Quinoa Risotto with Butternut Squash

First, I need to give credit where credit is due because this is a recipe I make fairly regularly and it's almost straight from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley. I really like this book and though it's not totally vegan it does have a lot of vegan recipes. Now hopefully the copyright police won't come after me...

The keys to risotto are 1) get the right kind of rice (arborio), 2) have your water or stock simmering on another burner and add it a little at a time, and 3) constant stirring. Keep all this in mind and your risotto will be fine. Here's how I made mine:

4 c. water or veg. broth (or make a broth from the squash and leek trimmings)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium leek (white part only), halved and thinly sliced
2 c. butternut squash cut in 1/2 in. dice (a smallish ~1 lb. squash should do)
1/2 c. arborio rice
1/3 c. quinoa
2 Tbs. white wine
1 tsp. dried ground sage (or use fresh if you've got it)
salt & pepper to taste

- Bring the water or broth to a boil in a saucepan then reduce heat and keep at a simmer.
- In a larger saucepan, saute the leek in 1 Tbs. olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat for about 2 min. Add the squash and cook for another minute or two. Add the rice and quinoa and stir until they're well coated with the oil, then add the sage and wine and cook until dry.
- Now ladle in the water or broth, 1/2 c. at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the liquid in this fashion until the grains are creamy and tender. For me that's about 22 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste. I garnished mine with chives and toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!