Butternut Squash Risotto(Gluten Free)

So here is another recipe that I have been making for years but have yet to post on here! It's one of my daughters favorites, and almost every time I ask her what she wants for dinner she says, "risotto." I found it after randomly searching Google for a recipe to use butternut squash for, and now risotto is also one of my favorite things to eat. If I go to a restaurant and risotto is on the menu, it's a near guarantee I will order it.

For those of you who haven't had risotto before, it's a rice dish made from arborio rice, but is made a little bit different so that it is very creamy and saucy. Don't try to rush it when cooking this recipe, it's a slow process in which you will be at the stove for an hour without much leaving. Trust me when I say it's worth it. And, hey, it uses wine, so pour a glass for yourself before starting and it will make the cooking process that much more enjoyable!
Note: Using drinking wine rather than cooking wine WILL make your food taste better. If you wouldn't drink it, why would you eat it? Trust me, spend the extra money and get a bottle of normal wine.



Butternut Squash Risotto

 2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2-2 boxes chicken broth(about 6 cups)
1/2 cup white wine
2 shallots, chopped
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 butternut squash
Oil
Salt

Peel and cube the butternut squash and put it into a baking dish and cover with oil. Put in the oven at 350. It will stay in the oven until the risotto is done, but will need to be stirred occasionally. You can sprinkle a bit of salt on it halfway through.

In a large pot, melt butter and add the shallots. Cook for a few minutes and then add the pancetta. Continue to cook for another few minutes and then add the rice. Coat the rice in the butter and then pour the wine over it and stir. When the wine has absorbed, add about 1/2-1 cup of broth. Stir and when the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/2-1 cup of broth. You will continue this process of add small amounts of broth, stirring, and waiting for the liquid to absorb before adding more until the mixture begins to look creamy and it seems like the liquid is not absorbing as much. At this point, add the cheese and mix it in until well combined.

You can either mix the butternut squash into the risotto, or serve on top.

This is the link to the original recipe, and I have stayed mostly true to it. However, it calls for saffron, which is a pretty pricy spice, and I think that it tastes fine without it, so I have never used it. Also, in her recipe, she heats the broth in another pan so that as she is adding it, it is already hot. This may make the risotto better, but I have never felt like dirtying extra pans that I don't need to(I hate doing dishes) and I feel like the risotto is just fine using room temperature broth.

Chickpea Patties

I can't believe I have never posted this recipe before, it's one of my favorites. And on top of that, a friend of mine specifically asked me for the recipe a couple months ago and I made them soon thereafter, but forgot to take a picture. So this one is for you, Shannon!
I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I definitely try to eat vegetarian meals regularly because they can be so healthy for you. I seem to do it more often in the summer, too. Something about that hot weather just begs for salads and non-meat food. Unless you are craving a steak... But that wasn't today;)
I usually serve this meal with rice or lettuce. Today I did both. The original recipe called for it to be served on an arugula salad, but I'm not particularly fond of arugula.
The original recipe calls for cashew cream, but I have no idea what that is and cannot find it anywhere, so I use cashew butter instead, or almond butter or peanut butter depending on what I have on hand.The nutritional yeast flakes can be found in the bulk bins in the organic section of the grocery store, or a whole foods store if your normal grocery store doesn't carry it. The same goes for the garbanzo bean flour. I buy Bob's Red Mill flour in a bag, but it can also be found bulk. Depending on what part of the country you are from, they will either be called chick peas or garbanzo beans, but the original recipe referred to them as chickpea patties, and the name is catchy, so that's how I refer to it, even though you can't find a "chickpea" anywhere here;)
I found this recipe off another site, and I'm almost positive it was somewhere from Treehugger, but for the life of me, I can't find it anymore. So here is how I make it now, roughly, because it changes a little bit each time;)

Chickpea Patties

2 cans chickpeas(garbanzo beans)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup cashew butter(or almond, or peanut)
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute the onions with some butter or oil for a few minutes, then add the bell pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the onion is starting to begin to caramelize. The longer you cook, the better it will taste. Stir often so it doesn't burn.
While this is cooking, use a fork/potato masher/food processor to mash up the garbanzo beans. Ideally you still want it a little chunky, not pasty. Add the nutritional yeast flakes, cashew butter, and salt and pepper.
When the onion mixture is ready, add it to the garbanzo bean mixture and combine well. Using your hands, form the mixture into patties and coat them in the flour along with salt and pepper.
The patties can be pan fried in butter/oil, or baked in a casserole dish in the oven/bbq at about 350. Flip after a few minutes of frying, or 5-10 minutes in the oven. Let the other side cook and then serve!

Quinoa and Summer Squash Salad!

I love Poor Girl Eats Well recipes, and she has tons of great recipes for fresh, summer salads with ingredients I would have never thought to use. This one in particular I made for the first time last summer. I happened to have some squash sitting around in my fridge waiting to be used and this was the recipe that came to mind.
When I pulled the recipe up, I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it because it called for black beans, and I never keep cans of beans on hand, only dry. Thankfully, I had some cooked black eyed peas in my freezer that I was able to thaw out instead. And instead of red onions, I used green onions, because that is what I had on hand.

My kids wanted to join in on the cooking today, and the past couple times they have helped me they have really enjoyed it. I even let them use the knife to help me cut the squash. It's important to me that my kids learn the joy of cooking and want to cook with real, healthy ingredients when they are adults. This is a hard task with our tiny kitchen, but the more we do it, the easier it becomes.

Here is the link to the recipe: Poor Girl Eats Well Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad. I seriously recommend liking her page on Facebook or subscribing to her blog for lots of great recipes!