Making Sweet Potato Risotto While on Lockdown

First off, I sincerely apologize for my negligence in posting to this blog in the past few months. This blog started as a project to keep my brain occupied during my “funemployment” and as I returned to the working world I have not been able to keep up.

Today, I am posting again for a number of reasons:

1.    I have time. I ran 10 miles this afternoon and realized that I pretty much used up all my energy for the day. I was planning on going food shopping, but there is no way I am going down those stairs again. Even after yesterday’s lock-down, I will be pretty content to stay in tonight.

2.    I actually have a lot I want to write about. My city just experienced a week of terror and I have all sorts of conflicting emotions about it (which is rare for me).

3.    I told Sarah I would share my recipe for sweet potato risotto.

So, here goes. I really cannot express the enormous sense of gratitude I feel right now. Not just because I escaped “the terror,” but also because it reminded me of how fortunate I am, and how great my life is. Sometimes I realize how incredibly privileged I am, and it often overwhelms me. My privilege is not necessarily unique but it is shared with many other members of the white middle class community that grew up in the suburbs. I am privileged because I grew up with a stable, normal family and got a great education. I attended an expensive private college with an academic scholarship, and I also earned a useless Master’s degree (just for fun!). I have a job that I love – it pays me a stable salary that allows me save money, all the while I am working to secure a clean energy future.

No one will ever look at me and assume that I am a criminal. In fact, most people look at me and think I am quite charming – it makes me good at my job, and gives me so many advantages in life that many people of color do not have. I am 30 but most people think I look like I am 25. I am in pretty good shape, I eat healthy (most of the time) because I am fortunate enough to afford local organic vegetables, and I am educated about nutrition. I work hard at my job, but I also have spare time to go to the gym, cook awesome food, and go on spring break with my amazing lady friends.

I have never been hungry, and I have always had a warm place to sleep. Yes, I have slept on floors, I have not always had a bed, but never before in my life have I ever had to sleep on the street.

My city went through a lot this week, but we are all fortunate enough that this bombing is an aberration, not the norm. I can’t begin to imagine what life is like for people who experience violence and bombings on a daily basis.

Never before in my life have I experienced the direct impact of terror, and honestly, I still didn’t this time. Yes, I remember 9/11, the shooting in Newtown, CT was about 10 minutes from the house I grew up in, and a bomb went off in the city I live in, which killed 3 people and injured close to 200. I was not there but some of my friends were, and they literally had to run for their lives. Perhaps if I had been there yesterday’s manhunt would have seemed more real for me, but it honestly did not seem real, it was happening on TV and social media. Sure, I was tense and nervous but I never felt like I was in any real danger, because I wasn’t.

This bombing happened in my city, but it barely impacted my life. My flight was a little delayed coming home from my amazing spring break in Nashville, big fucking deal. The MBTA was shut down yesterday and the entire city was on lock-down – so I didn’t have to go to work. Instead I tried (and failed) to work from home, and was pretty much glued to the TV and social media. I have a TV, a computer, an iPad, and a smart phone (so many appliances and privilege, I can hardly stand it), so it is actually difficult to get away from social media.

As I watched the manhunt, my emotions were really difficult to describe. I was nervous, but I wasn’t scared. In my life, I have never really feared for my life. The whole experience really was like watching a movie. I know it was happening in my city and could potentially impact me, or people I care about. The two suspects lived in Central Sq. Cambridge, and most of the drama was happening in Watertown. Most of my friends live in Somerville or Cambridge, so this was all happening in an area that could impact people I care about.

I guess what I mean to say is that I feel enormously grateful with a touch of guilt; guilty because I didn’t get very upset about it. Guilty, because I live in a bubble that privileged white girls like me live in, where I don’t really believe that anything that bad can happen to me. Bad things (like violence or poverty) happen to people far away, who don’t look like me, and whom I rarely interact with on a daily basis.

