Butternut Squash Risotto

In the short amount of time that I've been making risotto, it's quickly become one of my favorite meals to prepare and eat. Risotto is an Italian rice dish where the rice is cooked by gradually stirring in wine and broth until thick and creamy in texture. Arborio rice is needed to make risotto as it will absorb a great deal of liquid and release the large amount of starch it contains. After the general cooking method is completed, you can add different vegetables, meat, or seafood to your Risotto and is often served with parmesan cheese. I'm all about cooking with seasonal ingredients and this time of year the butternut squashes are more than plentiful. Add some roasted butternut squash to some perfectly cooked risotto is a perfect Autumn inspired dinner.

4-5 servings 

1 medium sized Butternut Squash

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

1 clove of garlic (Grated or minced)

Olive Oil

2 large shallots (Diced)

6 tablespoons of Butter (3/4 of a stick)

1 1/2 cups of Arborio Rice

1/2 cup of Dry White Wine (Pino Grigio)

4 cups of Vegetable Stock

2 cups of Chicken Stock (or another 2 cups of Vegetable)

1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and cut off the top and the bottom. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the rest of the "gunk" that you'll find in the bottom portion of the squash. Dice the butternut squash into evenly sized pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes) and place them onto a baking sheet. Toss the squash together with some olive oil, the grated garlic, and salt and pepper. Place into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set the squash aside for now.

Adding hot stock to the rice is one of the keys to making risotto. At this time before we go any further, pour our stock into a sauce pan and place it over a medium low heat. We don't want it to boil or even simmer, just heat the stock enough so that you can see steam rising. I use mostly vegetable and some chicken stock for this recipe but you can use all chicken or all veggie if you prefer. Just make sure to have about 6 cups total either way.

Meanwhile, take two large shallots and finely mince them. In a large pot or a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the shallots are translucent and tender. Once the shallots are cooked, add the rice and stir together to coat the rice in the butter. Add the white wine and cook for 2-4 minutes until the rice begins to absorb some of the liquid and the alcohol cooks off.

Add two ladles of the hot stock and a dash of salt and pepper and stir into the rice. Cook for about 5-10 minutes stirring very frequently. As the rice simmers, it will begin to absorb the liquid and slowly begin to release the starch. When most of the stock has been soaked up, add another two ladles of the stock.

The two pictures below are examples of what the risotto should look like when you're cooking. The first picture is what it will look like when you add more stock to the rice and the later picture is an example of what the risotto will look like when it's time to add more liquid to the pot. Continue this process until the rice is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

Once all of the stock has been stirred in, the rice should be cooked but still slightly al dente. Remove from the heat and add the butternut squash we roasted, the parmesan cheese, and some chopped parsley. Gently stir everything in together and serve the risotto hot with a glass of chilled Pino Grigio. Perfect meal for a chilly night in October and perfect for any movie night!!

 

Mark's Must See Movies - Safety Not Guaranteed

When a strange ad in the classified section of a newspaper advertises someone seeking a partner to travel back in time with - Safety not guaranteed. The ad catches the eye of a writer for a Seattle based magazine named Jeff (Jake Johnson) and wish to investigate the ad for a possible story. With the help of two interns Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni) the three set out to the a small Pacific Northwest coastal town to gather the information needed for their story.

After learning the identity of the ads author is a grocery store worker named Kenneth (Mark Duplass), Darius is handed the task of gaining his trust in order to get the information they need for the story. As Darius assists Kenneth in preparing for their mission, the two learn more about one another and develop a special connection. As Darius and Kenneth grow closer and the time for them to travel back fast approaches, it becomes harder for her to determine whether or not Kenneth is insane or if he has actually succeeded in building a time machine.

Safety Not Guaranteed is a movie that surprised me on many levels. The movie received high praise at the 2012 Sundance movie festival and was equally loved by audiences and critics. On the surface, the film is an off beat comedy about a man who claims he's built a time machine. However under lining themes of love, regrets, lost dreams, and making every day of your life count are what really gives this movie it's staying power. Aubrey Plaza (Many will recognize her as April in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation) gives a fantastic performance in her leading role and has perfect on screen chemistry with Duplass. Jake Johnson's character of Jeff is one I think many can relate too and also gives a great performance in doing so. I have to say again how shocked I was at the hear and sentiment this film carried along with it but did so without every being sappy, corny, or using any age old cliches.

This movie is just another brilliant example of just how great a low budget and independent film can be. Click here to watch the trailer for Safety Not Guaranteed on YouTube and Netflix users can watch this film online now via instant screen.

My favorite Grown up Grilled Cheese - Cheddar, Apple, and bacon on Sourdough

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich?? It's one of the first foods we fall in love with as kids and that love affair never really goes away. A grilled cheese doesn't have to be just boring old melted American cheese on white bread. My favorite grilled cheese consists of nice sharp cheddar cheese with a few sweet slices of apples and salty and smokey apple wood smoked bacon. Grilled to perfection on some sourdough bread and this is the perfect grilled cheese for me.

