Butternut Squash "Risotto"

I've read about making risotto out of barley and other grains, but in many ways, I'm a purest. If I'm going to splurge, I really want the real thing.

One really cold night during the holiday break my husband and I decided comfort food was on order and risotto sure sounded like the perfect treat. Off I went to the kitchen to pull it together.

Well, you know that feeling you get when your heart is set on something and you find out you are missing that one key ingredient? .......I was sure I had arborio rice, but when I went to the pantry, the container was empty.

Heading into the family room to break the bad news, I remembered I had barley. Well, why not? The worst that would happen is that we would have an "okay" dinner and I'd make sure to add arborio rice to my grocery list.

So, I kind of mentioned that this time we'd have a twist on risotto. I had stock, wine and some leftover butternut squash from Christmas dinner, pancetta from Parma Sausage and fresh sage. Certainly the flavors would work, but I still wasn't sure about the barley. It's so rich and nutty, would it really work?

It more than worked! Earthy notes from the sage, nuttiness from the barley, with the pancetta adding richness and the squash providing a hint of sweetness, we had the meal we were looking for.

The best part about using barley was that it required so much less "on" time and as a bonus, it's a lot healthier than plain arborio rice. Don't get me wrong, I still love a classic risotto, but this is a definite keeper!

Have you made "risotto" with a grain other than arborio? Suggestions please!

Butternut Squash Barley Risotto

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 oz. Proscuitto, chopped
1 cup regular barley
3/4 cup white wine
5 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Fresh sage, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place squash on rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large sauté pan. Add proscuitto and cook until just beginning to crisp. Add barley and stir for 1 - 2 minutes. When hot, add wine and stir until the barley soaks up the liquid.
3. Stir in the chicken broth, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Add the roasted squash to the barley and broth mixture. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 15 mintues, until most of the broth is soaked up.
5. Stir in sage and serve.

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Christmas Traditions

Holiday Tarts

Christmas dinner is full of tradition. In my family, my Dad always made his special cheese crackers that the grown ups enjoyed with a glass of sherry before dinner while the kids did their best to keep their hands out of the Christmas cookies and tried to settle down after a day of excitement.
Eventually we would all gather in the dining room for dinner:  roast beef with roasted potatoes, peas and onions and a tray of cut up vegetables and olives.  Fancy for us, and special because our grandparents, Aunt and Uncle and cousins often celebrated with us.

My favorite memory was dessert.  Yes, cookies were definitely involved, but two other items that we didn't have any other time of year were served, and to me, were always special.  We followed the English tradition of plum pudding with hard sauce and mincemeat pie.  How this started, as we aren't of British heritage, I don't know, but I looked forward to it every year and this year decided to revive a part of that tradition.

Traditional mincemeat is made of a variety of dried fruits soaked in brandy, nuts, and minced beef or beef suet. It was seasoned with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. According to Linda Stradley from, "What's Cooking America" mincemeat began as a way to preserve meat long before refrigeration existed and have quite a long history dating back to the 11th Century.

This year, I decided to make a variation on the mincemeat pie. Made out of dried and fresh fruit and nuts with the traditional spices, these little tarts had a special place at our Christmas celebration this year.

Spiked Holiday Fruit Tarts

Ingredients:
1/2 cup small dice dried pears
1/4 cup diced figs
1/4 cup diced dates
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
1/4 cup Wigle Whiskey (I used their aged Rye)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp lemon zest
1Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 apple cored, peeled, diced tart apple (Granny Smith)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1, 9- inch pie crust

Directions:

1. Mix pears, figs, dates, raisins and cranberries in medium bowl. Add whiskey and toss. Allow to sit, tossing periodically for 4 - 8 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425F. Roll pie crust into ~11 inch round. Cut 6, 5-1/2 inch circles out and gently place in 4-inch tart ( or individual pie tins). Prick all over with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

3. While shells cool, mix apple, walnuts, spices, orange and lemon zest, juice and sugar into the dried fruit mix. Mix thoroughly.

4. Fill shells evenly with fruit filling. Bake in 425F oven for 10 - 15 minutes until just warm and filling sets. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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