Taste & Create

For those of you who frequent my blog you know that I try never to miss the Taste & Create event which gets bigger and bigger each and every month. It is the brainchild of Nicole over at For the Love of Food . I love to visit her site for all the delicious recipes and tidbits of very helpful information. She even has an on-line store with wonderful kitchen gadgets and gourmet foods. We are paired with another foodie and prepare a dish from their site for the event. I love this idea so I can showcase someone elses talents and have the pleasure or creating something delicious as well.

This month I was paired with Ace & Yoko from Spilt Wine & Sticky Rice. They made it very hard to come to a decision on what I should prepare from their site. Should it be Chicken Pot Pies ,
Cinnamon Scones or The Empress Marin ated Mahi Tuna . I decided upon...Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto as a last hurrah to winter here in Canada. It is barbecue season ladies and gents, but this made a delicious addition to the grilled lamb chops, although risotto is equally as delicious when it stands alone.

**Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto**

3 lb butternut squash
6 cups nonfat chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T unsalted butter
1 -1/2 cups Arborio rice (9 oz)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
5 T (approximately) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 oz)
1 tsp salt
1 -1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
4 oz arugula or baby spinach (6 cups), stems discarded and leaves very coarsely chopped (I didn't have the arugula this time around either Ace and Yoko)

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Roast squash:Preheat oven to 450°F.

Halve squash lengthwise and seed, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide slices and season with salt. Roast slices, skin side down, in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until tender and golden– anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.

Set aside 6 crescent-shaped squash slices for serving and keep warm. Cut flesh from remaining slices into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding skin.

While the squash is roasting, start making the risotto:Bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer, covered.

Meanwhile, cook onion in butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add rice, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, until fragrant.

Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente (it should be the consistency of thick soup). Check the consistency sometime after 4 1/2 cups, and keep checking thereafter. You want to be able to bite into a grain of rice and not have it crunch, but have a little give to it, not too mushy. There will be leftover broth.

Stir in squash pieces, then stir in cheese, salt, sage, and arugula and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. (If necessary, thin risotto with some leftover broth.)

Serve risotto with reserved squash slices.