Beet Risotto!

The first is a beet recipe that uses both beets and their greens (plus any extra you have around) in _Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone_ by Deborah Madison.

Beet Risotto with Greens

5 ½ - 6 ½ cups of Vegetable Stock, including beet or chard stems
3 Tablespoons butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil
½ cup finely diced onion
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped basil (or 1 Tbsp dried)
2 -3 medium beets, peeled and grated, about 2 cups
2 -3 cups greens – beet, chard, kale or spinach – stems removed, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup of grated parmesan

Have the stock simmering on the stove. Heat the butter in a wide pot, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice, stir to coat it well, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until it’s absorbed, then stir in half the parsley, the basil, grated beets, and the chard or kale. Add 2 cups stock, cover and cook at a lively simmer until the stock is absorbed. Begin adding the remaining stock in ½-cup increments, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. When you have 1 cup left, add the beet greens or spinach. Taste for salt, season with pepper, then stir in the lemon zest and juice to taste. Serve dusted with the cheese and remaining parsley.

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Marie’s comments: This comes out bright red with flecks of the greens – it is really pretty. I used red wine instead of white (figuring the dish was red anyway) and it tasted fine. I used almost all the lemon, but it was too strong in the leftovers. Next time I will use about ½ the amount, and add more to individual dishes. It makes a huge amount so we had leftovers for lunch for almost the entire week. All together it took about 35 minutes to make. Be sure to chop everything before starting to cook, otherwise it is chaos to chop and stir at the same time. I ate this as is, Mike ate it as a side with hotdogs.


For the leftovers (also from _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone_):

Risotto Croquettes

2 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
Risotto, any recipe, chilled
Clarified butter or olive oil for pan frying

Beat the eggs with the milk in a pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Put the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Scoop the risotto up with a spoon and form it into a flattened oval about 3 inches long. (Or simply divide the rice into the number of portions you need.) Using one hand, slide the croquettes into the egg, then scoop them out and put them in the dish with the bread crumbs. Using the other hand, roll them around so that they’re covered, then transfer to a large plate.

If you’re not planning to cook them right away, cover with wax paper and refrigerate, but allow them to come to room temperature before cooking. Fry them in clarified butter or oil until crisp and golden. Serve hot.

Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables: If you’d rather avoid breading and frying, use leftover risotto to fill stuffed peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage or chard leaves. Mound the filling, but don’t pack it, then bake at 375 degrees F until heated through, about 25 minutes.

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Marie’s comments: I stuffed chard leaves and baked the extra risotto, adding a bit more parmesan on the tops. It also came out well.