I also want to take this opportunity to discuss how much I fucking love this city. I was not born and raised in Boston, but my parents both grew up in the greater Boston area, and most of my extended family lives in Massachusetts. I grew up in a quiet Connecticut suburb but always felt like I belonged in Boston (I know, a native Bostonian will not accept this). I grew up an ardent Red Sox fan among a community of mostly Yankee fans – a team I still hate with such an absurd passion. I cried in 2003 when the Sox lost the ALCS to the Yankees, and I cried even more when they beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, and then went on to win the World Series by sweeping the Cardinals (I cried when the Sox won, but not when I heard a bomb went off at the Marathon – isn’t that kind of fucked up?)

I know my city is not perfect – it is far from it. My city is incredibly segregated. We do not have the restaurants of NY, SF, or Chicago, and our public transit is flawed. I love my city because I have lived here through the most formative time in my life (college, my twenties). When I travel I say I am from Boston (not CT), and I currently try to claim that I am from East Boston (but native East Boston-ers see right through me).

My city’s first responders kept me, and everyone else, safe while a dangerous armed terrorist was on the loose (I say terror, meaning he committed an act of terror, I am not trying to connect him with Al-Qaeda). They endured 22 hours of hell, after an incredibly stressful and emotional week to keep our city safe while I sat at home sipping wine.

I love my city because of our incredible sense of community, and pride. I may not stay here forever (so many other great places to live and explore) but I will always call Boston my home.

 

I took a break during my run to take a picture of Boston from the Winthrop shore.

So, this is a lot of what was going on in my head yesterday as I made sweet potato risotto, and today as I ran 10 miles. I have a really great life and I am so happy and grateful for my amazing friends and family that I share it with. Sometimes I complain about the small things (like when a pedicure does not meet my standards) but all things considered, I am extremely grateful.

And now for the recipe I promised you …

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

5 cups water (I thought I had veggie broth, but I didn’t – you should use broth)

Cumin

Cinnamon

1 garlic clove, diced

Salt/Pepper

1 cup white wine

EVOO

Goat cheese

First, I peeled and cut the sweet potatoes into cubes. I usually cut myself when I cook, but I did not yesterday. Success! I put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil (easier clean up), and covered them with olive oil, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and cumin. I baked it for about 45 minutes (I really wasn’t paying attention) at 350 degrees.

 

Next step in making a delicious risotto, is the broth. Sadly, I had to use water, but I scooped out some of the cooking, seasoned sweet potatoes and boiled them in my broth to give it some more flavor.

Next, I cut some garlic and tossed it into a frying pan with olive oil. I added a cup of white wine, then the Arborio rice. I waited until most of the liquid dissolved, then starting adding the broth ½ cup at a time until the broth was fully absorbed. Then I took the sweet potato

Almost done!

out of the oven and mixed it into the rice. I probably should have seasoned it some more here, it did come out a little bland.

 

To serve it, I mixed in a little goat cheese and served on a bed of lettuce. I was hoping it would be good with lettuce, but it wasn’t (we have an excess of lettuce and sweet potatoes in my house). I would have preferred a chard, or arugula.

 

Overall though, it was pretty damn delicious. My roommate who does not like sweet potatoes agreed that it was good (although she added salt).

Nothing like keeping your mind off an armed terrorist on the lam than making a sweet potato risotto!

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells, Hazelnut Sweet Potato Pie

And now for my obligatory Thanksgiving post – apologies for the delay.

The past few years I have been pretty indecisive about what to eat on Holidays. When I made up my own “vegetarian rules” I decided that on holidays and special occasions I am allowed to eat meat. So, technically, I can eat meat on holidays without upsetting the vegetarian police. Still, it feels like cheating and since I love cooking vegetarian so much why not prepare a delicious vegetarian entrée for my family to enjoy?

Last year I made a butternut squash and sage lasagna for Thanksgiving, along with a pumpkin soup. The lasagna was good, the soup was ok – it was my first experience cooking with a pumpkin, I was not the expert I am today.

This year I wanted to cook something different, but also approachable enough for my meat-loving family to enjoy. I ended up cooking butternut squash stuffed shells, and a sweet potato pie. Both dishes turned out excellent (I had a practice “Friendsgiving” a week before to be sure).

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Squashy, cheesy goodness.

