Golden Beet and Goat’s Cheese Risotto

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and trim beets. Place on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap beets tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until beets are soft. Open foil packet and allow to cool slightly.

In the meantime, prepare risotto. Heat chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Keep warm and set aside.

In another medium saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and stir constantly for a minute or two, without browning. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add wine (if using) and stir constantly until absorbed into rice. Add 1/2 cup hot stock at a time, stirring constantly, waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding more. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a slow boil. Continue adding stock for 18-20 minutes or until rice is al dente. Remove from heat.

Working quickly, remove skins from beets by rubbing them with a paper towel. The skins should slip off easily. Dice beets and add to risotto. (For an extra boost of colour, you can squeeze a few beets through a ricer to extract the juice. Add to risotto.) Add cheese and butter, stir until melted and well combined. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, top risotto portions with crumbled goat’s cheese and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Note: Beets can be roasted and diced ahead of time. Just make sure they’re heated through in the final dish.