risotto

Right now I am in Effingham, IL at a transition conference and got to go to the most awesome restaurant. It is called the Firefly Grill. This is the second day I've been here and thought that I was stuck with the restaurants surrounding the Walmart (along with the convention center which seems as if it is in the Walmart parking lot). But, thanks to Yelp, I found the restaurant just behind some trees across the street. It has been named the 2nd best eco-friendly restaurant in the country by Bon Appetit. I didn't know about its accolades, or the fact that it is local food, until I walked in with my local food book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. I felt like a bit of a dork reading about local food and then eating it (the menu says where each dish came from) but the bangers and mash were awesome (expensive, but really good). Unfortunately most of the things I wanted to try had gluten and I had to turn away the bread that looked delectable, but it was great.

Another thing that is great.... is sweet potato risotto! I had extra sweet potatoes and I was thinking of what I could do with them, and then thought of the idea of sweet potato rissoto. You would think there would be more recipes out there, but the best one I could find was from Betty Crocker. Now I usualy like stronger seasoned dishes, and not the kind that are usually in the Betty Crocker cookbook, but this dish was sooooooo good. The rosemary really stood out with the sweet potato and I am definitely making this for my Aunt's thanksgiving (with water instead of chicken broth) so that my mom can enjoy vegetarian fare and still feel festive.

Sweet Potato Risotto

(from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients

1/4 cup of white wine

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup of uncooked Arborio rice

3 small mashed roasted sweet potatoes (around 1/2 cup)

4 cups or more of chicken broth

Parmesan cheese to taste

1/2 tsp of chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg

Salt to taste

Roast your sweet potatoes. I put them in the oven at 450 degrees for around 35 to 45 minutes until they are soft. Take them out and mash them.

Heat olive oil in saucepan and cook onion and garlic 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Stir in rice and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add in white wine and stir until soaked in. Stir in mashed sweet potatoes and 1/2 cup of the broth. (I know that people usually heat the broth on the side, and most of the time I do too, but it worked without using the extra pans so it is up to you). Cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding in broth 1/2 cup at a time, when the rice has soaked in the previous additions, and stop when the rice is just tender. Add in the cheese, rosemary, nutmeg and salt and enjoy!