Ingredients:

1 box jumbo shells

1 pint low fat ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 butternut squash

3 large tomatoes

1 green bell pepper

Fresh basil, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

EVOO

1 tsp chopped garlic

Step 1: Bake the butternut squash for about 35 minutes at 375 degrees. My mother was nice enough to chop and peel the butternut squash into cubes for me. The chopping process is typically far too tedious for me, so I usually cut the squash into halves and bake it whole. When it cools the skin peels off pretty easy.

For this recipe, I brushed the squash with olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and some chopped fresh basil. When the squash is done baking, mash half of it, and cut the other half into cubes.

Step 2: Cook the shells, set aside to cool.

Step 3: Make the pasta sauce. As you may know, I like to cook my own pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes. I chop the tomatoes, and cook them on the stove with some EVOO, chopped garlic, green pepper, a pinch of sugar, and red wine if I have a bottle open. The sauce can be finished in about the time it takes to boil pasta.

Step 4: Make the ricotta mixture, and stuff the shells. In a medium mixing bowl combine the mashed butternut squash with the ricotta cheese, and some chopped fresh basil. With a spoon, fill the shells with the mixture and place on a 9 x 13 baking dish (you will probably have some shells left over – I didn’t use the whole box). When all the shells are in place, pour the pasta sauce over it, then the cubed squash, and cover the entire dish with a layer of mozzarella. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Bonus tip – according to my mom, I should have added an egg to the ricotta mixture. It helps the mixture hold together better.

My Thanksgiving plate. Turns out I still hate turnip.

Sweet Potato Pie, with Nutella Whipped Cream

While I like to make up recipes on the fly, this becomes difficult when I am baking. I bought a bag of hazelnuts, then became obsessed with the idea of making a dessert with hazelnuts and sweet potatoes. And so my hazelnut sweet potato pie was born. I used this recipe and adapted it a little.

Hazelnuts!

 

For practice Friendsgiving, I made the pie according to the recipe, and added some chopped hazelnuts. I also made a nutella frosting. The great thing about cooking with nutella is that it tastes so good it is really hard to mess up.

To make the frosting, I cooked a few tablespoons of nutella on the stove with light cream, a little confectioner’s sugar, and some cornstarch. I stirred in some chopped hazelnuts when it was finished. I really did not know what to expect – I have no idea how to make pie frosting, so I just threw some ingredients together to see how they would come together. It did not get as thick as I would have liked, but it sure tasted good. I saved the extra frosting, and it turned into a pudding after sitting in the fridge overnight.

For real Thanksgiving, I forgot to take the hazelnuts home with me. I did not add hazelnuts to the pie, but it was great anyway. Instead of making a nutella pudding, I made nutella whipped cream. It was pretty easy to make – beat heavy whipping cream, add 1/2 cup nutella, beat some more. Done.

I bet the pilgrims wished they had nutella whipped cream. Suckers.

 

Bonus tip from my mom – put the mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator first – the cream will whip faster.

 

 

My family’s Thanksgiving entertainment.

Spaghetti Squash Pumpkin Lasagna

On Friday, I fulfilled my lifelong dream of making lasagna using spaghetti squash (month-long dream may be more accurate).

 Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 cinderella pumpkin (a sugar pumpkin, or a can of pumpkin will also work)

3 large tomatoes

1 green bell pepper

16 oz ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Arugula/Baby Spinach/or fresh basil (I wanted to include this, but did not feel like running out to the store)

Step 1 – Bake the Spaghetti Squash / Pumpkin

I cut the spaghetti squash open first, and baked it at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The pumpkin followed right after. This was my first time cooking with a Cinderella pumpkin –

Cinderella pumpkin – I feel like it has less personality than a sugar pumpkin which makes it easier to butcher.

it has a stronger flavor than your average sugar pumpkin. The flesh is thicker and it took much longer to cook. My month-long dream was really to serve the lasagna in the pumpkin, but it split open while it was baking. I had the pumpkin on the bottom of the oven since I put the spaghetti squash in first, which I realize now was a mistake. The bottom

Cracked open. Sad day.

of the pumpkin is not as thick as the sides, so it overcooked the bottom and split open. Boooo!

