Butternut Squash Wheatberry Fauxsotto

I won’t call this a risotto because it’s not. It takes much less time than a traditional risotto and doesn’t quite achieve the ability of risotto to “stand-up” when it’s ready. What this is is one of the most flavorful dishes I’ve prepared in a long time and yet it is so incredibly simple it can easily be made on a weeknight when time is minimal.

Butternut Squash Fauxsotto

adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c wheatberries (mine are from the Whole Foods bulk bins)
• 3 c broth (I used chicken but use whatever you prefer)
• 2 c butternut squash, chopped
• 1 t fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped (optional, I used dehydrated onion flakes)
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Parmesan Cheese, for topping

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and Thyme until onions soften (if you use dehydrated onions you don’t really need to wait) add wheatberries and cook, stirring often, for just a few minutes.

Turn up heat to medium-high, add 2 c broth and squash. Stir constantly but allow pot to simmer.  The squash will break down and the broth will absorb. After 2 c of broth is absorbed, begin adding a little more broth at a time until it is absorbed. Repeat until last cup of broth has been added. When the fauxsotto has thickened, it is done.

Serve with fresh grated parmesan on top and optionally add sprigs of fresh Thyme for garnish.

Serves 2

Blood, Bones & Butter

Over vacation I discovered that I can borrow e-books from the library and read them on my laptop using Kindle for PC. A few I titles I was interested in were already “checked out” but Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef was available and it sounded worth my time.

What a great read! I couldn’t “put it down”. It’s a memoir written by Chef Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune restaurant in New York City. She starts by reminiscing of her childhood and her family’s annual pig roasts and the imagery is just incredible. As an adult, she marries an Italian and spends a month every summer in Italy – so as you can imagine, her descriptions of her time there are fascinating.

Though I had never heard of her prior to reading this book, I am definitely a fan of her approach at cooking (and eating!) as it is much similar to mine (I’d like to think, anyway) in that she takes a “no frills” approach. She believes that food should be straight forward and that the flavors should come from the quality of the food itself and not by adding “foams” or “emulsions”.

If you are a fan of memoirs, especially ones that involve food, you will enjoy this book. The author’s journey to becoming a chef was both an accident and an adventure.

Side note: I totally recommend the e-book feature from the library – getting a book to read for free (for a 14 day rental period) without even leaving my house? Sounds good to me!

Vegan Lentil Pâté

If you’ve had pâté before, the animal kind, and enjoyed it – then you will most likely be a fan of this vegan version. As you may know if you eat lentils, they almost mimic meat in that they are protein rich and super filling. While the flavors in this create a pâté that is unique, it is remarkably reminiscent of it’s animal-based counterparts.

If you’re skeptical, I don’t blame you. There are a bunch of less common, perhaps even intimidating, ingredients in this recipe. Finding Umeboshi paste (plum paste) took a trip to the local Asian Supermarket where I could not find it, a trip to my local health food store where it was too expensive for my wallet and finally a trip to Whole Foods where I splurged on it because I had a gift certificate. The Mirin (sweet cooking sauce) and Miso I picked up at the Asian Supermarket for quite a bit less than the regular supermarket/health food store. The French lentils I picked up in the bulk bins at Whole Foods and they were even cheaper at my local health food store. So all in all, it’s not a cheap dish but you’ll only be using a bit of the more expensive ingredients so you can make it many times (and I suspect after one taste you will want to) over.

If it’s the actual idea that this is pâté that makes you reluctant, perhaps you are vegan, don’t let that deter you. It doesn’t taste “meaty” by any means, it is reminiscent of pâté in that it has great depth of flavors.

Vegan Lentil Pâté

from Bojon Gourmet

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c dried green lentils (sometimes called “French lentils”)
• 3 c water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 T olive oil, divided
• 1 med yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 T Mirin
• 1 1/4 c walnuts (I used a combination of walnuts, pecans and cashews – what I had on hand), toasted in oven at 350 for 10 minutes and cooled
• 1 T fresh thyme, chopped
• 3 T miso (I used the yellow/brown variety)
• 1 1/2 T Umeboshi paste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling

Add water, lentils and bay leaf to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then cover partially and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally to ensure lentils don’t stick to bottom of pan. When lentils are done, drain and allow to cool completely. I suggest putting them in the refrigerator, spread on a plate, to speed up the process.

While lentils are cooking, add 2 T olive oil to another pan heated over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Mirin and remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely, I put mine in the refrigerator to speed this up.

Add the toasted and cooled nuts to the food processor and process until they have become the consistency of nut butter. Add the lentils and onion-garlic mixture and process until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Drizzle with olive oil and additional fresh herbs for serving. I served mine with a baguette cut into thin slices.

NYE Snack: Sriracha Party Mix

I’m not a goal setter but here, in front of you few loyal readers, I hope to post more in 2012. With that said, please make and enjoy one of the favorite things to come out of my kitchen this year.

Wish I could take credit for the recipe because it’s a good one, but I can’t. You can find the details regarding measurements and such over at The Food in My Beard.

What you will need:

• Chex cereal (I used rice… a mix of rice and corn would be or Crispix)
• Wasabi Peas
• pretzels
• Chow Mein Noodles
• Peanuts
• Butter
• Sriracha
• Soy Sauce (I actually used a combination of soy, Worcestershire, and Hendersons Relish)
• Garlic (minced)
• Ginger (minced)

Add dry ingredients to bowl.

