Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto

You know you are caught between two worlds when, while doing a Google search, you keep inadvertently swapping the word "pumpkin" for "pumping" and vice versa.

The days of simplicity and one track thinking {though, really, have I ever not multitasked?} are coming to an end soon, my friends. The evidence is clear in my big ol' bulging belly and the fact that a complete stranger yelled "Paint it orange for Halloween!" out his car window while I was crossing the street. Classy.

Belly evidence.
These are the gals that helped throw me the most perfect baby shower ever!

This week marked the end of our HypnoBirthing classes {which I've officially written a very long -  but informative! - post about and will be sharing next week}, meaning that we're one step closer to getting this show on the road. For our last class, a couple who had practiced HypnoBirthing brought in their 4 week old baby boy and shared their birthing story with us. They also gave us some tips for surviving the first few weeks of being new parents, which were greatly appreciated.

They made one thing very clear: You will have time for almost nothing. Not sleep. Not bathroom breaks. Not cooking or eating. {Whimper.} But you will become very efficient at using any spare moments that may be gifted to you for important things like naps, quick bites of sustenance and gazing at your newborn with awe.

Can't wait.

Our instructor mentioned a baby-wearing group that meets monthly in the same office where the classes were held, and how she noticed that they have become alarmingly skilled at doing things with one arm. I imagine this is one of those special adaptations that parents develop as a survival skill, along with bionic hearing and a variety of other special talents.

Naturally, that got me to thinking about recipes that could easily be made with one hand {or with very short moments of needing both}. Would you ever think about risotto being one of those things? Probably not.

Risotto is often thought of as quite fussy and labor-intensive. So, out of curiosity, I decided to make this version and see how it would turn out with very little "babysitting".

And wouldn't you know it... it worked. Quite well, in fact!

Now, there are some ways to make this even easier by taking shortcuts like buying pre-chopped onions & butternut squash, and grated cheese . {Side note: Butternut squash is one of the only convenience items I think of as a worthwhile purchase. I've nearly lost fingers too many times to count while dismantling a whole butternut squash.} But if you happen to have two hands available, it isn't even necessary because the tasks are pretty quick and simple.

Just roast some diced butternut squash, saute some onion, add rice and liquid and let it simmer. Adding the liquid in 3 separate additions helps to make the rice tender and creamy, but you really don't need to do all the stirring that is often associated with risotto. So that's good news.

The other good news is that it tastes really good. And it looks like you actually worked hard to put it together, so even new parents who only have one arm available can psych people out and make them think they've really got things under control.

Maybe my next project -- you know, after having a baby and everything -- will be to write an entire collection of recipes that can be cooked with one arm. Because I'm sure I'll have time for that.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto
Adapted from Real Simple 

1 1/2 cups chopped butternut squash
Olive oil
Salt

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine {or chicken/vegetable broth}
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, heated through in a microwave safe container with spout
1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or aged Havarti cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a sheet of foil on a baking pan and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Plop butternut squash onto pan & toss with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned in spots.

Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a deep skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 4-6 minutes.

3. Add rice to onions and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add wine {or broth} and allow to simmer until the liquid is absorbed. {This should take about 5-7 minutes.}

4. Pour in about 1/3 of the chicken broth that's been warmed. Give it a quick stir {yes, you can do this with one arm}, bring the heat down a smidge {you want a simmer, not a boil} and allow to simmer until the liquid is absorbed once again, about 7-9 minutes or so. Repeat with another 1/3 of the broth. When you add in the last 1/3, toss in your roasted butternut squash and minced sage. Stir and allow to absorb the last of the liquid. {You don't even have to watch it, which means you might even be able to sneak in a bathroom break.}

5. Before serving, add in cheese, salt & pepper to taste and stir {for the last time!}

Serve hot... and try to eat it while it's still at that temp. You deserve it! :)