Lemony Shrimp Risotto

A couple hours after lunch I had a twinge or two of hunger and since that can leave me a little queasy when practicing yoga I like to have a tiny snack - just enough to have something in my stomach but not enough to force it to work too hard. Today it was a couple of Kashi crackers and a spoonful of hummus. It was just enough!


I started my yoga practice about 45 minutes after the snack and the crackers did the trick. It wasn't the best practice I've ever had but that's the beauty of yoga. Some days practices are the most rewarding experiences and some days not so much. Many yoga teachers liken it to a relationship. For all the rich rewards of a regular practice a student will inevitably hit rough patches and it can be tempting to stray, but staying and working through those very times only brings deeper connections.

After practice The Beanpole and I ducked out to grab a bottle of white wine so I could make risotto. Risotto is one of my favorite foods, despite the fact that I say that about everything I eat. One can create endless variations and it seems so decadent though it's very simple to make. Tonight I wanted shrimp and citrus so I made up a lovely scampi-like creation. It was so tasty and I had to pat myself on the back for finally creating a recipe on my own. My new favorite kitchen toy? The Microplane. I want to tear through the kitchen zesting everything now! Since The Beanpole is headed out EARLY Saturday morning I offered him the choice of spinach, kale, or asparagus as a side and he chose asparagus. I'm a bit glad he did because I want to make some more of those kale chips I made last week!


I used vegetable stock instead of chicken for the first time and found that it cooked a little bit faster for some reason, so it wasn't quite as sticky as I'd like but still so so tasty.


I'm hoping to get to bed nice and early tonight. I've got huevos to make in the morning and a DATE with The Beanpole tomorrow night!!!

Challenge One, Round Two - Butternut Squash

I had plenty of leftover squash from the Butternut Squash Challenge and decided to find some recipes to use the rest of it. The poor thing sat languishing in the refrigerator for a couple days so I roasted it with a bit of butter and brown sugar to eke out a few more days. And it sat for a couple more days before I got the motivation to play with it a little bit. I'm so glad I did! This risotto was fantastic! I added the cubed butternut squash right at the end only to warm them as I did not want them to get mushy, but it would be equally delicious with the addition of pureed squash.


Butternut Squash Risotto
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 tbs butter (I used Smart Balance)
3/4 Arborio rice (any short-grain rice will do)
1/4 cup dry white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock, heated
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups roasted butternut squash, cubed

Melt butter on low to medium heat in heavy bottom skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned. Add rice and toss to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes to toast rice. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly.

When wine is absorbed, add 1/3 chicken stock and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Add another third stock and keep stirring until liquid is absorbed. Begin tasting about 15 minutes after starting to cook rice. The ideal texture should be soft with a bit of resistance when biting into it. The amount of liquid will vary, so don't be surprised if not all is used.

Add parmesan and stir vigorously until absorbed. Add butternut squash cubes and stir to warm.

Girls' Night In

Several weeks ago some girlfriends and I decided to have scheduled girls' nights in to relax and catch up. I leaped at the chance to be the first hostess and set about planning a nice fall feast. Finally, I found the perfect recipe on a blog I'd stumbled upon. Admittedly, I took the inspirational photo a bit literally, but it worked with items already on hand and after two last-minute trips to the market simple presentation sounded fantastic! Risotto has a reputation for being difficult to prepare so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's quite easy, and almost meditative. Even better, I got to use my fun pumpkin pot!


We finished dinner with a couple slices each of this scrumptious (and lowfat!) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread found on another blog. One friend rated it better than Starbucks'! I haven't tried theirs, but agree that this particular recipe is sticking around for a long long time.


Drinks were a little more challenging. I landed on an apple wine and Sam Adams Oktoberfest. The apple wine was unexpected and a bit confounding. We decided that it tasted a bit like a flat sauvignon blanc, or a pear, or that a couple splashes of seltzer could help it make sense.All in all it was a really nice evening, and it reminded me (yet again) of how calming cooking and serving a meal is.

Pumpkin Risotto (A Year In the Kitchen)

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

salt and ground black pepper

1 c. arborio rice

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 c. warmed chicken stock

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar reduction

In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper. Toss to begin cooking. Add rice, toast for 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Add 1/3 c. chicken stock, stirring in between additions, about every 3 minutes. After all of the stock is absorbed, add the canned pumpkin. Turn heat to low and let the rice cook and pumpkin absorb into the rice. Add parmesan cheese, stir, and plate with balsamic reduction.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (Erin's Eats)
2 cups sugar (I only used 1.5 cups)
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding (I used fat-free vanilla yogurt)
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.