I'm Obsessed... with Pumpkin!

So... I'm going to be like so many other food bloggers out there right now and rave about some of the tasty pumpkin dishes I've been savoring over the last few days. :-) Honestly though, pumpkin is pretty awesome. It's just so versatile! Mix it with peanut butter for a great sandwich spread, add it to quick breads, oatmeal, yogurt, or eat it straight out the can! (JK... sort of...)
Here are a couple of the delish things I've been doing with my pumpkin.

Pumpkin Delight Oatmeal
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup oats
-3/4 cup milk
-1/2 cup pumpkin puree
-1 tbsp peanut butter
-1 tbsp honey
-1/8 cup raisins
-Sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions:
1. Prepare oats using milk. Once cooked stir in the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee! :-0

Before my run this evening, I was trying to come up with what to have for dinner. I looked in my cabinet and saw my last can of pumpkin sitting by a bag of rice and I thought... how about pumpkin risotto?! A quick internet search and a creamy, fall-like side dish was born!

Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Risotto
(Adapted from this recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp butter
-1/2 onion, diced
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup rice
-1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
-3 cups vegetable stock (I didn't have quite enough stock so I used 1 cup water and 2 cups stock)
-Salt and pepper to taste (But feel free to try other seasonings like a bay leaf, thyme, oregano... whatever your little heart desires!)
-1/2 cup shredded cheese (The recipe online called for parmesan, I used Monterey Jack and it was delicious!)
-3 tbsp whole milk
Directions:
1. Melt butter in medium saucepan and add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
2. Add rice and stir to coat with butter/onion mixture. Stir in pumpkin and 1 cup stock. Simmer until all the stock is almost completely absorbed. Add the second cup of stock/water and cook until almost gone. Do the same with the final cup of stock/water.
3. Season to taste with your choice of S+P or herbs. Stir in cheese and milk. Enjoy!! Perfect for a rainy, chilly evening like we have here in Memphis. :-)