Oven Baked Pumpkin, Leek and Chicken Risotto

How wonderful it would be to wind down after a long, hard day with a wholesome, home-cooked meal! This one pot meal does the trick and can be easily made when you get home from work without having to be in the kitchen for a long period of time! Yes, I know what you’re thinking, risotto does take time to make but not in this case! The flesh of the pumpkin is very high in carotenoids and are really good at neutralizing free radicals (nasty molecules that can attack cell membranes and leave the cells vulnerable to damage). Pumpkins are a good source of iron (helps red blood cells), zinc (helps with osteoporosis) and fiber (important for bowel health). Pumpkins are also low in calories (20 cal per 100g). The humble pumpkin isn’t just for jack-o-lanterns or for pumpkin pies!

Serves 4
recipe from Australian Good Taste

800g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, pale section only, washed, dried and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g chicken breast fillets, coarsely chopped
330g arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Arrange the pumpkin on the tray and drizzle with half the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on oven for 10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat half the remaining oil in a flameproof dish over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until browned slightly. Add the rice and stir to combine. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover the dish and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove risotto from from the oven and gently stir in the pumpkin. Add basil, lemon rind and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and stir to combine. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Keep an eye on the timer especially if you have a convection oven. I set the timer for 20 minutes which was plenty of time otherwise the extra minutes would have dried the chicken out and made the rice too dry.