Pumpkin Risotto

I generally tend to make this risotto after having roast chicken.  Generally I don't like to deal with cold chicken carcases, they gross me out. But, for the sake of being spend-thrift I do it for this meal. It also puts a little protein in a meal that otherwise would just be veg and carbs.  See? Always thinking I am.

I also add a little elaborating food color to the final product for Goose so I can just call it Orange Rice (I use just a bit of red).  It's a lot more appealing to a little one to have a color identified (one that looks more than slightly artificial) than to call it by it's vegetable name.

This makes a very generous amount. I always get at least lunch for The Dude and Green Thumbs in addition to dinner for 2 adults and 2 children.



Ingredients

1 Tbl butter, or just a knob
1 Tbl olive oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
2-3 Cloves of garlic, crushed
1 Tbl fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried sage)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (risotto rice)
6-8 mushrooms, finely chopped
2-3 cups pumpkin, cubed (in the States you can use plain canned pumpkin for the sake of easiness and just use extra stock, or make your own with butternut squash - in NZ use the normal grey pumpkin or butternut)
3-4 cups hot stock, chicken or vegetable
However much meat you can pull off the bones from a leftover roast chicken (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

(2-3 drops of red food coloring if you want to make it orange rice)

Directions

Steam the pumpkin cubes by putting placing in a pot with about 2 cm (1 inch) of water. It won't take long to cook until soft, maybe about 5-10 minutes.  Once cooked dump the whole lot in a blender and whiz, cooking water and all. Set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan until the butter is melted. Add the onions, garlic, and sage, cook over a medium heat until soft. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated in the oil. Pan fry these for about a minute (it adds a nice flavor).

Stir in the mushrooms, cooked pumpkin, and roast chicken. Pour in a cup of stock and stir to mix.

Cook until the moisture is almost all absorbed.  Don't boil it, just a gentle simmer. Also, stir frequently because it'll stick very quickly. Once the rice is starting to look stodgy/dry, add another ladle or two of stock.  Keep doing this until the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender (nom nom nom). I find there is no exact amount to add, because it's different every time, but keep tasting to see if the rice is cooked.

It'll take about 20 minutes to cook.

When the rice is cooked, add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I always serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top to further entice.

* If you need to make this in advance, only partially cook it, and then finish up just before you are ready to serve with the rest of the stock (use up to about 2 cups of stock in advance).

Enjoy!