Risotto with Goat Cream Cheese and Beetroot

It is such a grey and rainy day today, though I do love rain, but I felt like bringing some colour into the lunch. Actually, I planned to prepare something with fish, but that seemed to be too cold in a way, so I decided to cook a risotto. The fridge is always really empty at the end of the week, but I have found some beets (red, yellow and rosa ones) and a pack of goat cream cheese. It was not my intention to cook a deep red risotto, so I only added one beetroot to the simmering stock and did not use beet juice or powder. The result is kind of an orangy red dish, that has definitely brought a bit of sunshine and warmth to the plate.


Ingredients:
3 beetroots
2 tablespoons olive oil
250 g risotto rice
200 ml white wine
500 ml vegetable or chicken stock
50 g goat cream cheese
30 g butter
1 rosemary twig
juice of 1/2 orange
butter and sugar for caramelising
salt, pepper


Peel beetroots and cut in small cubes, then cook in salty water for 5 minutes, set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sweat the shallot until it has becomes translucent. Bring broth to the boil together with a beetroot or the skin of the peeled beets. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains have become translucent; about 4 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to medium, and stir constantly. When the wine has been absorbed, add a little of the hot bouillon and the rosemary twig. Once the stock is absorbed, add a little more; repeat this process, stirring constantly, until the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat, stir in butter and cream cheese, stir in caramelised beet, season. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.