Mushroom and Pumpkin Risotto

CREAMY RISOTTO

Struggling to find new dinner ideas? See lots of different recipes but they include too many fancy ingredients? This delicious mushroom and pumpkin risotto is what you should be trying out this week! It is beautifully creamy as it incorporates coconut milk. It is also easily adaptable, so instead of using pumpkin, you can use butternut squash or another root vegetable - as well as mix up what you serve on the side!

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Serves: 2. Preparation and Cooking Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

- 100g risotto rice - 120g button mushrooms (sliced) - 200g pumpkin/butternut squash; approx. half a small whole pumpkin (chopped into cubes). - 1 white onion (thinly sliced) - 2 garlic cloves (crushed) - 1 can reduced fat coconut milk - 1.5 tsp dried thyme (if you have fresh thyme then that's even better!) - 2 tbsp olive oil - Salt and Pepper to taste - To Serve: Greens of choice. I often go for a fresh spinach/rocket/watercress combo but you can use kale, green beans etc.

METHOD

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180C and preparing the pumpkin, mushrooms, onion and garlic.

2. Place chopped pumpkin in a bowl and combine with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp thyme and salt and pepper until all pumpkin is covered. Then place pumpkin on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes until soft.

3. Next, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.

4. Add in the mushrooms, along with remaining thyme and salt and pepper and sauté until soft.

5. Add in the rice and coconut milk and stir until all combined. Leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes. If Risotto starts to get dry, add in 100ml of water. During this time - ensure to keep an eye on the pumpkin and prepare any greens of your choice.

6. Once coconut milk is well absorbed with the risotto rice, add in the roasted pumpkin and stir well.

7. Plate up and serve with greens of choice!

Happy Cooking! Ruth xxx