Pumpkin And Sage Risotto With White Truffle

Pumpkin And Sage Risotto With White Truffle Oil

This creamy and comforting dish combines the rich flavors of pumpkin and sage with the luxurious aroma of white truffle oil, making it a perfect autumn meal.
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
4 cups vegetable broth, kept warm
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white truffle olive oil
2 tablespoons Butter olive oil, or mushroom sage olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the White Truffle Olive Oil and Butter Olive Oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the Arborio rice to the saucepan and stir to coat the rice with the oils, onions, and garlic. Toast the rice for about 2 minutes until it becomes slightly translucent at the edges.

Pour in the white wine and cook until it's mostly absorbed by the rice, stirring constantly.

Begin adding the warm vegetable broth to the rice, one ladle at a time. Stir continuously and allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding more broth. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and cooked al dente, which should take about 18-20 minutes.

About halfway through the cooking process, stir in the canned pumpkin puree and chopped sage leaves. This will infuse the risotto with a lovely pumpkin and sage flavor.

Season the risotto with salt and black pepper to taste.

Once the risotto is cooked to your desired consistency, remove it from heat.

Drizzle White Truffle Olive Oil over the risotto and gently fold it in to incorporate the luxurious truffle aroma.

Serve the Pumpkin and Sage Risotto hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.   Enjoy!

One Pot Sausage And Lentils

 One-Pan Sausage & Lentils

With canned lentils and ready-to-cook sausages, this dish is quick, easy and delicious. Mild Italian links work well here, but feel free to use any favourite sausage. A leafy green salad and some crusty bread would be excellent accompaniments. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

4 mild Italian sausages, about 1 1/4 lbs (565 g) total

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch (5-mm) rounds

1 orange pepper, cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) dice

Salt to taste

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 sprig rosemary

1 can (540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed

1 cup (250 mL) vegetable broth

1/2 cup (125 mL) water

2 tsp (10 mL) cider vinegar

1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup (60 mL) roughly chopped parsley 

Directions:
Heat oil in a large high-sided pan over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, zucchini and pepper. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start turning golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook 1 minute. Add lentils, vegetable broth and water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Top with sausages and any juices. Partially cover and simmer until sausages are cooked through, about 10 minutes.                                                                                                    

Remove from heat. Drizzle with vinegar. Sprinkle with feta and parsley.  Serves 2 to 3