(Ingredient quantity is per sandwich)

3-4 pieces of apple wood smoked bacon
5 slices of Cheddar cheese
About 1/2 of one apple sliced (whichever kind you like)
2 slices of sourdough bread
Softened butter

First step is to fry the bacon until it's nice and crispy. If you're making a few grilled cheese and good way to cook all the bacon at once is lining it onto a sheet pan and baking it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. When the bacon is done, remove from the pan and allow it to rest on some paper towels and pat off any excess grease.

While the bacon rests for a minute, slice your apple pretty thin and get your sliced cheddar out. If you're getting the cheddar from a deli counter just ask for it to be sliced on the thinner side or if you're cutting it by hand from a block of cheddar just do the best you can.


Now it's time to assemble the sandwich. First butter one side of two slices of our sourdough bread. I will mention here that I'm normally not a sourdough fan but when I was developing this recipe out of all the breads I tried I liked this one the best for this particular grilled cheese. Next lay down two slices of cheddar cheddar cheese on the opposite side of our buttered bread. Place our sliced apple over top, then one slice of cheddar cheese, the crispy bacon, the rest of the sliced cheddar, and cap the sandwich off with the other slice of bread with the buttered side facing you.

Place the sandwich buttered side down on a skillet that's been preheated over medium heat. Grill on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the pan, slice in half, and serve next to a Harvest House salad for a great Autumn time meal.

Harvest House Salad with Apple Orchard Vinaigrette

Years ago while I was out to lunch, I saw on the menu that they had a seasonal apple vinaigrette as a choice of dressing for their salads. Of course I had to order it and it was one of the best salad dressings I had ever had. As soon as lunch was over and the bill was paid I went home and tried to recreate how they made it. A few tries later I had mastered my own apple salad dressing that I thought was even better than the one I had that day. Some of my apple orchard dressing tossed with some fresh mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and some freshly sliced apples makes the perfect salad to enjoy during the autumn months. Great for a lite lunch or dinner or as a first course for an Autumn themed dinner.

1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
A Pinch of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
A splash of Apple Cider (Optional)

Salad Greens
Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup of Walnuts
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
Freshly Sliced Apple (Honey Crisp, Gala, Jazz, or Pink Lady Apples work best)

In a small saute' pan, add the walnuts and toast them over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Toasting the walnuts in the dry pan will bring out their natural oils and heighten their flavor.  Add one tablespoon of  brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water to the pan and stir together until all the nuts are coated. Add a pinch of kosher salt and Cinnamon to the walnuts and set aside.

Wash and slice the Apple into thin slices. If you're slicing your apples ahead of time, a little bit of lemon juice will keep them from browning.

For the dressing whisk together the dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, the cinnamon, and the apple cider together. Slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing has emulsified.

For a nice presentation, toss as much dressing as you like with the salad greens and pile it in the center of a white plate. Scatter a few dried cranberries and our candied walnuts over top. Neatly fan out our apple slices in the center of the salad greens and top with a small spoonful of our salad dressing.

Great Movies for Fall - When Harry Met Sallly

"Sally this is Harry Burns. Harry this is Sally Albright." A simple introduction began one of the most complicated relationships ever played out on screen. Billy Crystal (Harry) and Meg Ryan (Sally) play polar opposite people who find themselves driving from Chicago to New York City together. The two discuss their thoughts on life, Casablanca, love, and how men and women can never be friends because sex always gets in the way. 

Once in NYC, the two go their own way and don't look back. A chance encounter on an airplane five years later doesn't exactly change their opinions about one another. Destiny plays it's hand as the two meet again a few years later this time discovering they two may have more in common than they thought. The two form a strong friendship and become anunsperable pair with the inevitable romantic interest looming. 

When Harry Met Sally was one of the first romantic comedies ever to be released and in my eyes it's still the very best. Ryan and Crystal give performances worthy of being considered among their best. 

For many reasons this film always remind me of fall. In particular, one scene where Harry and Sally are walking through Central Park wirh the bright fall foliage as their back drop. It's the perfect movie to set back and watch on a chilly autumn day with a freshly baked goodie and a cup of pumpkin spiced coffee.

My new toy - Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 cup Food Processor

A good quality food processor has always been one item lacking on my kitchen counter. Now that I have one, I don't remember what I did without it! Trust me when I say that no kitchen should be without one! Depending on how much of a home cook you are is a big factor in what kind you should buy. There are quite a few cheap options on department store shelves that will work fine for the occasional cook. Knowing I'd be giving a food processor a lot of use, I did my research and my "window shopping" to find out which one was best for me and I settled on the Pro custom food processor with an 11 cup bowl made by Cuisinart.

The Cuisinart Pro Custom 11' is so far the perfect model for me and my needs. Obviously being an avid home cook, I wanted a model that could do everything I needed it too. The 11 cup capacity bowl is more than enough room and you can really see the size different from the models that only have a 7 cup bowl or smaller.

