We made this risotto in last week's cooking class, and my kitchen partners and I were amazed with our success.  Every once in a while, you make a dish that tastes so incredible, so delicious, that you can't help but feel like a real chef.  Or at least that you should be getting paid for making it.  This is one of those dishes.

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

1 cup diced butternut squash
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
olive oil
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in saute pan.  Add squash and a sprinkle of kosher salt.  Saute until the squash is tender and lightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Repeat with the mushrooms.

Bring chicken stock to a boil in saucepan, reduce heat and let simmer, covered.

In another saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium to medium-high heat.  Add onions and sweat until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Do not let onions brown.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add rice and stir until rice is evenly coated with butter.  Saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until rice becomes translucent at the edges, 3-4 minutes.

Add white wine, stir, and cook until evaporated.

Begin adding chicken stock, a ladle at a time, allowing rice to absorb stock before adding next ladleful.  Stir frequently and keep the risotto at a simmer...not a fast boil.

After about 15 minutes, add squash and mushrooms to risotto, stir to combine, and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Taste risotto and check for doneness.  The grains should be tender but with a little bite and the risotto itself should be creamy but not soupy.

Add 1 tablespoon butter and Parmesan cheese and stir.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Pour into serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Be prepared for rave reviews, bribes for the recipe, and marriage proposals.

This is another favorite of JD's.  Wonderful flavor.  Not glamourous, but sooooo good.

Red Beans with Sausage
recipe adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

1 pound pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
sliced ham hocks
1/2 pound Italian sausage (I use sweet, not hot)
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)

Put beans in large pot and add water to cover.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the ham hock slices and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover loosely.  Add more water if necessary.

Meanwhile, put sausages in skillet over medium heat.  Turn occasionally until browned on all sides; remove from pan.  Sausages will not be done in the middle, but don't worry about that.  Cut sausages into chunks.

Add a little canola oil to the skillet and add onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened...about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Return the sausage chunks to the pan and cook over medium heat until browned all over.

Add the onion/peppers, thyme, bay leaves, allspice and tomatoes to the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10-15 minutes.

Remove the ham hocks from the pot of beans, remove bones and chop. 

Return chopped ham to the pot of beans along with the sausage/vegetable mixture.

Cook at a simmer until the beans are very tender.  Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Serve alone or over rice; sprinkle with chopped parsley.

This is a simple, yet elegant rice dish with wonderful flavor...even JD, who doesn't usually eat rice, likes this.  I love how pretty the salad looks, with all of the different vegetables and pieces of egg and pink sushi ginger.  This makes a great light lunch, or it could be a side with grilled fish.  (mmmm...tuna....)

I found this recipe in a wonderful vegetarian cookbook by Mollie Katzen called Still Life With Menu.  It has some great recipes and beautiful artwork by the author.

Scattered Sushi Rice Salad
adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life With Menu Cookbook

2 cups sushi (short-grain) rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 egg
splash of mirin
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
2 scallions, minced
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen green peas, lightly steamed
handful of green beans, lightly steamed and cut in 1/2 inch lengths
(you can also add steamed snow peas and/or minced yellow squash)
3 to 4 tablespoons sushi ginger, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Rinse the rice under cold running water.

Put rinsed rice in a saucepan with water and 2 tablespoons mirin.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer.  Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, until tender.

Remove rice from the heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the vinegar 15-30 seconds in the microwave, then add the sugar and salt.  Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:

Scoop out the seeds from the peeled cucumber...

and finely mince.

Mince the carrot.

Mince the scallions.

Steam and cut the green beans.

Spread the rice in a long shallow dish.  Drizzle with half of the vinegar mixture and mix very gently with a fork.  Alternate between mixing the rice and fanning it with a magazine to prevent sticking.  Do this for a few minutes, until thoroughly mixed.

Transfer rice to a bowl and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon canola oil.

Beat the egg with the splash of mirin.

Pour the beaten egg into the hot pan.  Tilt the pan to make a thin egg pancake.

When it is set, flip it over and cook the other side.

Remove from heat and let cool.

When cool, slice the egg into thin strips, and then into 1/2 inch pieces.

Combine the rice with the remaining oil, vegetables, egg pieces, sushi ginger, sesame seeds, and remaining vinegar mixture.  Mix gently.

Serve at room temperature or cold.  Equally delicious either way.