Pumpkin and Feta Risotto (Vegetarian)

I've fallen off the vegan bandwagon a bit in the last few weeks. Not that I was actually on the bandwagon - sort of just following behind it and pretending like I belonged - but the last fortnight has  been much more dairy-filled than a usual 2-week period.

It was precipitated by the purchase of a pumpkin at the supermarket, which was just calling out to be made into this risotto. The feta just offsets the pumpkin so well.

Pumpkin and Feta Risotto

Ingredients

2.5 cups of rice (approximately - I measured it in the very technical units, "handfuls")
8 cups vegetable stock (again approximately - I pretty much just dissolve 2 stock cubes in 'some' water and then just add more water later on if I need it)
1 small, or half a large, onion
4 cloves garlic*
1 small pumpkin (the type I used is bright orange and about 1.5 times the size of a softball - but I have no idea what type it is since here it's just called "pompoen")
1 block of feta
A handful of basil leaves
Grated parmesan to put on top if you want extra cheesy deliciousness

Method

1. Cut the pumpkin into 1cm squares. Put in a microwave-safe bowl with 1.5 cups of water and microwave for 5 minutes. Stir and microwave for 3 minutes. Repeat and continue until the pumpkin is cooked. (You can do other things while this is happening.)
2. Dice the onion and cut the garlic into small pieces.
3. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat.
4. Add the rice to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and onion. Stir for 1 minute.
6. Add the stock, a little at a time (maybe 3/4 to 1 cup each pour). Each time, mix it in with the rice and wait until the liquid has absorbed. You will need to continue stirring as rice is notoriously sticky.
7. Once all the stock is used up, add the pumpkin. If the rice still isn't cooked, you can add the water that the pumpkin was cooked in too (hopefully you will because it's a waste to throw it away and it's delicious).
8. Add more water and continue absorption if still required, until rice is cooked. Remove pan from heat.
9. Cut feta into small cubes, and the basil into rough pieces, and mix in with the risotto. If it's hot enough the feta will start to melt a bit (OHMIGOD).
10. Serve.

As I've been writing this I've been thinking how delicious it would be with pine nuts too. Watch this space.

* This week I discovered fresh garlic. Amazing! I probably sound like some of those kids who thinks that tomatoes somehow grow in a can, but I genuinely had never thought about how garlic looked when it came out of the ground. If I had, I guess I might have worked it out. But I did't, and IT IS A REVELATION. Fresh garlic smells amazing, is easy to cut, and just somehow seems deliciouser. It's like a culinary Russell Brand. Only obviously that is a really poor metaphor, but I love Russell, so what the hell. I'm running with it.