Beet Risotto with Meyer Lemon

This healthy, vibrant pink risotto makes the perfect entree for two this Valentine's Day. The fresh, bright flavors of beet and Meyer lemon are enhanced by our zingy aromatic rosemary granola, cutting through the richness of creamy rice.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 beet, destemmed
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 medium-sized onion, minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2.5 cups water/vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Parmesan plus more grated over the top
• 2 tsp beet powder*
• Fresh herbs to garnish (basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley etc.)
• Heavy cream
• 1 Meyer lemon (juice and zest)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• bumble & butter rosemary granola

Preparation:

Warm the stock in a saucepan. Wash and peel the beet. Dice into cubes about 1/4 inch. 

In a shallow pan over medium-low heat, saute the diced beet, minced onion, arborio rice, and 3/4 tsp salt with olive oil until onions are translucent and tender.

Add wine to rice and simmer over medium heat until absorbed, about 3 min. Add hot stock in four increments, stirring constantly been additions, until most of stock is absorbed before adding more. This should take about 25 min. total.

Stir in the beet powder at the end to preserve color. 

To finish, stir in the Parmesan, cream, and lemon juice to taste. Garnish with the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

We even added a dollop of our homemade, grass-fed beet yogurt (future post on making your own yogurt coming soon!).