Typically we don’t do much cooking during the summer months.  We’ll make meat on the grill and have salads to avoid heating up the house.  But when fall and winter roll around, we’re ready to cook again.  Well, I’m ready to cook.  Ben’s ready to bake.  Nothing fancy, just simple dishes that are tasty and healthy.  I’m a carb lover and risotto is so tasty to me.  So here’s my twist on a classic risotto.

We shop at Costco and love the Organic Harvest Medley rice blend for this dish.  The rest is stuff we usually have in our fridge or pantry.  Except the leek.  That was left over from another meal, so I used it.  An onion is all you need.  Oh, don’t forget to add salt and pepper to taste.

I’m not a big fan of crunchy onion, so I finely mince it and cook thoroughly.

Once the onion is cooked, I add rice, Better than Boullion (or chicken stock) to the pan.  Just enough to cover.

Simmer, keeping covered, but check occasionally.  Stir to prevent sticking and add more liquid when the rice looks dry.

Once the rice is soft, remove from heat.  Either add cheese to taste after plating, or add enough for the whole batch.

Because this is such a large batch, I add cheese per person.  Of course you can add any cheese you want.  I like the zing of a little blue cheese, but don’t add too much or it gets overwhelming.  Any left overs go in a storage container that I heat up and eat for lunch.  I always make a large batch of rice to enjoy later on because it takes a while to cook.

What’s your favorite fall or winter food?  Soup?  Meat and potatoes?

For the last few weeks, our family has discussed and argued the Thanksgiving meal plan.  Some items are a given, like turkey, but we had one dish we disagree on.  So here it is.

1.  Turkey, of course.

2.  Gravy made from turkey drippings.

3.  Stuffing.

4.  Cranberry sauce with orange zest.

5.  Mashed potatoes with a twist.  Rather than using all Russet or red potatoes, I’m taking a cue from my aunt and mom.  We’re going to use half red potatoes and half sweet potatoes with chopped roasted garlic.  The sweet potatoes are a healthier alternative, but also add tons of flavor.  But the red potatoes keep the sweet potatoes from being too sweet.

6.  Green bean casserole, Ben insists.  This is the dish we disagree on, but we’re going to have it because it is a tradition, right?

7.  Some sort of bread or roll, not sure exactly what yet.  If all else fails, I’ll turn to my good friend, the Crescent Roll.

8.  This is what I’m most excited about: roasted vegetables.  Specifically asparagus, carrots, and cauliflower.  If you know me, you are completely aware I’m not the best about eating veggies, so this is big.  At some point during the roasting process, a unicorn must go in the oven, sprinkle fairy dust on the veggies and make them magical.  Especially cauliflower.  The brown, crispy bits are scrumptious, almost like popcorn.

9.  And for dessert, pumpkin pie (from Costco), cherry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie (from a friend), and cheesecake (a la Ben).

Nothing crazy or completely original, but delicious and almost fool-proof.  Unless we over cook the turkey Griswold style, man I love that movie.  Although, last year I pre cut the potatoes, forgot to add water, turned on the heat and burned the bottom layer.  Now it’s your turn.  Got a favorite Thanksgiving food?  Botched one of the dishes?  Do you test out recipes in advance?  Or just hope for the best?