Mix wet ingredients in another smaller bowl. Pour wet into dry mixture.

I found it easiest to mix with my hands – just make sure wet mixture isn’t still piping hot.

Spread mixture onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Seek out the pieces that are clumped together – they are the best.

Warning: this is quite spicy… make sure you have a beverage, or two, nearby when eating.

Where is Santa?

Merry Christmas Eve, folks. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays to you and hopefully you are enjoying time with loved ones.

Currently I’m sitting by the tree, enjoying a glass of wine and watching Home Alone… one of my all time favorite holiday flicks.

In case you were wondering, I have an important update:

Santa’s current location is Tarrafal, Cape Verde. Looks like he’ll be crossing the ocean to our continent pretty soon though.

So, I saw this survey cropping up around the interwebs and thought I’d participate for fun (the wine helps).

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Always wrapped. That’s part of the fun!

Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Definitely white. Though I’ve seen trees tastefully done with colored lights, white it is for me!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

I’d probably say stuffing or potatoes… though squash is definitely right up there! Oh and Christmas morning we always have some sort of coffee cake – I think I look forward to that more than Christmas dinner itself!

Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Definitely Christmas morning – my brother and I would wake up SUPER early and were allowed to open up our stockings. Then we’d watch a Christmas movie until mom and dad got up to open the rest of the gifts.

Snow? Love it or dread it?

I don’t mind it for Christmas – after that I’m quite all set.

Real tree or fake tree?

Real! My parents have always had real trees. I will say, though, that I don’t even get a tree for my place because I can’t stand the clean up – pine needles, woof.

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Being with family and friends, of course, and just the “magical-ness” of the day.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

We have different desserts every year, but I don’t think it’s Christmas without at least one peanut butter ball tasting!

What is your favorite tradition?

Again, Christmas morning. We have coffee, eat coffee cake and open presents in our pajamas. Typically there is a viewing of the Disney Christmas Parade at some point.

What tops your tree?

A star

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Carol of the Bells

What do you leave for Santa?

Nothing, both of the Santa’s in this house are watching their figures

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

See above.

Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?

I did a little bit of both this year.

Wishing Everyone a Happy, Healthy Holiday and New Year!

Current Obsessions, Vol. 1

I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth, promise. I’ve just had no interest in blogging. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch… I just haven’t had much to blog about. Having December off has been just what I needed. For the first time in months, I’ve actually allowed myself to watch TV after work and spend hours doing absolutely nothing and NOT feel guilty about it. Okay, well there’s some guilt there when I look at the laundry pile in my bedroom that just never seems to go away but, you get it.

Anyway, because I’m sure you find yourself at my blog because I’m highly fashionable (read: not at all, today I realized shortly before closing time at work that my sweater had been on backwards all day) and have impeccable taste in all of the things, I present to you: my current obsessions.

1. The apartment has no tree or wreath but I do have what I have titled, for the sake of this post, my holiday corner. It’s actually not a corner at all but rather the top of my radiator unit. Classy should have been my middle name.

How embarrassed I should be for showing you the 5 Christmas cards I’ve received this year. But I’m not, because it’s my holiday corner and I don’t care about your hundreds of cards.

2. This candle. It smells amazing. I light it when I get home from work,  or when something doesn’t smell right.

3. These Gorgonzola Biscuits. WOW. Jessica posted these today and I already made them. But not the pinot noir butter, not today anyway, I had TV to watch remember?

They don’t look quite like hers (read: not at all), but were still cheesy deliciousness.

Oozing cheese, is there any other kind worth eating?

4. And speaking of Jessica, I made her Gingersnap Crusted Salmon for dinner last night. SO good. So so SO so so SO good.

5. Burnt Habanero Crema Salsa. I’ve made this twice now. Once with sour cream in place of the crema (couldn’t find it) and once with Greek yogurt. Both times it was fantastic and both times my mouth was on serious fire.

Bring it to a party. Wow your friends. Their mouths will burn but they won’t be able to get enough.

6. My Growler of Blue Hills Brewery: Black Hops. Though the brewery isn’t too far from where I live, I found growlers at my local liquor store. I can’t get enough of this delicious dark beer.

What are your latest obsessions? TELL ME, TELL ME! Food, drinks, music, restaurants?!

Muffins and Muppets

Long time, no post. Good news is, my finals are over and I’m on break from school for the month of December. I thought that a break from classes meant I’d be posting a lot more but I’ve been enjoying relaxing and being obligation free so much I haven’t really gotten around to it.

I did make some delicious Clementine Date Muffins. The recipe is a Pinterest find and I barely made any changes to it so here it is:

Photo Source and Recipe

In other news, Matt and I went to see The Muppets last night. It was such a fun movie. I busted out laughing during the song, “Am I a man? … or a muppet?” I actually have been singing it all day. So ridiculous.

Speaking of movies, I still need to go see Breaking Dawn. Anyone?

Well, hopefully I’ll whip up something in the kitchen blogworthy soon but in the meantime, go see The Muppets and sing the man-muppet song all day the next day to your coworkers.

I’m off to watch more Vampire Diaries on netflix, is anyone else into this show?!