Step 2 – Make your pasta sauce!

I like to cook a fresh tomato sauce every time I make pasta. It is quick, easy, and delicious. My sauce is always done by the time I am finished boiling the pasta.

1 – Chop up 2 cloves of garlic, heat up in a frying pan on low heat with EVOO.

2 – Dice 3 large tomatoes, throw into the frying pan, raise heat to medium high. Add a chopped green bell pepper and any other veggies you like.

3 – Add spices – I always add some sugar to cut out some of the acidity from the tomatoes. This sauce is good with some fresh basil or thyme, but I generally do not add too much spice – I do not want to take away from the fresh tomato flavor.

I also like to add some red wine when I have a bottle open at the house (cooking sherry will also work), and a cup of cooked lentils. The lentils give the sauce a meatier texture and

Saucy.

adds protein. If the sauce is too watery, add some flour to help it thicken.

Step 3 – Put it all Together!

Again, I am sad that I was not able to assemble my lasagna in the pumpkin. I assembled it in a traditional baking dish, so I made a much bigger portion than I was planning.

Since the pumpkin took longer to cook (note to self – cook the pumpkin before the

I can’t believe it’s not spaghetti!

spaghetti squash next time) I started with the spaghetti squash. It is super easy to take a fork and scrape out the squash. I lined the bottom of the dish with squash, put the rest on the side for later.

When the pumpkin was finished cooking, the skin did not peel off as easily as it usually does. I used a knife to scrape the skin off, then I put half of the pumpkin in a food processor to make it into a pulp. I added ¾ of the ricotta and blended it some more (I wanted some extra ricotta to make a pumpkin mac and cheese later, otherwise I

Pumpkin/ricotta mix.

would have used the entire container).

Now, I am finally ready to finish assembling my lasagna. On top of the layer of squash I added some tomato sauce, the pumpkin-ricotta mix, more squash, and so on. I had enough squash for three layers, and I topped it with a mozzarella/cheddar/monterey jack blend. I baked it at 350 for 20 minutes so the cheeses could cook.

Halfway there!

I really had no idea what to expect when I made this lasagna, but I gotta say, this is tasty. I would not compare it to a traditional lasagna, but that does not make it any less tasty. It is basically a vegetable pie with cheese – I don’t know how many calories are in it, but I used fat free ricotta so it should be low in fat. This is certainly not a quick easy meal (unless of course you already have cooked pumpkin and spaghetti squash) but it is healthy, local, and delicious. I am thinking of baking this (in a pumpkin!) for my family Thanksgiving celebration, and adding some basil or  sage leaves. It would make a beautiful centerpiece and a delicious seasonal entree for all the vegetarians in the house (i.e., me).

Bonus Tip – while I am cooking a big meal, I like to play my music and sing along (obnoxiously loud, typically) or watch a video on my computer. This time, I decided to watch episodes of My Drunk Kitchen on YouTube. As usual, Hannah did not disappoint.

It sort of looks like lasagna. The layers held together better than I expected.

Done. It would be sooo much cuter in a pumpkin.

Pumpkin Chili – In a Pumpkin

Last night I finally fulfilled my lifelong dream of eating pumpkin chili out of a pumpkin – I must say, it was everything I dreamed it would be and more.

Tuesday October 16^th was the night of the second Presidential debate – to celebrate the occasion I invited some friends over to 1. watch the debate, 2. watch a few episodes of Doctor Who on Netflix, and 3. (last but definitely not least) To Eat Pumpkin Chili Out of a Pumpkin! Basically, it was all the things I like the most in life (nerdy sci-fi shows, politics, friends, and food) wrapped up into one evening.

As usual, when I am entertaining guests I like to over do it a little – I am not satisfied with just one dish, I like to make sure everyone goes home very well-fed.

