Guest Blog: Pumpkin Risotto from Kitchen Concoctions

I am switching it up a little today and having my very first guest blog post! Heather from Kitchen Concoctions writes an amazing blog that I love, so I wanted to share her awesomeness with you all. Give her a warm welcome!

Hello Food Fetish friends!

I am Heather from Kitchen Concoctions ! I am so honored that Natalie asked me to be a guest blogger on her site.

My blog, Kitchen Concoctions, is where I share my passion for food through recipes, cooking tips and other food fun (sometimes I even share a little too much about myself, with silly stories and childhood memories). I hope you’ll stop by sometime and give a big ‘ole Texas howdy!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! I love everything from fun and family friendly holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, to wearing boots (confession: I have more boots than any other type of shoe, which doesn’t make sense, considering I can only wear them a few months of the year!), and slurping up Pumpkin Spice Lattes!

And even though we have to sometimes ‘fake fall’ here in Texas (today we almost reached a high of 90 degrees), I still love to enjoy fall to its fullest!

I especially love spending more time in my kitchen cooking and baking and indulging in fall flavors, like pumpkin, apples, winter squash and hot beverages.

A hearty batch of risotto is another comforting fall food! Not only is making a big pot of risotto such a therapeutic cooking process (just standing there stirring and thinking, stirring and thinking; seriously so effective for solving life’s biggest debacles); it can also take on any flavor profiles you desire.

Pumpkin Risotto is one of my favorites. It incorporates pumpkin, salty Parmesan cheese and a perfect blend of fresh herbs and spices, to create a fabulous bowl of creamy goodness that tastes just like fall!

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Pumpkin Risotto

By Heather Hunsaker of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4-6

5-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 tablespoons butter

½ small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ cups Arborio rice

1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, minced (or ½ teaspoon dried sage)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping if desired

¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper, or to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a separate large sauté pan, melt butter. Add the onion and cook until tender over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.

Add in the rice and cook until the rice is translucent on the outside and opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add approximately 1 cup of broth to rice mixture and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir until broth begins to absorb into the rice. Stir in additional broth (1/2-1 cup at a time) and repeat stirring and absorption process until broth is used and rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Once rice is tender, stir in herbs, spices, pumpkin puree and Parmesan cheese; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and season with additional salt and black pepper if needed. Serve immediately, topped with additional Parmesan cheese or fresh herbs.