Butternut squash risotto

I love risotto and found that if you are going to make risotto, spring for the Parmigiano Reggiano -- it really makes the dish. And don't forget the saffron. And don't try to make this dish with anything other than Arborio rice (I learned the hard way -- and it really was the hard way).

This recipe is pretty simple. First start by roasting the squash:

3 TBSP Safflower oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (smaller than 1" cubes --they cook faster)

Sprinkle the butternut squash cubes with safflower oil (high in vitamin E and it has a really high smoke point) and roast in a pan at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender and sort of caramelized on the outside.

Now make the risotto:

1 c arborio rice
4 c chicken broth (or veggie broth, if you feel so inclined)
pinch of saffron threads
1 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Add the saffron to the broth and heat either in the microwave or on the stove.
Place the rice and a TBSP of safflower oil in a pan on medium heat. Stir the rice until evenly coated in oil and let it sit on the heat for a minute before adding 1 c of the saffron broth. Stir until the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Repeat. When you get to the final cup of broth, check the rice for doneness: it should be lightly al dente. Add the final cup of saffron broth to the rice, and then add the grated cheese. Stir in the roasted squash. Enjoy!

My first Alice Waters recipe: winter squash, chanterelle and red wine panade

This recipe is great! And super easy to make gluten-free, though it yields a soup if you make it without bread. Prepare according to the directions here:

http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/AWaters/html/squash_panade_waters.shtml

and omit the ingredients/last steps involving bread and cheese unless you have good gluten free versions of those items and want to continue on. I did cheat a bit, though: I could not for the life of me find chanterelles. I'm not even sure they are because I am too lazy to google them at the moment. Creminis seemed to work just fine, though. This recipe takes a while, but it is a good recipe for squash. I ate this with the roast chicken (recipe: December 2008 before turning the leftover chicken into a stew mentioned in the previous post.

What to do with leftover roasted chicken

I made this simple but insanely delicious stew after making an adaptation of the roasted chicken from December 2008. I started with a 3 1/2 lb chicken, stuffed a few handfuls of fresh thyme under the skin over the breasts and then drizzled it in safflower oil, fresh finely grated garlic (I LOVE my Microplaner!) and a bit of sea salt. I then roasted it for about an hour and a half at 375 degrees fahrenheit. This made an awesome accompaniment to the Alice Water's Winter Squash Panade recipe mentioned in the post after this.

When I was done with the chicken (I really don't enjoy eating thighs, drumsticks, wings, etc) I put everything that was left, bones and all, into a big pot with 2 quarts of chicken broth and simmered it for a few hours on low heat. I then separated all of the bones and skin out so I was left with a really rich chicken broth with really tender meat (and the thyme originally roasted with the bird). To this I added:

1 bunch of carrots (about a pound or 7-8 medium size carrots
1 bunch of red chard
1 good size fennel (stalky tops removed and bulb sliced into bite-sized chunks)
2 good twists of freshly ground pepper
pinch of sea salt

I then simmered this for about an hour. The flavor is amazing, and I think it is due in large part to the fennel which loses the black licorice flavor in this stew.