In the past, I have written about my aversion to left-overs. Too many leftovers as I kid I suspect; however, as I mentioned in a previous post about Shepard’s Pie, all you really need to do is re-purpose what you have on hand and see a good therapist. But this time of year with all the holiday feasts, there is bound to be food laying around after you have loosened your pants and go sit on the couch. What is a person to do?
Well, I am glad you asked because the inspiration for my next delicious vegan recipe came to me after Thanksgiving. You see, I got a little excited and made a plethora of roasted butternut squash. I love it, my wife loves it, but the kids…well not so much. Needless to say, I had some extra squash sitting in the frig. Instead of throwing it out, I re-purposed the squash into BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO. In addition, I made the whole dish in the crockpot, just set it and forget it. Things couldn’t have been easier.
So, dust off the crockpot, and get cooking. Actually, you just have to dump most of the ingredients into the crock itself and let it do the work for you. While it slaves away in the kitchen, you will have time to get that last bit of holiday shopping done, or better yet, just go out and do something nice for yourself. You deserve it. This time of year is way too stressful to be worrying about what is for dinner. Your crockpot and I have your back on this one. Enjoy…
Gluten Free / Nut Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cup Arborio Rice
- 1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 5 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 Cup Onion (diced)
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- 2 Slices Faux Bacon (optional)
- 2 Cups Roasted Butternut Squash
- 2 Cups Baby Kale (blanched & chopped)
- 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary
- 8-10 Fresh Sage Leaves (chopped)
- Salt and Pepper to your taste
Instructions
First of all, let me say that the crockpotgourmet.net provided me with the initial rice and liquid measurements along with the cook times. I went off on my own path after that. So, if you don't have squash already roasted, just preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss your squash with a tablespoon of olive oil, place it on a cookie sheet and roast for 25 minutes or until it has softened and browned on the edges.
Now bring a large stockpot filled with water to a boil. While the squash cooks, if you go that route, or before you dump everything into the crockpot, sautee your onions, bacon, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the onions soften. Next add in the wine making sure you scrape any brown bits off the bottom of your skillet. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Into the boiling water add your kale. Cook for two minutes, then drain the kale and rinse thoroughly with cold water. This blanching technique softens the kale and takes out some of the bitterness. Then squeeze out the moisture with your hands and roughly chop the kale.
Put the rice and remaining oil into your crockpot. Stir to combine and make sure the grains of rice are well coated. Then add in your dried herbs, squash, onion mix and liquid. Reserve the kale and sage for later. Give everything a quick stir to combine and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6. One hour before your risotto is ready, add in your kale and chopped sage, stir to combine. Put the lid back on and dinner will be ready in an hour.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/butternut-squash-risotto/That’s all you have to do. BTW, I mentioned this time of year can be stressful. Therefore, don’t worry if you don’t have butternut squash on hand. Sweet Potatoes or acorn squash will work just fine as well. I hope you enjoy this dish and some time away from the kitchen. You deserve a break, and if you do go out to finish that last minute shopping, the Grassfed Carnivore needs some new kitchen knives. Just planting the seed. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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