Healthy Recipes from Martine, Certified Nutrition Consultant
While it's delicious any night of the week, this beet risotto with orange mascarpone cream is the perfect dish to cook with and for your Valentine. Click here to download the recipe cards!
Ingredients
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
3 cooked beets (you can roast yourself or buy pre roasted in the refrigerated section)
Approximately 5 cups of vegetable broth
1 orange (zested and juiced)
½ cup white wine
¼ cup mascarpone cream
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Prepare your orange mascarpone cream by whisking together the mascarpone, orange zest and orange juice in a bowl until light and fluffy. Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
Place the cooked beets in a small food processor and process briefly until somewhat smooth. Set aside.
Bring the broth to a simmer.
In a separate wide and heavy pot, heat the butter until just melted over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic and cook for an additional few minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook for a minute or two until lightly toasted, then add the wine and stir until absorbed for about a minute.
Using a ladle, stir in approximately ½ cup of warm broth and simmer, stirring constantly until the broth is absorbed. Continue simmering, adding warm broth one ladle at a time and stirring until the rice is creamy looking and just tender (about 20-24 minutes). You may not need to use all the broth, or you may need to add a bit more. Risotto can quickly change consistency, so it's always helpful to have a little extra broth nearby to make adjustments as needed - it’s definitely not an exact science.
When the rice is cooked through, stir in the beet puree and balsamic vinegar just until heated through.
Lastly stir in some of the orange mascarpone cream a couple tablespoons at a time. Taste and adjust. You can always add more, but a little goes a long way. It should brighten the flavors and add creaminess to the dish, but should not overwhelm. Any leftovers can be used as a garnish or saved for another dish.
Enjoy and happy Valentine's Day!
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For questions please email Martine at martinel@wearepcc.com.