Pumpkin Risotto

I know the rumors about risotto.  "Risotto is hard to make."  "Risotto takes a long time to prepare."  "Risotto has to be watched and stirred constantly or . . . well you know."

The rumors are lies!  Risotto has gotten a bad rap and I'm here to rescue it from these terrible falsehoods.

Repeat after me:  Risotto is not scary.  Risotto is easy to make.  Risotto does not take immense talent to prepare.

Now, try my recipe for delicious, creamy pumpkin risotto.  This recipe starts with the basic risotto recipe and can be eaten without pumpkin added to it.  Or, you can add butternut squash, mix in pepperoni, top it with mushrooms or any number of other add-ins.  Our favorite just happens to be pumpkin.

_____________________Pumpkin Risotto___________________


What You'll Need:
1 cup of arborio rice
3 cups of chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
4 table spoons of butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp of cinnamon



STEPS:
1.  Melt the butter in a pot and add onions.  (Use medium heat.)
2. Saute onions until they are translucent and add garlic to saute for a few minutes.
3.  Pour rice into the pot and toast it in the butter, onions, and garlic until it becomes translucent.
4.  Add one cup of chicken stock and stir.
5.  Continue to stir off and on until the liquid is absorbed.
6.  Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the full three cups of stock is used and mostly absorbed.
7.  Remove from heat and stir in the pumpkin and salt.
8.  Enjoy!

Notes:
--This recipe was based on using homemade chicken stock, with no salt added to the stock.  If you are using  (and I hope you aren't) store-bought, boxed or canned chicken stock, you probably won't need to add extra salt.  (Or MSG.  'Cause they've taken care of that for you already.)

--Once, on an episode of the The Next Food Network Star, a rude Wolfgang Puck became disgusted by the lack of movement of the risotto made by one of the contestants.  He abruptly took her to the kitchen and showed her the right way to make risotto, mortifying the contestant, the other judges and much of the at-home audience.  It was a lesson we never forgot, though!  Risotto should flow and not stand stiffly on your plate.  Apparently.  And fussy Austrian-born French chefs should chillax.  Definitely.

This recipe was shared on Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.