Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Risotto

You will have already noticed from previous posts I am a bit addicted to rice and especially to risotto. This is a really hearty and filling dish as well as being full on comfort food - the creaminess of risotto is amped up with smooth butternut squash and extra creamy blue cheese! I did this with frozen butternut squash but it would work equally well with fresh. I also would normally have put a bit of onion or shallot at the beginning of the risotto section but I didn't have any as this was being made from the last few bits and pieces I had in the fridge.

This dish (as with almost all of my recipes) will serve 4-6 depending on portion sizes but in our case it serves two for dinner with leftovers for lunchboxes/salads etc.

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Risotto

Ingredients:

500g frozen butternut squash
5-6 garlic cloves
Coconut oil
Butter - about 50g
100g St Agur (or similar blue cheese)
300g risotto rice
Slosh of dry vermouth or white wine (optional)
1 litre of chicken stock (or vegetable stock is fine too)
Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Method:

Heat some coconut oil in a large non-stick pan, add the squash and all the garlic, slightly crushed with the side of a knife. I'd also add a pinch of salt at this point.
Cover and leave to cook until soft - this should take around 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally to stop it sticking depending on how large the chunks of squash are. You may also need to add a bit of water to help it along and again stop sticking or over-colouring.
Once the squash is cooked and soft set aside and begin cooking risotto as usual.
Heat some oil and toast off your risotto rice, if possible keep some of your garlic from the squash in the pan to cook the risotto, mashed up slightly.
Once the rice is toasted off a bit add your wine/vermouth if using or straight onto the stock if not. Keep ladling the stock into the pan as each ladle is absorbed by the rice.
Once your rice is nearly cooked then add your squash back into the pan - you will notice you may need extra stock or water in this recipe as the squash will suck up a huge amount of liquid itself.
Keep adding stock (or water if you run out) until the rice is al dente.
At this point you want to season then add your butter and blue cheese (reserving a little to top the dishes), cover and leave for 5 minutes.
Serve up, top with a little blue cheese and a scattering of parmesan.