Spinach and Butternut Squash Risotto
I’m sure everyone has heard that old adage that food if the way to a man’s heart? Well, it is true. When I met my husband he was sustaining himself with innumerable cups of coffee a day, pizza, maybe the occasional chicken finger dinner and sometimes greasy spoon breakfast from a local breakfast spot. Oh, and did I mention that none of this food was consumed before three or four o’clock in the afternoon? I thought to myself, “Horror of horrors! This guy doesn’t know what he is missing!” Now, some people may think I started cooking for him as a sneaky way to weasel my way into his heart… but it actually started out as an act of genuine concern and desire to rescue him from the monstrosity that was his diet, but coincidentally helped me find my way into his heart at the same time.
It hasn’t been an easy road to get my husband to eat a lot of foods.. in fact it has been a lot like introducing my 8 month old to her new foods: I give her some and if she doesn’t like it we try again the next day… and the next day. And if all else fails I just mix it in with something that she likes so she doesn’t really notice it is there. Eventually she likes it. And this is exactly the technique I used in this recipe for Butternut Squash and Spinach Risotto! Masked with a delicious spice blend, white wine, cream and cheese the spinach was really the last thing on anyone’s mind!
Risotto seams to be a dish that many people are afraid to try and cook… I think Chef Gordon Ramsay may be partially to blame for this irrational fear due to his incessant temper tantrums aimed at poor wannabe chefs who can’t seem to get their risotto right on television, then dumping it in the garbage and mocking them. Well, I’m no expert, and maybe the texture of my rice isn’t perfect, but it tastes good… so who cares. All you need to remember are a few simple tips and I guarantee you will have a delicious side dish that is easy to make any night of the week. The squash and spinach combo in risotto is an idea I got from good ol’ Martha Stewart at one point… so props to Martha. The rest of the recipe is my own twist!
Butternut Squash and Spinach Risotto
Click for Printable Recipe: Butternut Squash and Spinach Risotto
I first roasted my squash in a 400°F Oven, until just barely fork tender. The squash will cook more when you incorporate it into the risotto, so it is important not to overcook it.
Next I heated up my olive oil and butter, and ground up some cumin, fennel and coriander seeds. I added these spices, along with some nutmeg, salt & pepper, onion, garlic and red pepper to my pan.
After the spices were fragrant…. (and OH MAN… the smell was amazing) and the veggies were softened, I added the rice to the pan.
After the grains of rice are slightly softened, and coated in the oil, spice and veggie mixture I started adding my liquids, in 3 main additions. First… the wine! I think I used about ½ Cup dry white wine, but you could omit this step and just use broth. It is a really good idea to warm the broth you want to use for your risotto… simply because adding cold broth drastically lowers the cooking temperature each time. Warm broth keeps your dish cooking along nicely.
After all the broth was incorporated, and the rice was almost the texture I wanted (each grain still had a bit of bite to it, not too mushy!) I added my squash, spinach, cream and cheese. Then I cut the heat, stirred everything gently. You can see the squash keeps its shape nicely!
I served my risotto with a pan roasted pork tenderloin.
And so, dinner was served, my husband ate spinach and squash, and we all lived happily ever after.
Have fun in the kitchen!
Foodie in the Forest 
That looks so delicious! Could you post your pork tenderloin recipe as well?
The pork tenderloin is super good also, and easy! I will post it in the near future. Thanks for reading!