Friday, March 18, 2011

Pumpkin Risotto, Asparagus Spears and Layered Salad.


I've been trying to clean out the freezer and I still had some pumpkin left over from baking around halloween-time. So for dinner, I made it into a pumpkin risotto. I would suggest adding squash as well, though, because the texture was slightly stringy from the pumpkin. Never-the-less, it was tasty. The layered salad was made up of sweet ginger sauteed mushrooms, home-grown greens, local grapefruit and avocado. 

I'm posting the recipe I used for the pumpkin risotto, as well as some process photos. Risotto is somewhat time consuming, but not as bad as some other major culinary undertakings.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups veggie stock
1 small butternut squash, or 1/2 butternut squash and 1 small pumpkin (roasted and pureed)
2 Tbsp butter or earth balance

Directions:
In a medium-size heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring continuously, just until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and continue to stir, using a wooden spoon, to coat the rice with the oil.

Add the white wine and continue cooking, stirring often, until it has been absorbed by the rice. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover the rice completely, about 3 cups, and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed. (This takes about 10 minutes)


Pour in 1 cup more of the remaining stock and stir and cook until it has been absorbed. Repeat with 1 more cup. Add the remaining cup and cook, stirring, until the rice is al dente, tender but still very chewy, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir in the pumpkin puree and reduce the heat to very low so that the risotto doesn't simmer anymore. Stir in the butter to give the risotto a nice, creamy finish, and top with Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately. (This does not keep well at all, so finish what you can right when you make it!) Original recipe fron Food Network.

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