All Hail Kale

I love risotto but it can be a real ordeal to make. This looked like an easy recipe for it and super healthy. We rarely eat a strictly vegetarian meal but I'm always looking for ways to add more veggies to our diet.

Butternut Squash Baked Risotto (from EveryDay Food magazine)

2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 C Arborio rice
coarse salt and pepper
1/2 C dry white wine
1 medium butternut squash (2 lbs.), peeled and diced medium (4 C)
4 C vegetable broth
1 bunch black (Tuscan) or curly kale, tough stems removed, cut cross ways into 1/2-inch strips
grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium high. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add wine and cook until completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add squash and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in kale. Cover, transfer to oven and bake until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

My first recommendation is to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to add. The first few steps go very quickly. Have the wine measured out and ready to pour. I used the Swanson's vegetable broth in the box. One box is 4 cups, which is handy. I used curly kale.

My guys liked this but picked out all the kale. I may have had better luck with spinach. I very much liked this, which is a good thing since I'll be eating all the leftovers. I would probably use slightly less kale if I made this again since the whole bunch rather overwhelmed the other ingredients.

All Hail the Slow Cooker!

Tuesdays are a very busy day for us. My son and I both have Tae Kwon Do, so I have to have a meal that can be cooked and eaten in about 1.5 hours. Slow cooker to the rescue! I set it up in the morning, went about my business, and had dinner waiting when we came home from class.

Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada (from EveryDay Food magazine)

2 1/2 lbs. beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
coarse salt and pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, diced medium
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced medium
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp dried oregano
6 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 3/4 C chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar and cilantro for serving

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add 2 tsp more oil for second batch). Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet, cook tsp oil, onion, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bit, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 6 hours.

3. Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.

This was a huge hit. My son ate two tacos. It has a stew-like consistency, so you could easily serve it over rice. You can serve this with rice and beans as tacos. Also with chips and salsa. I used fire-roasted tomatoes which I think added to the rich flavor.

Sweet Side for Fall

I'm always looking for interesting side dishes. This one passed muster with my son.

Honey-Roasted Vegetables (from EveryDay Food magazine)

2 medium sweet potatoes (1 lbs. total), peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 C walnut halves
1/4 C honey
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
3 to 5 springs thyme

Preheat oven to 375. In a 3-quart baking dish, toss together sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, walnuts, honey and oil; season with salt and pepper. Top with thyme sprigs and roast until vegetables are browned at the edges and tender when pierced with a knife, about one hour.

This was easy to throw together and very tasty. I served it alongside grilled chicken and salad. It also made the whole house smell good.