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Pumpkin Risotto

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year. It’s special to me because it marks the official start of the Holiday and Xmas season and because I was actually born on a Thanksgiving Day a few years ago.

To me the rituals of Thanksgiving are most precious – the sharing with family, the cooking and wanting to please your loved ones and the action of giving thanks for all that we have today. To give thanks without asking anything in return is one of the principles of YOGA and maybe, my connection to Thanksgiving and how much I enjoy this holiday are signs of me possibly practicing yoga before this life.

I always give thanks to the Supreme Being for everything I do have – my life, my family, my health, my ability to see, hear, speak, walk, communicate, my roof, my family, those who love me and those who I love. But I also give thanks for all those things I do not have… those things we might think we need in our lives, and the very fact we do not have them might very well be a blessing. I always thank God for keeping those wishes away from me… because I must learn to appreciate that life is perfect just as it is and that we do not need anything else but the moment we are living. The present is the only thing we need to continue evolving and growing as spiritual beings in this physical existence.

Ever since I became vegetarian, Thanksgiving has been a challenge in the sense that I was truly attached to the flavors and smells of the traditional omnivore menu. But in recent years I’ve taken it upon myself to search and create recipes that are in tune with the season, but completely vegetarian and satisfying at the same time. And when I say in tune with the season, I mean the seasons in the US, because in Puerto Rico, it’s hot and humid on Thanksgiving, just like any other summer day.

This year I decided to try a Pumpkin Risotto. Something easy, yet delicious that I could make at my grandma’s house. This year Thanksgiving will be only her, my mom and I, and I don’t want to carry stuff from my home to hers. I did a test run of this recipe first and here are the results… Something you can make any time of the year, but resonates really well in Fall and Winter. Here’s how I did it…

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

1 box of Archer Farms’ 4 cheese risotto mix

1 cup pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

½ tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 ounces Fontina cheese, cubed small

1 ounce Blue cheese, I use Danish blue, grated or in crumbles

¼ cup Pecorino Romano, grated

¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

First, we need to roast the pumpkin. Place the cleaned pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle the olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and roast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes. I do this in my toaster oven.
When the pumpkin is about to be done, start preparing the risotto mixture according to the directions on the package. I place 2 ½ cups of water to boil. When the water starts to boil, mix contents of rice and season packets. Mix together well and leave uncovered.
After the pumpkin is done, place in the pumpkin seeds another baking sheet and roast dry for about 10-12 minutes. Watch them closely so they do not burn. They’ll change color from green to brownish.
When the rice is halfway done, add the pumpkin pieces, the Fontina cheese and the Blue cheese. Mix well so the cheese pieces melt well. If the pumpkin stays in big pieces, kind of crush them against the side of the saucepan. The idea is for the pumpkin pieces to mix well with the rice sauce and make it kind of orangey.
When the rice is done, about 17-20 minutes, turn off the stove, add the Pecorino Romano cheese and cover. The sauce will thicken upon standing. Leave it covered for about 15-20 minutes so the sauce thickens and the temperature lowers so you won’t burn the roof of your mouth and can taste the cheeses and pumpkin. Do not skip the waiting step, no matter how hungry you might be… I speak from experience, and burning the roof of your mouth is not fun.
When serving, sprinkle some roasted pumpkin seeds on top for a nice look and great crunchy bite.

I enjoyed this risotto with my sweet plantains and a side salad.

It’s super easy to make. It’s great if you’re only cooking for a small group, but if you want to feed more than 2-3 with this, just double the recipe – no problem. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I hope my mom and grandma like it too.

Thanks to you for always touching base with me here at KarmaFree Cooking. I definitely count you as part of my blessings.

Tags: blue cheese, fontina, pecorino romano, pumpkin, rice

Comments 3 Comments
Categories main courses, Thanksgiving

Roasted Potato and Pumpkin Salad

3 Jul

Tell me honestly… what did you think when you read this is a recipe for a roasted potato and pumpkin salad? Something like the traditional potato salads drenched in mayo and seasonings?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the traditional potato salad, but this week I was in the mood for something fresher. To add the roasted potatoes and pumpkins to a fresh green salad and dress with a light vinaigrette… that’s something more summery!!! I added the pumpkins because I wanted a little variety and that sweet flavor. Plus, I had a big piece in the fridge and I didn’t want it to spoil on me.

This might work perfect for your 4^th of July picnic or backyard BBQ.

ROASTED POTATO AND PUMPKIN SALAD

4-5 baby red skin potatoes, washed well and quartered

1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cubed

1 tbs olive oil

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 tsp Herbamare seasoning

Fresh Baby Spinach – or a mesclun greens mix

Tomatoes, sliced

Sweet Bell Peppers – red, orange and yellow ones, cut into thin strips

Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
In a roasting pan, toss together the potatoes and pumpkin pieces with the olive oil, salt, pepper and Herbamare seasoning. Toss together until well coated. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the potatoes/pumpkins once, until the skins are golden brown. Turn off the oven and leave them there for a few minutes.
In a salad bowl, combine your fresh salad components – spinach, tomatoes and bell peppers. You can add ANYTHING you want here in your salad. I’m just giving you what I ate and shows in the picture. Add the potato and pumpkin pieces and toss with the vinaigrette.

I guess this idea would also work with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, sweet plantains or parsnips too. A nice twist on the typical salad or potato salad…

Tags: bell pepper, potato, pumpkin, spinach, tomato, Vegan

Comments 2 Comments
Categories main courses, Salad

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

17 Nov

In the next few posts, I will share with you the Thanksgiving Menu I have chosen for this year.

For the main course, I will prepare a Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. This mac and cheese packs a lot of nutritional punch and color from the butternut squash in the cheese sauce. You can substitute the squash for regular pumpkin. I works just the same.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Steamed pumpkin or butternut squash – about 1 pound
1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni or other tubular pasta
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
4 ounces Blend of melting cheeses – Mozzarella, Asiago, Fontina, etc.
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Steam the butternut squash or pumpkin in a pot with just an inch of water. Season with salt. When it is cooked, puree in a food procesor.
Bring a large pot to a boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile, start building the cheese sauce. In a pot under medium heat, mix together the milk, blend and melt the cheeses, mix the mustard, and pureed butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper. Make sure the pot is big enough to accomodate the sauce and the pasta when it’s cooked.
Add the macaroni to boling water seasoned with salt and cook until tender but firm.
Drain cooked pasta and transfer to the pot with the cheese sauce. Mix well together.
Transfer to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and some of the leftover Melting Cheese blend all over the top.
Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned. Everything is already cooked, you’re just heating everything together and browining the cheese on top.

This recipe is delicious. The mustard gives it a different and grown-up taste. You can also roast the butternut squash, which gives it a more robust flavor.