Halloween Special Pumpkin Risotto

First time I made this, it was great, second time I got cocky and didn't follow the recipe, was a mess that was. Lesson learned. 


    •    1 medium sized pumpkin

    •    1 onion, finely chopped
    •    2 garlic cloves, sliced
    •    big knob of butter
    •    pinch thyme
    •    125ml sweet sherry
    •    risotto rice (about 250g)
    •    veg stock
    •    handful of grated grana padano cheese


    1.    Slice the top off the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds to create a bowl and most importantly scoop out the flesh. If you are not planning to use the pumpkin as a serving bowl then mission is much easier, just slice and dice the pumpkin.
    2.    Put pumpkin, onion and garlic in a large pan with a big knob of butter and cook really gently until the pumpkin is soft, this takes about 20 minutes.
    3.    Heat up a saucepan of stock and keep on a simmer.
    4.    Add the rice to the pumpkin and stir, let it cook for about 2 minutes then add the sherry.
    5.    Start to gradually add your stock one ladle at a time making sure the liquid is absorbed before adding the next one.
    6.    Continue to cook and add stock until the rice is done. Once the rice is cooked remove from the heat, add the grana padano, stir and cover, let sit for 5 minutes.
    7.    Serve in pumpkin or in a bowl with more grated cheese.

Spellbound : Pumpkin, Spinach & Chickpea Casserole

200g chickpeas cooked or organic canned for lazy days
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
600 g pumpkin, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
a nice mix of paprika, black pepper, dried parsley, salt and turmeric
250ml vegetable stock
100 g baby spinach
50g grated cheddar cheese
50g grated Parmesan cheese
200g long grain rice
lemon wedges to serve

Preheat oven gas mark 5.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion vegetable stock and pumpkin.
Cook, stirring, for 10minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, chickpeas and spice mix and cook for another 10 min then finally add the spinach and cook till it disappears. Remove from heat, add the cheddar cheese and stir well. At the same time cook the rice in a separate pot for as long as the package indicates.
Mix pumpkin and friends with the rice and place in a pyrex type roasting tray that has been coated with olive oil. Put grated Parmesan on top.
Place in oven. Roast for 30 minutes or so. Serve with lemon wedges.


This recipe was made while listening to :
Birthday Party - Release the Bats
The Shags - It's Halloween
The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck
Boris- Spoon
Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus
Explosions In The Sky - Welcome, Ghosts
Gang Gang Dance - Nomad For Love (Cannibal)
Guards- Don't Wake The Dead
Male Bonding - Bones
Os Mutantes - Ave, Lucifer
Radio Birdman - Murder City Nights
Abe Vigoda - Dead City