Risotto is about the easiest thing around once you get a feel for it, which only takes one or two tries, and you can be as inventive as you want. This one with butternut squash seems to have just the right amount of sweetness and softness, and is the color of sunshine.
EVERYDAY RISOTTO
(Serves 2 as a main course)
- 1 cp. arborio or other risotto-style rice
- 1 cp. of peeled butternut squash cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 cp. white wine
- 4 cps. of water or chicken stock or water with 1 chicken bouillon cube in a pan on simmer
- 1 TB butter
- olive oil at hand
- 4 TB grated parmesan cheese (or more if you like it)
- 2 TB chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper
Put the butternut squash in the simmering water/broth and keep simmering on low - add salt and pepper to taste. In a medium size deep saucepan, melt 1 TB butter with 1 TB olive oil, and add the chopped onion. Saute on low for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain the rice (there seems to be a reason to do this lately - something about chemicals?) and add it to the pan - stir it around for a few minutes. Pour on the wine and let simmer about 2 more minutes. By now the butternut squash in the other pot may be tender (and when it is, you can just take it out with a slotted spoon and set aside) but if not just leave it there. Pour some of the water it's cooking in over the rice until it's completely covered with liquid, and stir. If some of the squash falls in, no problem. Now you'll just keep up this action about every 3 minutes - the water will be absorbed so you'll cover the rice with liquid again and stir - until after maybe about 20 minutes, the rice is as tender as you like it. At this point, add all of the squash, and enough of the broth to keep the mixture fairly wet. Drop in the other TB of butter, add the parmesan, and taste - add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Stir it some more and cover - let it rest for another 5 minutes - now sprinkle with the optional parsley and it's done.
Now sometimes (like when you are far from home) you absolutely need brownies, fast, and you may be far away from an American supermarket or US-style kitchen appliances. This recipe doesn't need special ingredients or flavorings, or the right pan or even a readable oven temperature. I did have a cup measure, but probably you could eyeball it if you don't. These may not be perfect, but they are forgiving and will give you what you want.
- 1 stick butter
- 2/3 cp. coursely chopped semi-sweet (this is because you probably can't get unsweetened) chocolate
- 1 1/3 cps. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cp. flour
- 1/4 cp. walnuts (optional)
- dash of salt
Melt the butter and 1/3 cp. of the chopped chocolate in a pan over simmering water. If you don't have a double boiler handy, just fill a saucepan about a half inch full of water, heat it, and put a smaller but higher pan inside it. Take out when melted. Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until slightly frothy. If you don't have an electric mixer or even a whisk, two forks held in one hand will do nicely. Pour the melted but cooled chocolate/butter into the eggs/sugar and stir to blend. Lightly beat in the flour and salt until completely blended. If you have walnuts, stir them in. Pour into the buttered pan, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cp. chips. Put in the oven to bake, and if you have no idea what the temperature is, just check after 15 minutes, and every 5 minutes thereafter, until your finger doesn't make an impression on the top - or a knife or toothpick stuck in the middle comes out relatively clean. Cool on a rack if you have one - otherwise, it will still be fine. This has been so casual a job that you might as well eat them right out of the pan. Crisis averted!
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