roast pumpkin | Plant based Munchies

Roast pumpkin risotto

As the weather warms up in some parts of the world, it is cooling down in Australia! We are in crisp, Autumn beauty right now and a warming risotto is just what is needed!

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice

5 cups vegetable stock

2 cups roasted, cubed pumpkin pieces

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomato pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup white wine

1 leek, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

dried italian herbs

chilli flakes

Directions:

Saute the leek, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs until soft. Stir in Arborio rice (until coated with oil film from the sauté).

Stir through white wine (to cook off the alcohol content).

Using hot vegetable stock, pour in 1/2 cup of stock at a time and continue stirring the risotto. It is the slow addition of hot stock that absorbs that makes the risotto creamy. When the 1/2 cup addition has absorbed each time, add another one. After 3 cups of stock have been added, stir in the pumpkin pieces, sun dried tomato and spinach leaves and continue with the stock process until all absorbed.

Hope you all had a great Easter! Here’s a great cleanser to help us all get back on track after what no doubt, was a less than perfect eating weekend 🙂 This salad has a little bit of everything… So “Super everything salad” sounds pretty good. Essentially, it is a roast veg salad with lentils, pine nuts, greens and a guacamole dressing. It’s lovely!

1 cup roast pumpkin cubes

3 tomatoes, cut into wedges and roasted

1 spanish onion, cut into wedges and roasted

5 garlic cloves, roasted (with skins on to keep them moist)

3 mushrooms, chopped and roasted

* I roasted these ingredients after tossing them in a little oil, seasoning and balsamic vinegar.

Once cooled, add to a bed of:

rocket and baby spinach

pine nuts (toasted if you wish)

cooked (and cooled) brown lentils (or a rinsed tin of lentils)

To dress this salad, blend:

1 avocado