Apple and Squash Risotto

A local chef ranted on their blog about not liking to accommodate special requests, but will do so...with some bitching. Oh, boy, did this chef bitch. About vegans, in particular.

What really got me was the example the chef used as an absurd vegan request — risotto.Sure, risotto tastes great made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese (probably tastes great with sausage, too), but when did risotto become a dish about dairy products? Not all risottos are made with cheese and cream; most seafood risottos aren't. And, not all risottos are made with butter; olive oil is often used.

Risotto is a dish with arborio rice, an Italian short grain rice, as it's star, not dairy. Creaminess comes, first and foremost, from slowly cooking the rice in small amounts of water or broth so as to coax out the rice's own starch.

Not sure why the chef got all frothy at the mouth about vegan risotto. It's quite simple to make, and make tasty.Apple and Squash Risotto
serves 4-6

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cups arborio rice
apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup white wine (vegan wine if this matters to you, or skip if you don't do wine and just add more broth)
4 cups vegetable broth, warmed
salt and pepper, to taste

• Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, and cook for 4 minutes until translucent.
  
• Add the rice, stirring well, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add apples, butternut squash, and curry powder to rice. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often.
• Add wine to the rice, stirring often, and cook until the wine has been completely absorbed by the rice.
• Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, stirring often, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process, adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time until all of the broth has been used. Add salt and pepper to taste during the cooking process. This process will last for about 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender, but al dente. The important thing here is to stay with the rice stirring the entire time.
  
• Risotto is best served immediately after cooking.