Here are all the dishes I served:

1. Kale chips. Last week at the farmer’s market I picked up some kale. I had never cooked with kale before. Turns out, I do not love kale. I like that it is native to New England and that it is super healthy, but it is not my favorite food to eat. I think I will stick to arugula for now on. BUT – when kale is baked with olive oil and salt, it is pretty darn good. So, I made kale chips, and they served as an excellent appetizer.
2. Mac & Cheese(with pumpkin puree!). I like making my own mac & cheese a whole lot, but for some reason whenever I pass by boxes of Annie’s mac & cheese in the
   

   Who can say no to that delightful little bunny?

   supermarket it is very difficult for me not to buy it. Last week I bought a “Cheeseburger macaroni skillet meal.” I obviously do not eat meat, but damn that looks good!As everyone knows, mac & cheese mixed with chili is awesome (some call it Chili Mac) especially when both recipes are made with fresh pumpkin. To make the mac & cheese I followed the recipe on the box but substituted a cup of pumpkin puree and half a tomato for the

   

   Heating up the pumpkin puree with tomato.

   meat. This is obviously not as good as home made but it was pretty easy and very tasty. I think that pumpkin puree pairs well with soft cheeses, and I am already thinking of mixing pumpkin with a ricotta to make lasagna – I might do this next time I buy spaghetti squash.

3. The main f***ing course. Pumpkin chili in a motherf***ing pumpkin. For me, when I serve pumpkin chili in a pumpkin, it is the equivalent of roasting a suckling pig on a spit, complete with the apple in its mouth. The pumpkin I bought is a medium
   

   Happy little pumpkin. He doesn’t know what’s about to happen.

   sized sugar pumpkin. I wanted it to be big enough to hold the chili, but not so big that it loses its flavor (typically smaller pumpkins have a better flavor). This pumpkin served me well, but I do not think the flesh is that great – for now on I am going to be cooking with smaller sugar pumpkins. To bake the pumpkin I cut stem off the top, scooped out the guts, and placed the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet wrapped loosely in aluminum foil. I baked it for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. The pumpkin was not thoroughly cooked at that point, which is pretty good because I wanted it

   1. 

      Finished baking.

      to be sturdy enough to hold the chili, but just soft enough so we could scoop out more pumpkin with the chili. It worked out beautifully. I heated up the chili on the stove, stuffed the pumpkin with it, then put it back in the oven for a little before serving. When we were finished with the chili, I scooped out the remaining chili along with some of the pumpkin and saved it for later. After I got all the chili out I still had a whole hell of a lot of pumpkin. It was not cooked well enough for me to peel the skin off, so I baked it for another half hour, peeled off the skin, and saved it. Today I pureed the pumpkin in a blender with some margarine and brown sugar. I probably have about 5 or 6 cups of pumpkin – too much for me to use right now, so I divided the mix into thirds, froze two of them and I have one in the fridge. So – if anyone wants me to bake him/her a pumpkin pie, just let me know. I have a LOT of pumpkin.

   2. Dessert – for dessert I bought some pastries from the Colombian bakery near my house. I am not sure what they are called, but they look and taste like doughnut holes – except way better. These are not pumpkin flavored, so I made a quick pumpkin frosting using milk, pumpkin puree, confectioners sugar, and corn starch. I heated up the milk and pumpkin in a small frying pan, then added about 1/3 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tsp of corn starch, and cooked on medium-low heat for a few minutes until it thickened. We drizzled it over the pastries – it was awesome.
   

   Kale chips, and the chili pumpkin with his hat on.

Sarah expertly scoops out some pumpkin flesh with her serving of chili.

 

 

I hate to use gender stereotypes – but this here is a man’s vegan pumpkin chili in a pumpkin.

Vegan Pumpkin Chili

On Saturday, I fulfilled my dream of making pumpkin chili.

Here is how I did it:

Ingredients

2 cups fresh mashed pumpkin

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 tomatoes

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 large jalapeno pepper

1 package of mushrooms

1 clove fresh garlic

1 can roman beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can small red beans

1 package of Boca meat crumbles

EVOO

Chili powder

Sriracha hot sauce

Cumin

Cinnamon

Pumpkin spice

I can’t believe its not meat!

Step 1: Heat up a large pot with a few tablespoons of EVOO and sliced garlic. Add the peppers and tomatoes. Cook on medium-high heat until the tomatoes boil down a little.

