Best thing about this beet risotto recipe is, it is pink. Pink is exciting. Made the kids want to eat it. And they did, without even realizing they were eating veggies!

Beet Risotto

1 bunch small beets, roasted (about 3/4 lb)
1 bunch of beet greens, stemmed and washed
2-1/2 cups arborio rice
8 cups of chicken stock
2 tblsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups of dry white wine
salt, pepper
3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
3 tblsp flat-leafed parsley, chopped

To roast the beets, I cut off the greens, leaving about 1/4 in of stem. Scrubbed them. And put them in a roasting pan, covered them with foil, and baked them abotu 45 minutes at 400 deg. They’re done when you can easily pierce them with the blade of a knife. After they cool, you can easily peel them skins off with your fingers (the tips of which will turn bright pink). I removed the greens from the stems, cut them in to 1″ ribbons, washed them well, and set them aside.

I heated a large skillet over mid-high heat, added the olive oil and, once hot, added the onions until clear, about 3 minutes. I then added the rice and stirred until the rice began to smell slightly nutty, separating and started to crackle. Then I added the wine, which immediately begin to bubble gently (adjust the heat accordingly).  You should already have the chicken stock simmering on the adjacent burner, and have a ladle handy.

Once the wine has cooked down, and incorporated in to the rice, you begin the slow dance of adding a ladle of stock, and stirring. One at a time, slowly incorporating the stock a little at a time. You will stir 3-4 minutes at a time, for each ladle added. After 2-3 ladles, you want to add the beets, which you have diced up. And you want to add the garlic, and some salt.

Continuing to add more stock, one ladle a t a time, you will taste the dish frequently, while sampling the rest of the bottle of wine, until the rice is chewy, but no longer crunchy. It will take a good 20 minutes of adding stock, and stirring. The skillet will start to almost overflow, as the rice plumps. Once the rice tastes al dente, or just about done, add the parmesan cheese, some fresh ground pepper, and the greens. Stirring just until the cheese is melted and the greens are wilted. Serve while hot!