A Recipe at Last

I've made it to the 2nd trimester, and today my 18-week ultrasound showed a healthy baby. It was a huge relief! My diet hasn't been the greatest lately. I have a huge appetite, it seems, and though as is usual for me I tend to focus more on savory carbohydrates, I also have been eating more sugar than I did before I was pregnant. Oh well. Halloween is over, so maybe the sweets will disappear for a while.

In the meantime, here's a recipe I recently made. I started making risotto in 2004 with my pressure cooker. After more than a two-year hiatus from that appliance while we were in Thailand, I finally dug it out of storage last month and started practicing my risotto again. It's surprisingly easy to make, and wonderfully comforting to eat. This version, based on a recipe from The Roasted Vegetable, uses butternut squash -- perfect for a cold fall day.



Butternut Squash Risotto:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 T olive oil
2 tsp thyme or rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion
4 cups vegetable broth + 1 cup water, heated
1/2 cup white wine (don't worry, the alcohol will cook out)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

1. Mix together the squash, red pepper, and garlic with 2 T of the olive oil and the spices. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 425^F for 20-25 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. In a pressure cooker over medium heat, saute the onion in the remaining olive oil until translucent. Stir in the rice, making sure to coat each grain with some of the oil, for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the white wine to the rice and stir until the liquid is evaporated.

4. Add the broth and water, close the pressure cooker, and bring to high pressure for ten minutes. Release the pressure with the burner on low heat.

5. Test the rice for doneness. There may still be a little bit of liquid, but it will soak up quickly, so only continue cooking if absolutely necessary.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve with additional parmesan on the side.

** If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can make this recipe in a regular pot by adding about a half-cup of the liquid at a time and stirring until it is soaked into the rice before adding the next half-cup.