Roasted beetroot risotto

Tonight was my night to cook in our little rota. Cathy told me after I'd planned the meal that the one food she really dislikes in beetroot….oops. 

I decided that rather than boiling the beetroots to soften them for the recipe I would bake them to make them a little sweeter and (hopefully) more palatable for a beetroot-hater. After clearing her plate she announced that she now liked beetroot. Phew. 

The quantities feed five - adjust accordingly!

To make roast beetroot risotto you will need:

3 uncooked beetroots

Splash of oil

1 red onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove (crushed)

2 glasses of red wine

2 vegetable stock cubes

A kettle of water (as much as is needed! Approx 1.5L)

450g risotto

1 tbsp butter

Handful of grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel and slice the beetroot into half if little and quarters if large. Wrap in silver foil, drizzle with some oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

In the meantime, soften the red onion in some oil. Throw in the garlic before adding the risotto rice - keep stirring it through the onion and garlic until it goes transparent (this should take about 2-3 minutes). Pour in 2 glasses of wine and keep stirring around. Crumble in the two stock cubes and top up with water as/when required.

When the beetroot are cooked remove from the oven and get onto a board so they can start to cool. When you're able to handle them, grate the beetroot and add to the pan as you do so. 

Your risotto is ready when creamy and the rice has lost its bite - on the hob in the accommodation I'm living in this took close to 45 minutes. Risotto needs love and attention so you do have to keep watching, stirring and adding liquid the whole time. When ready remove from the heat and stir through the butter and a handful of parmesan.

Serve with a little grating of parmesan and a green salad.