Cooking Light~ Virtual Supper Club

I am joining in with some other bloggers around the world for a Virtual Supper Club . We are all finding all of our recipes through Cooking Light.

As with any good supper club we have chosen our 'themes' ahead of time, and plan to meet on the second Wednesday of every month.

Our party this month is Italian... that is just perfect for me. My favorite thing to bring home from Italy is kitchen stuff~ Ok, and maybe a touch of leather too :-)

I found a recipe for risotto at Cooking Light Recipes. This is a lighter recipe for a creamy butternut squash risotto. I decided to make the risotto in the traditional way, rather than in the microwave. But... using the microwave and a package of frozen butternut squash... life can't be much easier than that.

Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
2 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (12-ounce) package frozen pureed butternut squash (such as McKenzie's)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbs grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
Thyme sprigs (optional)
1. Combine rice and oil in a 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe dish, stirring to coat. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 3 minutes.
2. Add broth and 1 cup water to rice mixture; microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 9 minutes. Stir well; microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 6 minutes. Remove from microwave; let stand 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
3. While risotto stands, heat squash in microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until warm. Add squash, salt, pepper, and cheese to risotto. Stir well to combine. Garnish with additional cheese and thyme sprigs, if desired.
This is yummy enough to serve to a Supper Club. Even a Virtual Supper Club!
Helene brought Caprese Salad.
Val cooked up some Stuffed Vegetables.
Aggie is from Florida, so she is bringing Shrimp Arrabbiata.
Jamie has a beautiful plate of Spaghettini.

I hope they like my risotto~
Ciao y'all,
Sandi