Beet Risotto

Beet Risotto

My son and I are beet freaks! I have always loved them, and once I let my son taste them when he was 2 he was also hooked! He could eat a whole can of them in one sitting if I let him. So with the farmers market booming we have been picking up fresh beets and roasting them. After having our fill of beet salad I decided to try something a little different. Risotto is already a favorite in our house, but why not add some beets.  As you stir in the puree of beets the color is so vibrant, the dish almost looks like some type of candy!  This turned out great, with just a mild beet flavor. Trust me even people who are not beet lovers will gobble this up (the hubby did). Give this dish a try, the color alone will put a smile on your face. Happy eating!

From Rachael Ray

• 4 medium beets, scrubbed, stems and root ends trimmed and greens chopped and reserved for garnish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable to make it vegetarian)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry sherry

• 1/2 cup (2 or 3 handfuls) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus additional

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with some EVOO. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and fold the foil into a pouch. Roast the beets inside the pouch until tender, about 45 minutes.

When the beets are done roasting, remove them from the pouch and let cool for a few minutes. When they're cool enough to handle, lightly rub the outside of them with a paper towel to remove the skins. Transfer the beets to a food processor and puree them until smooth. Reserve the puree until the risotto is finished cooking.

Bring the water and stock to a boil in a saucepot, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and butter. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until the onions begin to get tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the arborio rice and toast it in the pan, stirring constantly with the veggies, 2-3 minutes more. Add wine or sherry and cook until the liquid has absorbed, 1 minute.

Ladle about a third of the stock or broth into the pan with the rice and bring it up to a bubble, stirring constantly. Simmer the mixture, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Ladle another third of the remaining liquid and continue stirring the rice until that liquid has fully absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Ladle in half of the remaining stock and stir the rice another 4-5 minutes. Add in the beet puree and the rest of the stock and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, until the rice is al dente. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.