Butternut Squash and Bacon Risotto

Having recently returned from the farmers market with a box full of local produce I decided to make a butternut squash risotto. The recipe calls for a two step process as you must make a soup before you can begin the risotto.  The soup is delicious as it is but can also be frozen to be used to make another risotto in the not so distant future.  This is a truly scrumptious one! 

Step One: 

Butternut squash soup with crisps. (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients for the soup:

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• butter, to taste
• 600ml/20fl oz vegetable stock, plus additional to loosen soup if desired
• 1 heaped tsp hot smoked paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the crisps:

• reserved butternut squash peelings
• drizzle olive oil
• few drops of sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

Method:

1. Peel the butternut squash and reserve the long strips of skin. 
2. Discard the butternut squash pulp and chop the remaining butternut squash into chunks.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish, add the onion and butternut squash and plenty of butter (to taste) and cook until brown and caramelised,
4. Pour over the stock.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly then blend using a food processor or hand blender to the desired consistency.
5. Add hot paprika and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
6. For the crisps, preheat the oven to 140c/275f/gas 1. 
7. Place the reserved butternut squash peelings in a roasting trap and top with olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped rosemary and put in the oven to cook for 20 minutes on a low heat to crisp up.
8. Remove the crisps from the over and place on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
9. Serve the soup with the skin crisps.

Step Two: 

Butternut squash and bacon risotto (Serves 2) 

Ingredients:

• 200ml left over butternut squash soup
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 100g/ 3.5 oz arborio rice
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan 
• 4-6 rashers of bacon
• a sprinkle of hot smoked paprika

Method:

1. Combine left over butternut squash soup and stock in a pan and warm through.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a low heat and soften the onion. 
3. Dice bacon into small pieces and fry up with olive oil and onions until crispy.
4. Separate bacon from majority of onion and remove bacon and set aside.
5. Add the rice to the pan and cook through for 5 minutes.
6. Ladle the stock into the rice pan at regular intervals, allowing rice to absorb each time.  Stir well each time the stock is added to the pan.  Continue this process until the rice is cooked through and soft.
7. Add parmesan and mix through rice until you have a thick sticky consistency. 
8. Remove risotto from pan and press into a small serving bowl before turning over onto a plate and topping with crispy bacon and a sprinkling of parmesan and hot smoked paprika. 

Slow Cooker: Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients: ( Serves 4) 

·     6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts

·     Salt and pepper

·     1/2 cup diced onion

·     2 cloves garlic, minced

·     1/2 cup honey

·     1/4 cup ketchup

·     1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

·     2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

·     1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·     4 teaspoons cornstarch

·     1/3 cup water

·     2 packets minute rice

·     1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

·     3 scallions, chopped (optional)

Method: 

1. Combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, water, oil and red pepper flakes and pour into slow cooker.

2. Place chicken in slow cooker and lightly season with salt and pepper and coat well with dressing.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. Remove chicken and shred into bite sized pieces; set aside.  

5. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

6. Pour dressing from crock-pot into a saucepan through a sieve.

7. Remove 1/3 of a cup of dressing and dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch into it.  Add to remaining dressing and stir into combine.  Cover and cook sauce on high for ten minutes stirring every now and then until slightly thickened.

8. Place chicken into saucepan and coat with dressing.

9. Add cooked rice to four plates, and top with chicken. 

10.Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions (if desired.)  

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Fridge Cake

I've worked so hard this weekend to allow myself a guilt free Sunday afternoon for a little down time before Monday comes round again! The Sunday afternoon plan consists of baking, a bubble bath, new pajamas, some early online Christmas shopping and a nap! Considering such a hectic afternoon plan my baking amounted to a chocolate fridge cake which in fact required no baking at all nor can it really be identified as a real cake.  None the less this little lovely is quick and delicious.  It has to be the perfect recipe for busy people that need some chocolately sustenance.

Ingredients:

• 250g/8oz digestive biscuits
• 150g/5oz milk chocolate
• 150g/5oz dark chcolate
• 100g/3.5oz unsalted butter
• 150g golden syrup
• 25g chopped glacier cherries
• 100g raisins 
• 75g mixed nuts (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts

Method:

1) Line a 20cm shallow tin with foil

2) Place the biscuits into a plastic food bag and bash them into pieces using a rolling pin.

3) Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally. (Or cheat as I did and heat in a pan on a very low heat being extremely careful not to burn by stirring continuously)

4) Remove pan from heat and stir in the broken biscuits, cherries, raisons, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts.

5) Pour the mixture into prepared tray, top with chopped hazelnuts and cover before placing in fridge for 1-2 hours to set.

6) Turn the cake out and pull away the foil.  Cut the cake into bite-size pieces and enjoy!

Traditional English Scones - When in America...

Whilst growing up I was taught a mixture of measuring systems.  Then I met an American.  I'm now stuck somewhere between using the metric and imperial system. I use millimetres, centimetres and metres to measure length from the metric system but miles from the imperial.  I use litres from the metric and pints from the imperial to measure capacity, and then milligrams, grams, kilograms stones and tons from the metric system and ounces and pounds from the imperial to measure mass.  I now recognise the temperature in celsius for the lower temperatures and fahrenheit for the higher.  I don't have much use for recognising that anything over 100f is a bit scorching in England! Then again I couldnt tell you what an average English summers day temperature is in fahrenheit.

Generally speaking i've adapted pretty well to my hybrid measuring system however I always become unstuck when it comes to translating US/UK recipes. 

Today I fancied making some scones! Here is my conversion for any Americans looking to make some traditional scones for an English tea! This recipe makes approximately 6-8 scones.

Ingredients: 

8 oz All purpose flour

2 tsp (heaped) baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

A little over 1 oz of caster sugar

1/2 a stick of butter

3/4 cup of milk (or just enough to create a firm dough)

To serve:

Butter

Jam

Cream

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350f.  Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a bowl, then rub the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like bread crumbs.
2. Bit by bit, add the milk until you have a firm dough.  Turn out onto a floured work surface.  Pat the dough into a circle about 1 1/2 cm thick and cut out the scones with a circular cutter.
3. Put onto a non stick baking sheet and brush the tops with milk.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Serve with butter, or jam and cream. 

Leek, bacon & potato soup

A favourite homemade soup! As requested.

Ingredients: 

• 25g butter
• 8 rashers of streaky bacon (Some left to serve: optional)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 400g trimmed leaks sliced and well washed
•  medium potatoes, pealed and diced
• 1.4l hot vegetable stock.
• 142ml pot single cream

Method:

1) Chop leak tops and ends and slice half way down the leak from the bottom in a cross pattern.

2) Wash exceptionally carefully by splitting apart all layers and removing any soil.

3) Slice into small pieces. Peel and dice potatoes and place in separate bowl for using later. 

4) Place butter and onions in a deep saucepan and brown off.  Place bacon in and cook until crispy.

5) Pour in chopped leaks and potatoes and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes making sure not to let stick.

6) Pour in chicken stock. Cook for 20-30 minutes until all vegetables are softened and place in blender to liquify.

 

8) Once liquified place back in saucepan/crock-pot and keep warm. Taste and season as necessary and   add cream just before serving.  

Serve with scattered crispy bacon and eat with warm crusty bread!