Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Those of you that know me, know that I am a big fan of rice. I'm sure it has nothing to do with my Cuban heritage where a meal is not a meal unless it has rice in it.

The very first time I had risotto, I was hooked. The combination of its creamy texture and wonderful taste is truly amazing.

Once you know how to make it, and it is a little tricky, there are myriad ways of making it. The recipe below has its beginnings on the "Barefoot Contessa" television program. I have experimented with it and tweaked it to my liking. I hope you enjoy it.

I think I may have this for dinner tonight!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

48 oz chicken stock, preferably low sodium

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 clove garlic,minced
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into bite sized cubes. 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 tender. Set aside.

Heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan to a simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and sauté red onions on medium-low heat until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or so. 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 or so. Off the heat, fold in the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Maybe I should move to Mumbai

Well, I've been playing around with another Indian recipe and I think I've finally got it the way I want it. This may not be exactly the Chicken Korma that you get at an Indian restaurant but it is a version I like. So, since this is after all my blog, you get what I like here.

So, here it is, my version of...

Chicken Korma
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 heaping Tbsp of finely grated fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 oz container of plain yogurt
1 large onion quartered
1 Tbsp ghee or olive oil
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cayenne (may want to use less if you like it milder)
1 tsp garam masala
Chicken broth
2/3 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste
2 heaping Tbsp finely ground almonds
Chopped Coriander(Cilantro) leaves for garnish
juice of 1/2 lemon

Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks. Mix the chicken with the ginger, garlic and yogurt. Cover and marinade in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight.

Process the chopped onion until smooth. Heat the ghee/oil in a pan. Add the ground coriander, cayenne, turmeric and garam masala and stir fry for about 1-minute over a low heat.

Turn up the heat, add the onion stir fry for 10-minutes until it begins to brown. Add the chicken and the marinade and continue to stir fry for another 10-minutes. Add the coconut milk and enough chicken broth to cover the chicken. Bring to a slow simmer and stir in the ground almonds.

Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is tender (30-40 minutes). Remove from the heat, add lemon juice and salt to taste. Stir well. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve with rice.