Roasted Beet Risotto

Ingredients:
12 oz beets
5 cups chicken stock*
2 onions, quartered
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1 oz Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt
pepper
ch�vre


Preheat oven to 400. Place onions and beets (quarter the beets if they are large)in a oven safe pan. Add the olive oil, toss with salt and pepper. Roast until just soft, about 40 minutes. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cube. Chop the onions. Meanwhile, bring the broth and water to a simmer. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan you are making the risotto in. Saute the beets, rosemary and onion. Add the rice and saut� for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually. Add the broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before each addition. This will take about 20 minutes total. When the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top with a coin of ch�vre.


*or use a mix of water and stock with the majority of the liquid being stock.

My thoughts:

This is my now one of my favorite versions of risotto: creamy and mild yet full of flavor. Roasting the beets and onions intensifies their flavor and keeps the risotto from being too bland. I had some lovely Lively Run ch�vre that was perfect for a little texture contrast. I served with with some steamed lobster and the combination was fabulous!