This submission is from my friend Cecily who lives in Scripps Ranch (San Diego). She loves this easy meal – and so do her two adorable kids. This is how she makes it — in her own words!
This serves 4, but two adults and two little ones.
Ingredients:
1 veggie stock cube
6 cups water
a little olive oil
2 shallots (or can use any onion)
1 cup Arborio rice
butternut squash (bag! or about a half squash)
parmesan (good few handfuls!)
I pour hot water into a pan and dissolve one stock cube into it. I use a veggie stock cube and I ignore the instructions on the back for how much water to put with each cube. I think I add about 6 cups of water and I put in one cube. I figure the less salty the better for the kids. That sits to one side, simmering on a ring.
Then, I heat a little olive oil in the pan, brown two chopped shallots and then stir in one cup of Arborio rice. I mix it all together for a few minutes. When all is mixed and heated (about…. three minutes?) I add one ladle of the stock, stir it and leave it to absorb the liquid. While it is doing that I prepare the butternut squash.
If they are selling those small bags of ready prepared butternut squash I use one of those. I cut them into smaller squares, about 1/2 inch or less. I put them in a bowl, add some water and steam them until tender in the microwave. (Otherwise buy a squash and cut it up into small cubes, you do tend to end up wasting the left over – if anyone has another good recipe for the leftovers, let me know!)
While I am doing this I have inevitably forgotten about the rice and it is getting terribly dry so I throw in some more stock, stir it around and leave it again. The trick is to keep an eye on it, and every time it has absorbed the water, add another ladle full. I always seem to forget, and add it a bit too late, but it never seems to matter in the end. Once I ran out of stock so just added more hot water, again, it was fine.
At some point in the cooking of the rice, when the liquid is about half way through being added, I add the squash and let it cook along with the rice while I keep adding stock.
I try the rice from time to time, when it seems done (firm but not hard nor overly soft); I take it off the heat and stir in a good few handfuls of freshly grated parmesan (it really does taste best with the super-expensive parmeggiano reggiano – sorry). Serve onto plates and grate some fresh cheese on the top.
It’s so easy and so yummy and the kids love it. It goes really well with fish and gets them eating a different orange veggie without too much fuss.
Nutrition info: Butternut squash is an excellent source of both vitamins A & C
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This was submitted by email from one mom:
i have found that pineapple and butternut squash are an excellent combination. i found a recipe a few years ago that created a super sweet/sugary squash/pineapple dessert dish that was good but not quite the healthy dish you hope for for your children.
since, i have experimented with a few different things and have found that simply mixing equal parts pineapple and butternut squash makes a tasty ‘pineapple sauce’ that the kids will eat. tweaking the amount of pineapple or squash is recommended, depending on your families tastes. a super sweet pineapple sliced up or a can of pineapple with juice included work well. if needed, a tablespoon of butter, cinnamon to taste and a teaspoon or two of brown sugar can be added for further appeal.