creamy squash risotto

this weekend was a chilly one.  there's still no snow {that little december 1st dusting we got is now long gone and it doesn't look like we'll have a white christmas}, but the temperature is still well below zero every night.  in fact, it was -17c on my chilly saturday morning run over the weekend !  yikes!  i could have definitely used a second layer on my poor legs!

what i'm getting to though, is that cool nights call for belly warming meals - and last night it was risotto.  thick, creamy risotto, with plenty of roasted local squash.  yum. 

{squash risotto}

creamy squash risotto
serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegan margarine
1 onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups roasted squash, mashed {recipe below}
a pinch of nutmeg

in a small pot, heat the veggie broth - it should be heated for when it's time to add to the rice.  heat the oil and earth balance in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.  add in the garlic and stir the pot while it sautes for a minute {keep things moving so it doesn't burn}.  next add in the dry rice and stir it to coat it with the oil for 2-3 minutes.  then, add the wine and stir until it has all been absorbed.  add 1 cup of the hot broth and keep stirring the pot as the rice cooks and all of the liquid is also absorbed.  carry on like this for each additional cup of broth, adding more as the previous cup has cooked down {in all it will likely take 20-25 minutes of cooking and stirring}.  just don't stop stirring.  it's all about the stirring.

taste a bit of the risotto to make sure the rice is cooked through, then remove from the heat, fold in the mashed squash {hopefully still warm} and season to taste with salt and a pinch of nutmeg.  serve hot and warm your belly on a cold winter's day. 

{worth the stirring}

roasted squash
2 cups squash, seeded & cubed {i used acorn}
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
a few pinches of sea salt

preheat the oven to 400f.  toss the squash with the oil & garlic and spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  season with a few pinches of sea salt and pop it in the oven for 30-45 minutes, flipping the halfway through.  once it's really tender, remove it and let it cool a few minutes so that you can handle it, then remove the peel from the cubes {so much easier once it's cooked} and mash it up with the back of a fork.  keep this warm and on hand.

{risotto, plated}

{belly warming goodness}

as for tomorrow.... more sweets are on the way - i can't stop myself this time of year!

 .....................................

{ps} eeeek!  i'm giddy as a wee one on christmas morning...  

{linzer love}

a few weeks back i entered my cinnamon and chocolate linzers in the 1st annual holiday cookie contest hosted by vegnews, and look who came in 3rd!!! 

 
now if you'll excuse me, i'm off to do some more cartwheels :)