Heart Healthy Recipes

Butternut Squash Risotto with Shitake Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
2 cups shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, course chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup vermouth
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, warmed (can be micro-waved right before using)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil to medium-high heat in large sauce pan. Add shallots, cook for one minute. Add mushrooms, lower to medium heat and cook until slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add squash, increase heat back to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. You will be pan-roasting the butternut squash with the high heat and little remaining olive oil.

Add fresh thyme, pepper and turmeric, and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and stir for one minute, then add vermouth and cook for one minute.

Reduce heat and stir in _ cup warm chicken broth; continuously stirring under slow-simmer until broth has been absorbed. Continue adding _ cup increments of chicken broth until the rice is tender and creamy; should take between 25 and 30 minutes. There could be leftover broth.

Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve.

Nutritional information per serving:
Per serving: 372 calories, 11 g fat; 3 g sat; 6 g mono; 15 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 300 mg sodium; 790 mg potassium.

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