Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto by Colleen Guenther

Risotto (period). YUM (period).

What you need:

2 red beets with greens
2 Tbs olive oil
5 cups chicken broth
2 large scallions chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano
Chopped parsley (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400. Trim off greens from beets and set aside. Scrub beets with a clean sponge or potato brush. Place beets in a glass baking dish cut side down (when I trimmed the beets I cut off the stems along with the "top" of the beet) into 1 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes (35 minutes with the foil on and 5 without the foil). When done, peel your beets and set aside. Keep the beet juice from the roast.Wash beet greens well, spin or pat dry, slice thinly and set aside. Warm your vegetable broth in medium pot over medium heat. When heated, turn down to low.
Saute your scallions in 2 Tbs olive oil until softened but not browned, 4-5 minutes. Add rice and continuously stir to toast, 2-3 minutes. Add wine and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add the water from your roasted beets (it turns out to be about 3/4th of a cup). Stir in until absorbed. Begin adding warm broth, one ladelful at a time, stirring, until liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente, about 20-22 minutes. You may not need to use all of the vegetable stock. Keep tasting until done.
When almost done, add your diced beets, beet greens and goat cheese. Stir to wilt greens and melt cheese. Remove from heat. Add parmesan and stir vigorously to create a creamy texture. Taste and season as needed with salt/pepper (I actually did not need any of either). Garnish with parsley.