This is the cosy weekend risotto you have been missing. Roasted butternut pumpkin, golden chicken thigh and crispy sage are folded through a creamy parmesan sauce with Qetoe Low Carb Rice, which has around half the carbs of regular rice. The trick is Sam's fold method: cook the rice by absorption first, make the sauce separately, then fold the two together over low heat for a velvety risotto without the carb overload.
Serves 2 | Prep 10 min | Cook 25 min
Per serve: 558 cal, 41g protein, 27g carbs
Ingredients
- 1 packet Qetoe Rice
- 300g skinless chicken thigh fillets, diced
- 200g butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 fresh sage leaves (4 chopped, 6 left whole)
- 1/2 cup low-salt chicken stock
- 60g cream cheese
- 30g grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the pumpkin with 2 tsp of the olive oil and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and tender.
- Cover the Qetoe Rice with boiling water, cover with a plate for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Crisp the whole sage leaves for 30 seconds and set aside, then cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to medium heat and cook the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and chopped sage for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock, stir in the cream cheese and half the parmesan for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy, and mash in a few pumpkin cubes.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the cooked rice, chicken and remaining pumpkin, and fold the sauce through the rice for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy and hot. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Top with the remaining parmesan and the crispy sage leaves and serve straight away.
Tips
Never simmer Qetoe Rice in the stock. Cook it by absorption first, then fold it through the sauce over low heat at the end, which gives you the risotto feel without it going mushy. Roast the pumpkin in big 2cm cubes so the edges caramelise and some pieces hold their shape on top, and crisp the sage in the pan before the chicken so the leaves stay bright green and crunchy.
