Recipe: Pumpkin And White Bean Risotto!

​Hello there! HAPPY Thursday!!
​How are you? How's your week going?! I hope you're feeling healthy, confident, strong, balanced, positive, and FITastic!! :D Allow yourself to be flexible and use technology to minimize risk, but also allow maximum changes to happen in your future! Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle!! It's worth every bit of sacrifice...i guarantee it!!!
​Yesterday I had eyelid surgery. I've been wanting to have this done for a few years and finally decided to go for it! No hate comments please ;) I'm excited to no longer use makeup tricks or eyelid tape (which don't work...lol) to have a more rested and less droopy appearance!! At the moment, my eyes are swollen and my eyesight is pretty blurry, so today's post is a simple BUT delicious looking recipe! I have yet to try it, but the recipe looks yummy and it's the perfect time of year to add pumpkin to spice up flavors for Fall!! Before my surgery, I bought all the ingredients and my husband will be making the recipe for our family this weekend :D
The recipe is in Kayla Itsines's book, The Bikini Body 28-Day Healthy Eating And Lifestyle Guide. I bought her book at Target (30% off) and it's a good book if you want a guide to help you achieve health goals. The book also includes more than 200 recipes! GUYS...the recipes in this book aren't for women only...just saying!! :D  

PUMPKIN AND WHITE BEAN RISOTTO
Serves: 2 (my husband will be doubling the ingredients to make enough for our family).
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 50 minutes.

​6 1/3 oz pumpkin, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
oil spray
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons walnuts
​3 cups salt-reduced vegetable stock
3 teaspoons olive oil
​1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 1/2 oz arborio rice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves
​10 3/4 oz tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

​Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

​Place the pumpkin on the lined baking sheet and spray lightly with oil spray. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until it's lightly browned and tender.

​Meanwhile, place the walnuts in a small dry non-stick fry pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop. 

Heat the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 

​Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. 

​Add the rice and thyme and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant.

​Pour one-quarter of the warmed stock into the pan containing the rice and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until most of the stock has been absorbed, stirring constantly.

​Add the stock a ladleful at a time and allow the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful, stirring constantly. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until all the stock has been used and the rice is cooked but still al dente. If all the stock is used and the rice isn't ready, add 1/4 cup of hot water at a time until cooked. 

​Gently stir in the pumpkin, spinach, and cannellini beans and cook until heated through, stirring constantly. 

​To serve, place the risotto in serving bowls and sprinkle over the walnuts. ​

​If you happen to make this FALL-ish (and healthy) dish at home, I'd love to hear if you enjoyed it or not! I can't wait to try it myself!! I love anything with pumpkin :D
​I'll be posting again on Monday! Be sure to check back in!!
​See you then ;)