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.

The other white meat

I love this new recipe. The pork is tender, the squash is yummy and everyone eats it.

Roast Pork with Squash and Onions (from Everyday Food magazine)

1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, quartered, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch slices
1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 TBSP plus 2 tsp olive oil
5 whole fresh sage leaves
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pork tenderloin (3/4 lbs each)
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 orange, halved

1. Preheat oven to 425. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together squash, onion, 2 TBSP oil and sage. season with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season pork generously with salt and pepper; sprinkle with oregano. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over med-high heat. Cook pork until golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Nestle pork among vegetables on sheet; roast until vegetables are tender and pork is cooked through (an instant read thermometer inserted in center of pork should read 145). 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Transfer pork to cutting board to rest. Squeeze orange halves over vegetables. With a wooden spoon, gently scrape any browned bits from sheet. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a serving platter; slice pork and arrange alongside. Serve pork and vegetables drizzled with pan juices.

I served this with garlic bread from Costco. It was a light delicious meal. Don't do what I did and try to peel the squash with a knife. Your vegetable peeler will work on the squash skin. You're welcome.