The slicing and shredding attachments that come with the food processor are a great additive. The shredding blade is perfect for shredding cheeses for pizza night, potatoes for potato pancakes, carrots for carrot cake, cabbage for cole slaw, and so much more. With the large feed tube on top, you won't have any trouble getting your food down safely into the blades.

Slicing vegetables, making pastry dough, shredding cheeses, making pesto and dressings, or mixing batters - a food processor can do it all. A quiet motor, great safety features, and easy clean up are just a few more added perks that this model has. If you're worried about the size of the food processor and it taking up a lot of counter space, this model is an ideal size and doesn't take up anymore room than an average sized toaster would. At a price ranging around $150, it's a great bang for the buck and you will certainly get your money's worth out of it.

Orzo Salad

One of my favorite side dishes to make is my orzo pasta salad. A sweet and tangy dressing with fresh dill tossed with orzo pasta, fresh vegetables, dried cherries, golden raisins, and walnuts. It may not sound like an obvious combination of ingredients but they all blend perfectly together and this salad has been a huge hit with everyone I've served it to. A large helping of this salad is great for a lite dinner but It's also the perfect side dish for grilled chicken breast or with a sandwich for lunch!


1 box of Orzo Pasta
1 Large Shallot
1 Small Orange Bell Pepper
1 Small Red Bell Pepper
1 Large Cucumber
1/2 cup of Golden Raisins
1/2 cup of Dried Cherries
1/4 cup of roughly chopped Walnuts
For the dressing
1 Garlic clove (Grated or finely minced)
1 handful of Fresh Dill (Don't use dried)
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon of granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

Start by boiling the orzo pasta in salted water and cook according to the instructions on the package until the pasta is Al Dente. For the dressing, remove the dill from the stem and chop finely chop. Add the dill to a mixing bowl and add the garlic clove, dijon mustard, sugar, oil and vinegar, and salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing together and season to taste. It should be strongly flavored.

Wash the bell peppers and chop them into small dices. For the cucumber, cut in half and take a spoon to scoop out the juicy middle and the seeds. Slice the cucumber into medium slices. Roughly cut the shallot and set the vegetables aside.

Once the orzo is cooked, drain the pasta and mix with about half of the dressing. Adding some of the dressing to the orzo immediately will help it from sticking and the warm orzo will absorb the flavors of the dressing. Allow the orzo to cool in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Once cooled, add the remaining the dressing to the orzo. Mix in the chopped vegetables, the dried cherries and raisins, and the walnuts. Stir together to combine and serve chilled.





 

Still here!

Hi Readers,

Sorry I missed Today and Friday's blog posts. Busy schedule the past few days. See you back here on Wednesday!!

Maine Crostata

A Crostata is a traditional Italian desert that is very similar to a pie. An irresistible combo of sweet and flaky pastry filled with various types of fruits and baked until golden brown. For this Crostata I was inspired both by my trip to Maine and from the great movie The Cider House Rules which also takes place in the gorgeous state of Maine. Lobsters may be the first thing you think of when you put "Food" and "Maine" to mind but it's equally known for it's sweet Blueberries in the Summer and it's lush Apples in the fall. This Crostata is the perfect desert to have with a warm cup of coffee watching a good movie or sitting on the back deck watching the Autumn leaves fall.

Makes 1 Crostata / Serves about 6

1 cup of All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1/8 teaspoon of Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
1 Stick of cold butter
3 Tablespoons of Ice Water
For the Filling
4 large Apples
1/2 pint of fresh Blueberries
1 Tablespoon of Flour
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of fresh lemon Juice
1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon


In a food processor with the steel blade attachment. Pulse together the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together 3 to 4 times just to combine. Cut the butter into smaller chunks and add into the flour mixture. Pulse the mixture together again about 8-10 times until the butter is cut into small pea sized pieces. This is the key to any pastry, the piece of butter will melt in the oven and give off steam that results in a light and flaky pastry. Next, fill a small dish with ice and pour very cold water over top and let it stand for a few minutes to ensure the water is as cold as possible. Turn the food processor on and all at once add 3 tablespoons of the cold water.

Once the dough begins to come together shut off. Carefully remove the blade and dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a circular disc shape about a inch or so thick. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for one hour.

Wash the apples and peel if desired. Cut the apples in halves and remove the cores. An easy way to do this is by using a metal measuring spoon. Slice the apples thinly. A quick and easy way to slice the apples is by inserting the slicing blade into your food processor. Place the sliced apples in a large mixing bowl. Add the fresh blueberries, the lemon juice, sugar, flour, and mix together gently.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flour a flat and clean surface and your rolling pin. Roll the dough out so that it's about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the fruit in the center of the pastry leaving enough room along the edges to fold over for an edge.

An optional crumb topping for the Crostata can be made by mixing together 1/2 stick of cold butter cut into cubes, 1/2 cup of flour, a half a cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix everything together with your hands until the crumb topping forms and begins to hold together into large clumps. Sprinkle over top of the fruit and fold the edges over top. Don't worry about making them look perfect. Bake the crostata for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is tender. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.