Roasted butternut squash, sauteed kale with cashew cream sauce, and brown rice risotto

Last night I had a few things on my mind, so I decided to cook them all, since I have some stuff in the fridge that I need to finish up before we leave for Cali. Here we are:

1) Roasted butternut squash. Super easy, just need to allow enough time to cook.

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise (we had 2) and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Pour a small amount of water in the bottom of a jelly roll pan, place the squash flesh side down in the water and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, turn them over and brush with coconut oil (or olive oil or butter) and sprinkle with salt and dried thyme. Bake for about 25 minutes more or until it is soft when poked with a fork. That's it!

2) Sauteed kale with cashew cream sauce. I was intrigued when I saw this in the Eat to Live book so I was excited to give it a try. I used raw unsalted cashews so that I can control the amount of salt in the sauce.

Soak 1 cup raw cashews in 1 cup water for 2-4 hours. Drain and rinse. Place in a blender with 1 1/2 cups of water, puree on high for 2-3 minutes. Place in a saucepan and heat on low for about 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, chop 1 bunch of kale, stems removed. Pour 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet and heat on low. Saute the kale and 2 cloves minced or crushed garlic. Add salt to taste. TC had 4 helpings of this (without the cashew sauce. I drenched everything in the cashew sauce!).

3) Brown rice risotto. I love creamy rice dishes and fell in love with risotto a few years ago when I realized how simple it really is to make! And there are so many variations; next I'm going to make it with the leftover butternut squash :D My recipe is adapted from this:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/03/2092607/creamy-brown-rice-risotto.html

Add 1 cup rinsed, short grain brown rice to 2 cups boiling water. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes, then remove from heat. The rice will not be completely cooked!

1 TBSP coconut oil
12 ounces (1 package) mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (I used crimini, which have a wonderful earthy flavor, but the white ones would do)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and onions for about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the thyme, rice, and broth. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Hope you enjoy the recipes! Ok, I'm ready to go eat the leftovers, now...