Recipe: Brown Rice with Winter Squash and Cashews

We've been eating less dairy these days and are really enjoying the creaminess – not to mention rich flavor – that winter gourds can lend to dishes like Pumpkin Tortilla Soup and Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts. In this recipe, brown rice is cooked with winter squash and develops a creamy yet toothsome risotto-like consistency. The sweetness of the squash is complemented by the nuttiness of the rice and cashews. We like this with butternut and Tahitian squash; delicata and kabocha are other possibilities.

Brown Rice with Winter Squash and Cashews
Serves 4-6

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon salt (can omit if stock and/or cashews are salted)
2/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews
Salt and pepper

Rinse and drain rice.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until shallot is soft.

Add cumin, coriander, and rice and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add squash and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed.

Remove from heat, stir in cashews, and season to taste.

(Image: Emily Ho)

Emily--I wanted to mention I made your pumpkin tortilla soup the other day and it was delicious. I used a combination of other winter squashes that I had on hand so it might have been a little sweeter than intended, but we enjoyed it for a couple of meals. It is perfect for the season.

posted by brittanykate on November 7th 2008 at 12:45pm
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Thanks for the recipe! I made it this past weekend and it turned out wonderfully. I added some parm. cheese which was a nice touch but not necessary.

posted by bennyrogers on November 10th 2008 at 4:38am
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I just made a version of this myself with some lingering arborio rice in my cabinet. Looking forward to trying this recipe. I used a tiny squash I'd never seen before, a golden nugget squash; it was the most vibrant color of orange in a squash I had ever seen with a lovely sweet flavor. I am thinking it would also make really good babyfood!

Nancy
http://testkitchenette.wordpress.com
www.testkitchenette.wordpress.com

posted by charmedbynancy on November 10th 2008 at 6:33pm
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Hmm, we tried this the other night and failed. The brown rice wasn't finished after 50 minutes and cooking it longer overcooked the squash into a pasty mess. Not sure where we went wrong, but I'd hesitate to cook brown rice combined with something like squash again in the future.

posted by msitar on January 11th 2009 at 5:23pm
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