Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto Cakes

It seems to be cold and wet across most of the country today/this week... snowy in the northeast and midwest, rainy and overcast here in Santa Monica. (Aside from my first priority to send love and well wishes to everyone still recovering from Superstorm Sandy) what this says to me is it's time for comfort food! 

One of my favorite comfort foods to make in weather like this is risotto. If you've never made risotto, you may not know that it is not a dish you can put on then walk away from.  You add the liquid a little at a time, stirring after each addition until it absorbs. 

Where as during warmer days, risotto feels so labor intensive, during the cooler ones, the thought of standing around the warm stove for a while seems so inviting. 

Risotto is one of those things that does require a little more love and attention than your average rice dish, but the resulting creaminess is so worth the effort put in. When I'm making risotto at home, I love inviting friends over for a cooking party so we can all take turns stirring. 

I like to enjoy some of my risotto while it's warm, and save some for the next day to make crispy risotto cakes. 

This recipe is great in its versatility, since you can change your ingredients based on the season. For example, I add roasted butternut squash in the fall, asparagus in the spring, sun dried tomatoes in the summer and mushrooms anytime of year. When basil is not available, I use parsley or other herbs. 

Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto 

Ingredients 

1 cup yellow or sweet onion, diced 

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice or short grain brown rice (if using brown, parboil for 10 minutes first)

5 cups vegetable stock, heated 

1/2 cup cashew cream (*see below) 

2 Tablespoons Earth Balance, or more olive oil 

salt to taste 

1 cup butternut squash, cubed and roasted 

6 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade 

Directions

1. In a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add onion and saute until golden brown (if making mushroom risotto, add mushrooms now too). Add rice and stir until well coated and translucent. 

2. Stir in 1 cup of hot stock and simmer gently. 

3. When the stock has absorbed, add another cup, and continue this process until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 - 25 minutes. 

4. Stir in the Earth Balance and cashew cream and season with salt. Fold in roasted squash and basil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 2 minutes before serving. 

Cashew Cream 

Soak 1/4 cup of raw cashews for at least 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and transfer to a blender and add a pinch of salt and enough water to just cover the cashews. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides to incorporate as needed. If desired, add about two tablespoons fresh basil. 

*This will make just enough cream for the risotto. Increase amount if you want extra cream on hand. It will usually keep in the fridge for about a week, in the freezer for longer. 

Risotto Cakes 

What you need: 

risotto that has been refrigerated overnight. 

brown rice flour 

olive oil 

skillet 

What you do: 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Form risotto into balls (easiest using an ice scream scooper packed tightly). Drop risotto balls one by one into a small bowl and cover each with about 1 teaspoon of flour, or however much it takes to well coat. Tighten the ball, then flatten into a patty. 

Carefully, add as many patties to the skillet as you can fit, leaving room to be able to flip them. Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crispy.  Remove from pan and serve immediately.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if desired.