I'm ready for Fall!!!

Even if I do live in San Diego!!!

I know you're probably thinking, fer crying out loud!!! She lives in San Diego! Does she even OWN a wool coat? Yes, I doooooooo! I might not wear it but twice a year but I sure love it when I put it on! Our seasons just aren't as defined as the other parts of the USA but I can tell you, we have them and Fall is beautiful in San Diego.

I start to get excited when the weather dips below 80 degrees. Yup! The season is a changing! Summer is almost gone. For heaven's sake, I'll have a fire going if it dips into the 60's for sure! Now about the food...

Lentil soup, risotto with butternut squash, pasta with cauliflower, breaded meat casserole. Oh ya! I can't wait!!! For starters, try this out-of-the-ballpark risotto recipe. I think you'll agree with me that Fall is a DELICIOUS time of the year!!!

Risotto with Butternut Squash


This is a delicious meal in itself. You can use leftover squash or roast a fresh one. If you have some finicky eaters, puree some. Squash is loaded with nutrients and was once such an important part of the diet of the Native Americans that they buried it along with their dead to provide them nourishment on their final journey. They have hard protective skins that are so difficult to pierce but it gives them a long storage life of up to six months.

Ingredients1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence5 cups chicken broth1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)4 large garlic cloves (diced fine)8 tablespoons butter1 3/4cup Arborio rice 1 cup white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel the squash and cut into small cubes. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Place on cookie sheet. Bake squash in middle of oven, stirring diced squash once or twice until tender and browned lightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a saucepan bring broth to a simmer. You will need to keep it at a simmer as you add it to the risotto.
In a saucepan, melt butter over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until about half of the broth has been added. Stir in roasted squash and continue simmering and adding broth in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir in cheese and cream. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pesce Spada from Solunto, Sicily!!!

The nice take on this delicious, elegant fish dinner is that you get 4 servings from a single cut of swordfish. Why? Because you have your fish monger slice it into 4 thin pieces so it is easier to roll up. (You can also freeze the swordfish and slice it yourself but do NOT use a mandoline. I tried it and it turned into mush.) Because it is stuffed, you have increased the bulk of the serving and you have cut your costs in half. NOT BAD for our economic situation right now!!!

Now go SPLURGE!!!

Pesce Spada

1 one inch piece of swordfish cut into 4 thin slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 finely diced onion

3 or 4 anchovies

2 tablespoons currants

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

radicchio leaves

Saute onions in olive oil and butter. Mash anchovies with a fork until they melt. Add the rest of ingredients up to cheese. Place a slice of swordfish on a piece of radicchio, salt and pepper fish and mound a heaping tablespoon or so onto fish. Wrap radicchio and fish with mound of breadcrumb mixture into a roll, secure with toothpick and saute in a little olive oil for a couple of minutes. This is fine just like this but I like to add my favorite tomato sauce. I usually have some leftover from Sunday dinner or I have some in the freezer. If you would like to have the sauce, pour it over the fish and let it braise for about 15 minutes. The radiccho will hold the fish in place just fine.

It doesn't get any easier than this!