BB- Butternut Squash Risotto

This week's BB recipe was for Butternut Squash Risotto, chosen by Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook. I LOVE risotto so I was excited to make this. I've made it in the past, but not for a while because, while he loves most all other Italian food, my husband doesn't particularly care for it. This has decidedly un-Italian ingredients in it, but it was not a disappointment! I halved the recipe since husband is out of town.
First off, the butternut squash. There's almost nothing I hate more than peeling and cutting butternut squash. But I was saved by Trader Joe's- they carry packages of cut & peeled squash (you can bet that's the only reason I used it in the recipe. I REALLY hate peeling it). Roasted in olive oil and salt & pepper (a side note: I just saw today- does Rachael Ray SERIOUSLY say "S&P" for salt & pepper?!!!), the squash was tender and sweet.
I substituted the pancetta for ham and added mushrooms. Also, saffron is not in my cupboard and definitely NOT in the budget since I would never use it again, so I added 1/4 t of curry powder to give it a different kick. I also omitted the parmesan since I didn't think it would taste good with the curry powder.
As usual, the cooking seemed to be going right on schedule, but as the risotto absorbed more liquid the process got slower and slower. Mine took longer than a total of 30 minutes- the last ladels of stock took probably 15 minutes alone to absorb. Well worth it, however.
The thing I love about risotto is it's so versatile- you can uaw any number of ingredients to mix it up! It takes a while to cook, but ordering it at a restaurant is always pricey so it's worth making it at home. Especially when it's so easy!

Butternut Squash Risotto
by Ina Garten
Ingredients
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.
(yes, Melissa, I ended up making it tonight. I only tasted a little- maybe the girls will eat it tomorrow? Fingers crossed...)

BB- Apple Turnovers

This week's bonus recipe was chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry. I made it for a last-minute dessert the other night when friends came over for our "Italian Night" (a.k.a. husbands cook. yipee!). It's simple and quick- to make it even easier, I used the pre-sliced Granny Smith apples from Trader Joe's. I also cut the recipe in half (it makes 8!!). My husband really liked them, but I thought the filling was a little dry. I served them with cinnamon ice cream, which helped. Definitely a good, simple recipe for comfort food!

Apple Turnovers
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Barefoot Bloggers- Grown Up Mac & Cheese

This is my first Barefoot Bloggers recipe. When I heard about this group I thought it would be fun since I like Ina Garten, although I don't have much time to watch her show anymore. This recipe is for "Grown Up Mac & Cheese," chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. I make homemade mac & cheese on a somewhat regular basis, but don't use bacon or the types of cheeses this recipe calls for. I did make some substitutions, however. I used ham instead of bacon as we rarely eat bacon, and I used whole wheat rotelle since TJ's doesn't have whole wheat macaroni (we're trying to incorporate more whole grains in our diet). I also used whole wheat bread instead of white bread beacuse we don't eat white bread and I didn't want to buy a whole loaf for two slices.

I figure those are fairly minor substitutions. When your audience is mainly under 3 years old, I'm not too concerned with refined tastebuds. :) I baked mine in a 13"x9" dish instead of the two individual-sized dishes as called for in the recipe.

I baked it at 350 F for 20 minutes and it got pretty brown. The basil tasted a little burnt. I wasn't sure if maybe the individual-sized dishes were a lot deeper than a 13"x9"?

Anyway, it tasted good. The family was happy, but then again, it's rare for hubby and girls to turn down mac & cheese!

Grown Up Mac and Cheese 2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.