Butternut Squash and Green Bean Risotto



Butternut Squash and Green Bean Risotto

I have never been a fan of making risotto.  The slow process of adding cupful by cupful of stock to the rice and stirring constantly until it is almost absorbed is painful for me.  I also either had the heat too high and the stock would absorb too quickly and I would end up with crunchy rice or the heat was too low and my risotto was a pot of mush.

Lo and behold I struck upon the perfect risotto recipe from an old issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  When I was working in a small cafe about 7 years ago, Butternut Squash and Green Bean Risotto was one of our go - to dishes during the Fall.  Since the kitchen of the restaurant was typically busy, this risotto that basically made itself was perfect for our menu.  And it was a client favorite too.

With it being a a rainy cool day, risotto was a perfect dinner for The Husband and I.  My Middle One and No Thank You Boy opted for the ever popular Pizza Bread - a long roll cut in half lengthwise, slathered with marinara sauce, topped with a mountain of mozzarella cheese and baked for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  So gourmet.  Our risotto was quick to make with about 15 minutes of hands on time and another 20 minutes of occasionally stirring the simmering risotto.

The end result of creamy rice with chunks of tender butternut squash, bites of green beans, and a sprinkling of blue cheese on top was the bowl of goodness I remembered and loved.  Add a glass of chardonnay and dinner was complete.

Butternut Squash and Green Bean Risotto

serves about 5

adapted from this recipe from Bon Appetit February, 2005

7 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 (2-pound butternut squash) peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups green beans cut in 1-inch pieces, steamed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Bring 7 cups broth to boil in large saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add squash and 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary; sauté 4 minutes to coat with butter. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 7 cups hot broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy and slightly soupy and stirring occasionally, about 18 - 20 minutes. Stir in green beans and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer risotto to large bowl. Sprinkle with blue cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

A Sunday afternoon in the Fall is No Thank You Boy's favorite time of the year.  Football games continue one right after another from early afternoon all the way into the late evening.  And an integral part of watching football games for him is the eating of football food.

Nachos are on every sports restaurant/bar menu with the usual ingredients of tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, beans, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.  This version of the pseudo-Mexican snack is good enough on its own, but I decided to change up a few ingredients to suit No Thank You Boy's spicy taste buds and affinity for chicken.  Buffalo Chicken Nachos combine shredded chicken with Frank's Hot Sauce and cheddar and blue cheeses on top of blue and white corn tortilla chips.  After a few minutes in a hot oven, the nachos are topped with celery, tomatoes, and scallions.

It is only 2 days until Sunday.  Make sure you have the ingredients to make Buffalo Chicken Nachos and sit back and cheer on your favorite football team.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

a large bag of tortilla chips - corn or blue corn or a combo of both
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
5 tablespoons hot sauce, or more to taste
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
6 scallions, chopped
3 celery ribs, small dice
1 medium tomato, small dice
sour cream for serving
salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line an 18 x 10 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.  This is not necessary but makes clean up much easier.  :)

Place a layer of tortilla chips in the baking sheet overlapping some of the chips.  Make sure the pan is full of chips.

In a bowl, combine the chicken and hot sauce.  Spread the chicken evenly over the chips and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and blue cheese.  Bake for 6 - 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle the scallions, celery and tomato evenly over the melted cheese.

Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Baja Pork Stir Fry



Baja Pork Stir Fry

 I like to subscribe to magazines.  Mainly food related magazines, but I also toss in a Real Simple or a Southern Living magazine into the pile to spice things up.  Many of the recipes I prepare are inspired by the recipes in these magazines, and I cook them for my family and personal chef clients.

Stir frys are an easy dinner to make as it is a one pot meal.  Add a pasta or rice and you will be eating dinner in no time at all.  Some people think that there is a lot of chopping involved in making a stir fry.  But once the ingredients are prepped, the actually cooking is a breeze.  And stir frys are very forgiving in that you can throw in any vegetables you have on hand and change up the seasonings to suit your tastes.

Baja Pork Stir Fry is a recipe pulled from a recent additional of Cooking Light magazine.  A little extra cumin, more chopped vegetables, and added heat from a whole jalapeno and dinner is ready.  Or as in the case when I made it for my EAT! personal chef client, dinner is waiting in the refrigerator.

Baja Pork Stir Fry is easy and quick to make.  Follow along with the recipe below and make it for your family tonight.

Baja Pork Stir Fry

adapted from this recipe in the Cooking Light, September, 2011 issue

serves 4

1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup each thinly sliced red, yellow and green peppers
1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, hot

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Season pork with salt and pepper.  Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Add pork and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until browned on all sides.  Remove from pan.

Heat pan over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeno and stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes.  Return pork to pan along with chicken stock mixture and toss to combine.  Cook for 1 minute until sauce coats all the ingredients.  Stir in tomatoes and cilantro.  Serve over jasmine rice.

Breakfast Quinoa

Breakfast Quinoa

Everywhere you look today, there are articles, food products, and talk of eating gluten free.  More and more people are discovering that they have gluten intolerance and are eliminating or greatly limiting the foods they eat containing wheat. Luckily, I have no problem with gluten-loaded foods, and I am the first to grab a bagel or muffin to go along with my morning coffee.  But every once in a while I cook up a batch of Breakfast Quinoa when I am feeling the need for a different sort of hot breakfast.

Quinoa is a protein rich seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked.  Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.  It cooks in a similar manner as rice.   Along with the many other gluten free foods available, quinoa and a less gluten diet seem to have the following health benefits:

•Weight loss

•Better energy

•Better sleep

•Clearer complexion

•Better mood

•Reduced joint pain

With school starting next week, who doesn't need a better mood and more energy to get though the day.  Shake up your morning and give Breakfast Quinoa a try.

Breakfast Quinoa

Any leftover quinoa can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave for about 1 minute on 70% power before serving.


serves 2

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water or milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, raisins), chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a medium sized saucepan, add almonds, quinoa, water or milk, cinnamon, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed (just like when cooking rice).  Remove from heat and stir to fluff.

To serve, place about 1 cup of the cooked quinoa in a bowl and top with 1/4 cup of the dried fruits, about 2 teaspoons of butter and a tablespoon of the brown sugar.