New Recipe: Baked barley risotto with butternut squash

Hello! Today is the one month marker until Spring! This means there is one month left to try the cozy warm recipes that I have on my list.   If you have some time and want to try a new recipe...well then I have a new dish to share with you!  It's not the fastest to cook, but the end result is well worth it.  It calls for only one pan, so at least the clean up is easy!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)- peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (This was the most time consuming part because peeling the squash was tough!  Some stores sell pre-cubed pieces.)

1 onion, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1 cup pearl barley 

1/2 cup dry white wine (This really made the dish!)

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

5 ounces baby spinach

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method:

1.  Heat oven to 400 F.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a large oven-safe saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the squash, onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Stir often until the onion begins to soften, about 4 to 6 minutes. 

2. Add the barley to the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the wine, stirring until evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add the broth and bring to a boil; cover the pot and transfer it to oven.  Bake until the barley is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

3.  Stir in the spinach, Parmesan cheese, and butter.

On the project side, I'm collecting material to do a fun project I found on Pintrest.  I'll going to attempt DIY coasters.

Stay tuned!