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! :)

Blackberry-Sage Lemonade

Remember when I mentioned that I am a little paranoid in the kitchen when it comes to raw meat and potential hazards? Well, over the weekend I discovered that fondue-style cooking is not the ideal preparation of a meal for a gal like me.

My parents-in-law celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary {!} and made reservations for a family dinner at a popular fondue spot. {I'm sure you know the one.} Honestly, few things sound better to me than a vat of melted cheese with assorted dippers, followed by a cauldron of melted chocolate for dessert.

What I didn't think through, however, was the entree portion of the dining experience. I mean, don't get me wrong, the process is so much fun -- sitting around a table skewering bite-sized pieces of yummy food and cooking together over chatter and, in our case, family antics. But the moment the raw meat and seafood arrived at the table, the neurotic part of me was challenged to a battle between sense of adventure and utter repugnance.

Most people wouldn't give it a second thought: Stab the meat, plop it in the simmering pot, cook and enjoy.

But clearly, I'm not that simple. Suddenly I found myself obsessing over what my skewers had touched, whether or not they'd been sufficiently boiled in the hot liquid and paying close attention to the distance between my cooked foods and my non-cooked foods. {Which, by the way, you could probably seat me at a 10-foot-long table and they'd still never seem far enough away from one another.}

On my end of the table sat some of my favorite people on the face of this planet: Steve's 90-something grandma, great aunt and great uncle. {Yes, they are ALL in their 90's! Amazing genes.} We were tasked with sharing one pot of bubbling broth to cook our food. This would have been more than fine except for the fact that, when you are a nonagenarian, your reflexes and memory are not what they used to be at times. So harpooning small pieces of meat with a sharp skewer, putting your hand near an open heat source and remembering which piece you put in and how long you're supposed to cook it can easily become a three-ring circus. {In all fairness, they did a pretty good job considering except for a few times when I'm pretty sure Uncle Mike ate raw meat. No harm, no foul.}

The problem was not with them but more so with the fact that since I'm not a red meat eater, the majority of my meal was shrimp. And shrimp cooks much faster than the hunks of filet the rest of my fondue cohorts were eating. Plus, it has way less bacterial juiciness happening than a fresh cut of beef, let's say. So, as I would nearly be done cooking my shrimp to temperature, they would all be adding RAW meat to the tub.

I'm sorry, but how is this considered sanitary?! Haha... I have to laugh at myself.

The point is, I spent more time worrying about things like salmonella and food poisoning than anything else. Except for when dessert came around -- then all bets were off. ;) I have a feeling my father-in-law was having the same thoughts on the other end of the table as he and I are similar when it comes to our finicky nature with food safety.

On the plus side, we had a wonderful time in every other way. AND I came away from dinner with inspiration for a new beverage: Blackberry-Sage Lemonade.

Since I haven't been able to enjoy any cocktails for the past {almost} 5 months, I've been super creative with fun things to drink, as is evident by all the mocktails I've been sharing lately. Isn't it great that it's going hand in hand with the rise in summertime temps?

I mean, tell me you don't want to sip on this on a sunny day.

Blend this up in a wink and enjoy a cool glass -- no neuroses necessary. ;)

Blackberry-Sage Lemonade
Inspired by The Melting Pot Restaurant
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 lemons, juiced {about 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice}
6 oz. container of blackberries {save some for garnish if desired}
2-3 cups water
Fresh sage leaves

1. Make simple syrup: Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; allow to simmer for about 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Add lemon juice, blackberries and cooled simple syrup to a blender. Process until smooth.

3. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or glass container. Add about 2-3 cups of water depending on how diluted you'd like your beverage.

4. Place 4 or 5 fresh sage leaves in each glass and muddle slightly to release some of the fragrance. Top with ice and fill with lemonade. Garnish with a few blackberries if desired.

*I tend to like my lemonade more on the tart side than than the sweet side. You can make and add more simple syrup if you'd like it sweeter.

Savory Pumpkin-Cheddar Rugelach

I know, I know. More pumpkin. I can't seem to help myself.

A few things have finally happened around here that suggest fall might actually be on its way:

1. According to my dashboard, the temperature dipped down to a *crisp* 69 degrees this morning. Woo!

2. I have seen/heard of several roadside pumpkin patches {and just about every other picture on my Facebook feed shows little ones posing with said pumpkins}.

3. There was only one can of pumpkin puree left on the shelves at Target.

I totally snagged it so I could make these. Score.

Have you ever tried rugelach? I remember my mom would buy them sometimes when I was younger. They came in a clear plastic cylinder, giving me a clear view that the contents were nothing to be excited about. Though I knew they were considered a "treat" I couldn't quite understand the appeal... probably because, while they were sweet, they were usually filled with fruit & nuts. And in my kid-brain, fruit & nuts equaled adult food. Therefore, yuck. {Very logical.}

It wasn't until I was a bit older that I started to appreciate them. Tender, flaky, melt-in-your mouth crust. Delicious filling all tucked and rolled into each swirled little cookie. {And I discovered that they can sometimes contain chocolate, too. That might have helped my change of heart.} What's not to love?

As much as I love rugelach with a sweet filling, this recipe for savory rugelach caught my eye immediately. In fact, I pinned them as soon as I saw them shared by King Arthur Flour... and then promptly forgot about them.

I'm really glad the thought of these popped into my head again this week. Because They.Are.GOOD.

Like, "Maybe I won't tell anyone I made these and I'll just eat the whole tray" kinda good.

{Though I don't recommend doing that or anything.}

You know what these would be perfect for? {Besides devouring, of course.} A little wine night with the girls. Or as a savory little appetizer to hold over hungry stomachs before Thanksgiving dinner. Or really, for no other reason than to have a delicious snack to nibble on any day.

While the original recipe called for the combination of pumpkin and Parmesan, I decided to use some Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar, mostly just because it sounded like a good idea. {It was.} The addition of sage and onion give the pumpkin an even warmer, more inviting flavor.

Delish.

So, are you guys all pumpkined-out yet, or what? What other types of fall recipes are you hoping to see around here... I'm open to suggestions! Leave me a note in the comments or hop over to my Facebook page and let me know what you're thinking. :)

Savory Pumpkin-Cheddar Rugelach
Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup {1 stick} unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
4 ounces {half a block} cream cheese, diced

For Filling:

1 tablespoon garlic oil or regular olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Dash of chili powder
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/4 cup {or a smidge more} aged white cheddar {I used Cabot Farmhouse Reserve}
2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
.
1. Place all pastry ingredients into a blender. Pulse until the dough comes together. You'll know it's done because it'll gather up into a ball.

2. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out into a circle, about 14 inches round. At this point, you can pop it into the fridge until you're ready to spread on the filling or wrap it up in plastic wrap in refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir, cooking until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with ground sage and chili powder and cook, stirring, for about 1 more minute.

4. Add pumpkin puree, salt and pepper. Stir together with onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the pumpkin has lost some of its moisture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or line with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Either way, make sure you use cooking spray! These like to stick!

5. Remove rolled pastry circle from refrigerator. {Make sure that it is able to be removed from the surface you have it on, then dust with flour and set down again.} Spread pumpkin mixture onto the circle, leaving about 1/4 inch border. Sprinkle cheese and walnuts over top of pumpkin.

6. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges. {The easiest way to ensure they're equally sized is to cut in half, then in half again, and proceed until you have 18 long triangles.}

7. Starting at the wider end, roll each triangle up, then place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all pieces are rolled. Brush each with egg wash.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rugelach are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down. {Be careful, they're sort of fragile when they first come out of the oven.}