Butternut Squash Risotto and Pear Gorgonzola Salad

I keep grocery shopping without really knowing what I have first. A good example of this would be the three bottles of molasses in my cabinet. So last week, I took an inventory and vowed to use as much of what I have, as possible. There was some butternut squash in the freezer left over from my butternut squash black bean quesadillas, so I went for it... Butternut Squash Risotto! I used Rachael Ray's recipe. Now say what you will about her... the annoying perkiness, she's not a real chef, etc. But whatever...her recipes are easy and taste good.

I did, however, make one adjustment to this recipe... I roasted my squash and mashed it up before putting it in, instead of using frozen butternut squash puree. I love the flavor of most vegetables roasted... throw them in some olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper... super good. Try Brussels sprouts or asparagus that way. Oh, and sprinkle with a little parmesan too. Anyway, it was an easy recipe, and tasty. I used low sodium chicken broth though, which I won't do again. I also like to use vegetable broth in risotto, so I'll probably try that next time. Oh, and I don't like onions, so left them out.

I love making risotto, and I think it's company-friendly. You just stand there in the final stages, chatting away with a glass of wine while you stir. I've even been known to put a guest to work with the stirring while I set the table.

While I was at the stove, the mister whipped up this pear and gorgonzola salad.

It's simply romaine, pears, gorgonzola, and walnuts. He tossed the lettuce in some olive oil and salted it a bit before adding the toppings, then drizzled balsamic over the top. One of the many reasons....

So there you have it - a company friendly, gluten-free (I know my GF friends will correct me if I'm wrong here), high fiber dinner. There's a bit of protein in the walnuts and cheese, but you may want to use the risotto as a side dish to chicken in order to round it out. Or if you're a veggie, some grilled tempeh (perhaps with barbecue sauce) would probably be nice with this.

Now... if i can only find a use for all that molasses...