Creamy Red Radicchio Risotto with Hokkaido Squash Cream and Chestnuts

Is this the ultimate fall-flavor risotto? It might be!

This extra creamy risotto features some real seasonal gems - delicious cooked chestnuts, healthy Hokkaido squash and some beautifully red radicchio leaves. I've taken the traditional red radicchio risotto that we know and love and turned it into an autumnal rhapsody of flavors. If you wish, you can easily turn this dish into a vegan or lactose-free one by swapping the heavy cream from the list with a plant-based cooking cream.

Ingredients:

260 gr Hokkaido squash

100 gr cooked and peeled chestnuts

200 gr red radicchio

1 cup of rice

1 dcl white wine

50 ml heavy cream

salt pepper, thyme

Instructions:

1. Cook and peel the chestnuts. Set aside.

2. Take the Hokkaido squash and cut it into smaller pieces and cook. You can either cook it or bake it in the oven, whichever way is easier for you. We will use it to make a sauce so the cooking method is not super important as long as we get a puree out of it.

3. Heat some oil in a pan and add the red radicchio leaves which you've previously cut into bite sized pieces. Cook it for around a minute, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the rice into the pan and toast it until it starts becoming a bit translucent, for a bout a minute. Then pour enough boiling water to submerge all the rice and radicchio.

5. While the rice cooks on medium low heat, stir the contents occasionally. In the meantime, take the cooked squash and place it in a blender with the heavy cream and blend until you get a delicious orange cream.

6. Season the risotto: add salt, pepper and a teaspoon of thyme and add the white wine. Continue cooking and stirring the risotto.

7. After a few minutes, add the Hokkaido squash cream and mix it in.

8. Once the risotto is almost done, slowly and gently stir in the cooked chestnuts. If you manage to get a few whole cooked chestnuts that haven't been broken in the cooking process, you can set them aside for decoration while serving.

9. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

Creamy Hokkaido Squash and Chestnut Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

A super creamy autumnal soup filled with healthy ingredients. This soup is made from a baked Hokkaido squash and cooked chestnuts, complimented with parsnips and baked garlic. But that's not all! On top there are delicious shiitake mushrooms prepared with a gluten free tamari sauce, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin and black sesame seeds. The soup keeps well in the fridge, but I recommend making the mushrooms fresh before serving the meal.

Ingredients:

170 gr parsnips

480 gr Hokkaido squash

200 gr cooked chestnuts

8 gr ginger

1 head garlic

150 ml milk

salt, pepper, thyme

150 gr shiitake mushrooms

2 tbsp tamari sauce

black sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Peel and cut the squash into smaller pieces. Place it on a lightly oiled baking pan, along with a head of garlic (slice the top part of the garlic head and place it back on) and bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, cook and peel the chestnuts.

3. Peel and chop the parsnips and ginger.

4. In a deep pan, add some oil and cook the parsnips and ginger for a few minutes. Then add the baked squash and garlic. Add 1-1.5 liters of hot water and the cooked chestnuts. Add the spices and let it cook for 15 minutes.

5. Pour the milk into the soup and let it cook for a few more minutes. After that, take it off the stove and use a hand blender to blend the soup until it reaches a creamy consistency without any lumps.

6. Take the stems off the shiitake mushrooms and slice them. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan (if you have it, use sesame oil for most flavor), and add the mushrooms. Pour them with the tamari sauce and cook until the mushrooms have cooked through and soaked in the sauce.

7. Toast some sesame and pumpkin seeds.

8. Serve the soup with mushrooms, and sprinkle the seeds on top. Serve warm. Bon appetit!