Step 2: Add the frozen meat crumbles, all the seasonings, and the mushrooms. Continue to cook on medium high heat until the frozen meat crumbles break down. Add the pumpkin and mix everything together well.

Step 3: Add the beans. Mix.

Step 4: Add the crushed tomatoes. Stir well, lower the heat and let sit for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Now that’s a chili.

Overall, I am really pleased with how this chili came out, although the pumpkin flavor is not as strong as I would like it to be. Still – this is a delicious meaty chili and it is perfect for a cold day. This recipe makes a whole lot of chili, so I froze half of it.

Ideas for how to serve this chili:

Eat it on pasta (or spaghetti squash).

Serve on nachos.

Enjoy with some fried green tomatoes.

OR

Serve in a pumpkin. Best idea ever – sounds like my next project.

 

 

 

Quinoa stuffed Carnival Squash

I hope you are ready for yet another squash recipe. Today, I chose to roast the mystery squash (I later learned it is “carnival squash.” Presumably, the squash is grown by carnies) that I bought from the grocery store a few weeks ago. Yes, I apologize; this squash did not come from a farmer’s market. This squash was apparently grown in Michigan. I won’t let it happen again.

As I began making this dish, I thought I was in way over my head. I decided (almost randomly) to cook kale, quinoa, and mystery squash, although I had never cooked any of these foods before, and I made up the recipe as I went along. Never doubt your instincts folks – not only was this dish healthy (vegan and gluten free too!) it tasted just like heaven.

Ingredients

1 Carnival Squash

1 small tomato

1 large kale leaf

EVOO

Garlic powder

Pinch of cumin

¾ cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup veggie broth

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Step 1: Bake the Squash

Carnival squash in its natural state.

I bake the squash similar to how I would bake a pumpkin – I cut the top off, scoop out the seeds, and throw it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 375. Careful not to overcook – the squash is going to act as a bowl for the quinoa, so you do not want it to fall apart. Cutting the lid off the squash was really difficult – this particular squash has thick skin and is hard to cut into.

I recommend starting to cook the rest of the dish after the

This really was a bitch to cut.

squash has been cooking for about 30 minutes. You will want to take the squash out a little before the quinoa is finished to let it cool.

Step 2: Cook the Quinoa

Internet research suggested that I should rinse the quinoa before cooking. I do not have a mesh strainer, so I lined my colander with a paper towel and rinsed the quinoa that way. It worked ok, but a lot

Rinsing the quinoa prevents a soapy flavor.

of the quinoa stuck to the paper towel.

I chose to cook the quinoa in partial veggie broth to give it a little more flavor – I also added some garlic powder and cumin into the mix. Quinoa cooks similar to rice – I think it took about ten minutes to absorb all the liquid. I am not a quinoa cooking expert (yet) but this website can tell you how to cook

Is the quinoa finished cooking? How the hell should I know!

quinoa.

Step 3: Cook the Kale

Slice a kale leaf in half (length wise), then cut small pieces of the leaf off of the stem. Throw the kale into a small frying pan with EVOO. Dice a small tomato and throw it into the pan as well. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and let it cook on med-high heat until

Kale, tomato, and squash.

the tomato turns into a sauce and the kale starts to get soft.

Step 4: Put it all together

Once the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, add it to the frying pan with the tomato and kale and mix well. Scoop out a few pieces of squash, and add it to the mix. Cook on low heat about a minute so the flavors can marinate a little.

Step 5: Stuff the Squash!

Scoop the quinoa mixture into the squash, and serve.

Done. Like the carnie for whom it is named, this squash is hiding something.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. The red pepper flakes gave the dish a tiny bit of spice, and the squash complemented the quinoa/tomato/kale mix beautifully. This meal is packed full of nutrients, low in fat, vegan, gluten free, and delicious. And partially locally grown (the tomato and kale were from the farmers market).

When I was finished eating, there was still some squash leftover – I never want to waste

Carcass of the carnival squash after it has been ripped apart. Carnie, you are not as cute as a pumpkin.

any squash, so I peeled the squash and scooped out all the flesh. I added it to the small bit of quinoa I had leftover, and now I have lunch for tomorrow.

