Beet Risotto: Kid and Adult Friendly!

If you were to ask my five-year-old daughter what her favorite vegetable is, she would respond with "Beets."  Beets for a five year old???  Yes, my daughter loves all of the "strange" vegetables that kids don't normally like: beets, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, okra.  You name a vegetable, she'll like it.  (Although strangely enough, she is middling on potatoes.)

So when we got beets a couple of weeks ago from our CSA, she did a happy dance.  She's happy to eat them roasted and plain or in a salad, but I wanted something a little different.  And then I stumbled across this recipe on Tastespotting.  The vibrant color mesmerized me, and when I was able to shake the stupor off, I realized that I had every ingredient I needed already in my kitchen!  It's an incredibly easy recipe, and my daughter oohed and aahed over the brilliant ruby color.  This is one way to get your kids to eat their veggies and enjoy them for yourself too!

I halved the recipe since it was only my daughter and I, and there wasn't a morsel left.  (The recipe below is the original amount.)  I also roasted the beets a couple of days before, which saved a ton of time when it came to making the risotto.

Red Beet Risotto
from bella eats

3/4 lbs beets (1 small bunch)
Olive oil

6-7 cups chicken stock
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbl flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Roasting the beets:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the beets in a small baking dish and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Roll the beets around until they are completely coated in oil.  Cover tightly with foil.  Roast for about 20 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.  Peel the beets--the skins should slide off easily.  Dice.

Making the risotto:
Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and stir occasionally until the onion soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the rice and garlic, stirring constantly until the rice is completely covered in oil and starts to crackle, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and stir constantly until the wine has been almost completely absorbed.  Add a ladleful of stock and continue to stir until it has been almost completely absorbed.  Add another ladleful, and continue doing this for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the diced beets.  Add more stock, and continue as before for another 10-15 minutes or until the rice is finished.  The rice should not be mushy, but should also not be hard in the middle.  When the rice is finished, add the Parmesan cheese and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  The rice should be creamy--if not, add another ladleful of stock.

Serve hot.

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