Mushroom, Pumpkin & Goats Cheese Risotto

This is suitable to freeze, but when reheating in microwave you will have to add a bit of water so it all becomes moist and luscious.

One serve of this recipe represents 16% of the recommended daily energy intake of an average person.

This recipe is low fat, low sugar, low sodium and high protein.

Ingredients

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 leek, washed and sliced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• ½ chorizo, diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. butter
• ½ butternut pumpkin (squash), diced
• 50g goat’s cheese
• 3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. rosemary

Method

1. Place your stock in a pot and simmer on low heat.
2. Preheat oven on 200C.  Place pumpkin on baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil or cooking spray over and bake for 15- 20 minutes.  Take out and set aside.
3. Heat a med large fry pan; add 1 tbsp. olive oil and sauté leek on med heat for approx 5 mins.
4. Add diced chorizo and cook a further 3 mins.
5. Add arborio rice and coat with chorizo and leek for 1 minute.   Add white wine and let this evaporate whilst stirring, approx 2-3 minutes.  Add your crushed garlic and sprinkle your thyme and rosemary into pan, stirring.
6. Add a ladle of stock once rice looks like it has absorbed the wine.  Make sure it doesn’t stick to pan. Add another ladle of stock and season with cracked pepper.  Add mushrooms and stir these in. Keep repeating the process of adding a ladle of stock, letting the rice absorb whilst stirring, this should take 20 mins. 
7. Check a grain of rice; keep cooking and adding stock until rice has cooked but still firm to bite.
8. When cooked, add butter, stir then add pumpkin, stir, add parmesan cheese, stir.
9. Serve in bowls then place goats cheese on top in little chunks.