Apple Pumpkin Risotto with shaved Gouda

On October 1^st, I was invited to a Sukkot celebration at my friend’s house (yes, I linked to wikipedia. I am not ashamed). Sukkot is a seven-day Jewish holiday (festival may be more accurate) with prayers and feasts. We celebrated the traditional way, by feasting under a sukkah.

I was not sure what type of meal to prepare for the Sukkot celebration – I am not Jewish, nor was I familiar with the holiday. It is autumn, so I figured I cannot go wrong with pumpkin.

I decided to make a pumpkin risotto – then added apple to said risotto. The gouda compliments the fall flavors very nicely, and the arugula adds a nice little crunch.

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to cook – I like the slow process, it makes me feel like I earned it. I also like that I can listen to a podcast, watch an episode of Doctor Who, or sing songs very loudly while I am cooking.

I like to think of new creative ways to make risotto. My first risotto was made with butternut squash, I then moved on to a tomato/lentil/spinach risotto, and now pumpkin/apple. If I ever have leftover risotto (I tend to eat it real fast), I want to experiment with making baked risotto balls, or fried risotto patties.

I must say, my risotto was a hit –perhaps the most popular dish at the Sukkot celebration.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed pumpkin (I had leftover mashed pumpkin. I bake it, then mix it with margarine, cinnamon, and brown sugar)

1 apple

16 oz veggie stock (rough estimates here, I don’t really measure)

1 cup water

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

pumpkin spice

cinnamon

Step 1: Broth

I think I make my broth a little differently than most risottos. To get the best risotto flavor, the broth should be flavorful enough to eat as a soup. If I have extra broth, I can save it!

You can make extra broth and eat it as a soup.

Add the veggie broth and water to a pan and bring to a boil. Throw in the apple and about half of the pumpkin. Boil vigorously for a few minutes until the apple gets soft. Mash up the apple a little bit. If I was not a lazy person, I would throw the broth into a food processor. Once the apple is cooked, lower the heat to medium.

Step 2: Bake the pumpkin

Might be hard to tell in this picture, but you are looking at mashed pumpkin.

Sprinkle the rest of the pumpkin with pumpkin spice and cinnamon, and heat it up in the oven. I like using fresh pumpkin, but I feel like the pumpkin flavor is not as strong as I would like, which is why I add pumpkin spice. If you are baking your pumpkin fresh, see my previous post about baking a pumpkin.

Step 3: Make the risotto!

Heat up olive oil and garlic in a frying pan. Most risottos include ½ cup white wine – I would have done that, I just didn’t want to spend the money on a bottle of wine. Feel free to use white wine with your risotto, it will probably make it better.

Add the Arborio rice to the pan. Once the olive oil is mostly absorbed, begin adding the broth ½ cup at a time. Let the rice absorb the liquid, then add another ½ cup. Continue this until you use up the broth, should be about 45 minutes.

When the risotto is cooked, add the rest of the pumpkin and mix it in well. Serve on a bed of arugula, and shave some gouda cheese on the top.

Done. Bring this to a dinner party, and I promise you will be the belle of the ball!

Baking a Pumpkin

Another of my autumn squash favorites, is pumpkin of course. I want pumpkin everything, and I want to make it from scratch.

Friendly little sugar pumpkin. The best for baking.

It is super easy to cook a pumpkin – I cut mine in thirds and baked it in the oven. About 45 minutes at 400 degrees will cook it through. When it is cooked the skin will peel right off, and you can mash the meat with butter and brown sugar. I made a batch of pumpkin muffins (I am not sharing the recipe yet because they did not have a strong enough pumpkin flavor), and they were delicious.

Don’t feel bad about cutting him open – if that pumpkin had the chance, he would eat you and everyone you care about.

My advice for those who are soft-hearted: cook the pumpkin the same day you buy it. It becomes increasingly difficult to cook once you form an emotional connection with him.  To me, it feels slightly like murdering a pet.

Smile Pumpkin! Oh, you can’t, I killed you.

Skin should peel off when it is cooked – careful, don’t burn your hands!

