Rosemary Scented-Butternut Squash Risotto and Oatmeal Cookies

This fall I made a resolution to try all the winter squashes out there. Last year I didn’t cook much with squash, so this year I really want to master cooking winter squash! I already made something with butternut squash for Vegan MoFo. I made the Butternut Squash Lasagna with Cashew Cream. When we went to the supermarket we bought 3 butternut squashes, 2 acorn squashes, and one pumpkin. Last night I used one butternut squash to make a wonderful Rosemary Scented- Butternut Squash Risotto. The result was amazing. The Rosemary gave the risotto a complex flavor. Sage would have also worked in this risotto. The butternut squash were roasted until tender and then cooked for a bit in the risotto. I love making risotto! My favorite thing is stirring it, I think that’s awesome! My mom was a big fan of this risotto, she had like 3 servings! I think I am going to make this for Thanksgiving. This is a great dish to serve in the fall! Here’s the recipe.

Rosemary Scented Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes
5.5 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cups chopped shallots
1 rosemary spring
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine ( I use Ariel Non Alcoholic Wine, from Trader Joe’s)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Earth Balance (Optional)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prep the squash and then place it on a baking pan. Toss it with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable broth

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and sautee for about 8 minutes, until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and sautee for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rosemary spring. Now add a ladle or two of vegetable broth and stir. Cook until the risotto starts to become a bit dry. Keep adding a 2 ladles of vegetable broth. Stir every 2 minutes or so. When the rice is 3/4 of the way done add the butternut squash. Cook until the rice is al dente. It should take about 30 minutes. Off the heat you can melt about 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance into the risotto for extra richness.

A couple of days ago I made the Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Veganomicon. At first I wasn’t crazy about them but the next day they were really good! I ate like 10 in one sitting. Next time I would probaly reduce the spices just a bit, I though they slightly overpowered the cookies. That was the only problem, other than these cookies were good!