For the last few weeks, I have been sharing a series of recipes that I have developed using key ingredients from my weekly Munching Mongoose order which is always jam-packed full of the freshest, organic locally produced product. It’s been a month now of me using this delivery service and I must say I’m really enjoying it, I get so excited when my new bag of goodies arrive and I get to start thinking of things that I can make.
Up to now, all the recipes that I have shared have been really quick but this week when I was presented with the most beautiful looking ruby red beetroots I knew what I wanted to make and that was Beetroot Risotto. So I’m going to warn you from now that this dish is definitely not the quickest to make, but the end result is a creamy, rich beetrooty extravagancer that is well worth the effort.
I haven’t cooked a lot of risotto in my life, in fact, this is the third time I’ve ever made it, but I do like eating it and I like how you can come up with pretty much any flavour combination you like and it’ll probably work like a dream! In my last pack along with the beets, I also got a very delicious mild flavoured cheese called Boerekaas (that was a first for me) and a delectable Munching Mongoose red wine so I decided to make a Beetroot Rosemary and Boerenkaas Risotto. This is an all-star vegetarian main and if you left out the cheese part it would be Vegan-friendly too.
If this is the first time you’re reading about my Munching Mongoose series I’d love to tell you a bit more about this cool little company that is so passionate about providing people with amazing seasonal produce that comes from all sorts of local farmers and makers of delicious things! The best part about Munching Mongoose is that you know that whether your order is basic or full of all sorts of extras, honey, meat, double thick yoghurt or even organic mayonnaise, every single item in there is ethically sourced, organic and beyond delicious and it feels like you’re getting the best of the best. Just last week I received baby marrows which I compared to some others I had bought from a supermarket, I’m not kidding when I say that their marrows were triple the size and probably full of double the nutrients seeing as they are grown free of chemicals, fertilisers, hormones and antibiotics. Do yourselves and your family a favour and check these guys out, you won’t be sorry.
INGREDIENTS: Serves 4
– 4 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 large onion, chopped
– 4 x Baby leeks, chopped
– 1 large clove of minced garlic, or 2 small cloves
– 300 grams Arborio rice
– 200mls red wine
– 1400 mls of vegetable stock
– 500grams cooked, cooled and grated beetroot
– 3 Tbs of salted butter
– 50 odd grams of hard cheese, such as parmesan
– A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
– Slat and pepper to taste
METHOD:
1. Add the olive oil to a pan and then add the onion and baby leeks and fry until softened.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and then the rice. Stir so that the rice is evenly coated with oil.
3. Then pour in the wine and allow it to sizzle and reduce.
4. This is the long part – start adding the stock one ladle at a time stirring continuously and ensuring that each ladle of stock is absorbed by the rice before you add the next one.
5. Once cooked, add the cooked and grated beetroot and stir. Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in your butter and grated cheese.
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