Spaghetti Squash

The best part of autumn cooking in New England is the delicious abundance of squash. I love all kinds of squash – butternut squash, acorn squash, winter squash, and now, spaghetti squash!

Spaghetti squash is a golden variety of winter squash that resembles spaghetti when it is cooked. This was my first time cooking a spaghetti squash and I was thrilled with how it turned out.

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
Olive oil
1 small green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

First, I cut the squash in half – this was not as difficult as I feared it would be. Definitely easier than cutting a butternut squash. I scooped out the seeds, then places the two halves facedown on an aluminum foil covered cookie tray. Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

In the meantime I heated up some olive oil, green pepper and garlic in a frying pan. When the squash was finished cooking, I used a fork to scrape out the squash. It came out beautifully – golden strands of spaghetti squash! I used half of the squash and tossed it into the garlic and olive oil. I added some fresh parmesan cheese and served it.

Looks just like spaghetti!

Tossing the squash with garlic, olive oil, green pepper, and parmesan.

I am thrilled with how easy and delicious it is to cook spaghetti squash. With a $2 squash I bought at the Boston City Hall farmer’s market, and some seasonings, I can make a complete meal for two. Quick, healthy, and vegetarian (vegan without the parmesan)! This meal is even quicker if you decide to cook the squash in a microwave.

I am excited to create other recipes with spaghetti squash – I am thinking of lasagna!

OK, so this looks like a pile of squash – my photography is not the best, but I promise this is delicious and looks like spaghetti.

Harvest Vegetable Stew

I finally have time to cook elaborate delicious meals. On Wednesday, my third day of “funemployment,” I made a vegetable stew, and pumpkin muffins.

I like to create recipes using locally grown organic vegetables, but, as you might imagine I am on a budget right now. Last weekend I took full advantage of Boston’s Haymarket. The vegetables sold at Haymarket are not necessarily local or organic – my understanding is that it is produce that supermarkets could not sell. Whatever cannot be sold at Haymarket will be thrown out, so I am still doing the environment a favor by shopping there. The big downside to shopping at Haymarket is that the produce sure doesn’t last long – you will need to cook the food within a few days before it goes bad.

On Wednesday, I decided I needed to throw a ton of veggies into a pot and cook them before they went bad – and so my vegetable harvest stew was born!

Overall, I am pretty happy with the stew – it is thick, hearty, and tasty.

Ingredients:

1package of veggie broth (16 oz?)

4 tomatoes (I wanted to use 8, but half of them were already getting moldy)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 small green peppers

2 cloves of garlic

2 large sweet potatoes

2 small yellow potatoes

Leftover mashed butternut squash

I sliced jalapeno pepper

Cumin

Cinnamon

Curry powder

(I don’t like to measure spices, I just throw them in)

First, heat up a large saucepan with olive oil and garlic. Chop the tomatoes and throw them in the pot – let them cook until the tomatoes boil down. Throw in the green peppers and let them cook for a few minutes. Next, add the sliced jalapeno and the seasonings. Let the flavors marinate for a few minutes.

Boiling down the tomatoes in a pot – this is exactly how I cook my pasta sauce.

This dish may resemble puke, but I promise you, it tastes mostly like sweet potato.

Next, add the veggie broth, then the sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed. Peel and cut the yellow potatoes, throw them in the pot, along with the butternut squash. Stir, then cover the pot and lower the heat. Let sit for about 30 minutes.

I cooked it for a long time so that I could mash up the sweet potato and it would have a thicker consistency. While this tastes good, the problem is that a stew with mashed sweet potato looks very similar to puke. I was happy with this recipe, and I enjoyed it – it was a little spicier than I had anticipated, which I liked. If I were to do make it again, I would hold the green peppers, then run the soup through a blender or food processor. I think it would have been a nicer consistency.

OR, I could wait longer before adding the potatoes so they do not get so soft. And maybe add some lentils.

In any case, I was happy with my meal. I enjoyed it with some pita bread. I also heated some up the next day to eat it with pumpkin and brie ravioli that I purchased from Valicenti Organico at the Boston City Hall farmer’s market.

Finished product!