“sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese”

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, so we thought it would be fun to give you a recipe and dinner idea from our cookbook, “f-words mom let us say: food, family & friends”. Our recipe, “sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese” has become a fun, celebratory dish in the Peddie house. The gorgeous, deep red color from the beets makes this a festive meal for Valentines, Galentines, or a couples’ dinner party. Of course, we believe we should each be our own Valentine first and foremost, so we think this dish is also perfect to make just for yourself for a self-nurturing, cozy night in.

The idea of beet risotto may sound a little strange but we promise, this is scrumptious. The earthiness of the beets combined with the creamy smoothness of the risotto and goat cheese makes a balanced, decadent combination. The color is rich and natural and sets a loving tone for a heartfelt meal. This recipe turns beet skeptics into beet lovers. My youngest daughter Cami, thought she hated beets until she tried this dish, and it’s become one of her absolute favorites. We make it together every time she comes home from college!

I would say the hardest part of the recipe, and this isn’t really hard, is the peeling and shredding of the beet. It just takes a little umph using the box grater! Your hands will turn bright red so don’t freak out like I did the first time I worked with a red beet! Just wash your hands with warm, soapy water as soon as you’re done and your new, bright red hands will go away! 😉

If you’re new to cooking, or making risotto, I would definitely Mise en place. If you’re not familiar, Mise en place is a French culinary term meaning “put in place” or “everything in its place.” Not only is it a fun phrase, but it’s also one of the most helpful ways to ensure the success of your dish. If equipment is ready and all of the ingredients are prepped before cooking, it eliminates stress and makes cooking it fun and stress free. It’s worth a few extra dirty dishes. I even like to set up each ingredient in the order it goes into the pan so it can really be goof proof.

Risotto requires patience since you’re adding the broth slowly, waiting for the rice to drink it up in increments. So pour yourself a little glass of wine and enjoy watching this beautiful dish come together. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s unique, delicious, nutritious and absolutely says I love you!

sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese 

Ready in 1 hour, 15 minutes

Serves 4 to 5

5 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme

4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed, peeled, and chopped

1½ cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

½ cup red wine of choice

2 raw medium red beets, stemmed, peeled, and shredded (with a box grater)

Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

⅓ cup goat cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 leaves fresh basil for garnish

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. (Simmering the broth keeps it warm all through the cooking process, which helps release the starch in the rice and makes your risotto creamy and dreamy.)

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and sauté until the onion is lightly browned and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute.

Add the rice and cook until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. (This adds a nutty elegance to the rice’s flavor.) Add the wine and stir until it has almost been completely absorbed by the rice. Still stirring, slowly add about ½ cup of the warm broth and cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring, adding additional broth after each addition has been absorbed. It will take 25 to 30 minutes to use up all of the broth and for the risotto to become creamy and al dente. When the final ½ cup broth has nearly been absorbed, add the beets, stirring them in well. Add lemon zest and juice, then the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

tip

Yes, raw beets go into this risotto. Because they’re shredded, they cook fast yet still have a very tiny bit of bite to them.

Added yum:

Sprinkle the top with crispy fried pancetta

Print

“sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese”

With Valentine’s Day around the corner we thought it would be fun to give you a recipe and dinner idea from our cookbook, “f-words mom let us say: food, family & friends”. Our recipe, “sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese” has become a fun, celebratory dish in the Peddie house. The gorgeous, deep red color from the beets makes this a festive meal for Valentines, Galentines, or a couples’ dinner party. Of course, we believe we should each be our own Valentine first and foremost, so we think this dish is also perfect to make just for yourself for a self-nurturing, cozy night in.

 

The idea of beet risotto may sound a little strange but we promise, this is scrumptious. The earthiness of the beets combined with the creamy smoothness of the risotto and goat cheese makes a balanced, decadent combination. The color is rich and natural and sets a loving tone for a heartfelt meal. This recipe turns beet skeptics into beet lovers. My youngest daughter Cami, thought she hated beets until she tried this dish, and it’s become one of her absolute favorites. We make it together every time she comes home from college!

 

I would say the hardest part of the recipe, and this isn’t really hard, is the peeling and shredding of the beet. It just takes a little umph using the box grater! Your hands will turn bright red so don’t freak out like I did the first time I worked with a red beet! Just wash your hands with warm, soapy water as soon as you’re done and your new, bright red hands will go away! 😉

 

If you’re new to cooking, or making risotto, I would definitely Mise en place. If you’re not familiar, Mise en place is a French culinary term meaning “put in place” or “everything in its place.” Not only is it a fun phrase, but it’s also one of the most helpful ways to ensure the success of your dish. If equipment is ready and all of the ingredients are prepped before cooking, it eliminates stress and makes cooking it fun and stress free. It’s worth a few extra dirty dishes. I even like to set up each ingredient in the order it goes into the pan so it can really be goof proof.

 

Risotto requires patience since you’re adding the broth slowly, waiting for the rice to drink it up in increments. So pour yourself a little glass of wine and enjoy watching this beautiful dish come together. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s unique, delicious, nutritious and absolutely says I love you!

  • Author: sharon caldwell peddie

Ingredients

sweetie beetie risotto with goat cheese 

Ready in 1 hour, 15 minutes

Serves 4 to 5

 

5 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme

4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed, peeled, and chopped

1½ cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

½ cup red wine of choice

2 raw medium red beets, stemmed, peeled, and shredded (with a box grater)

Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

⅓ cup goat cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 leaves fresh basil for garnish

 

Instructions

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. (Simmering the broth keeps it warm all through the cooking process, which helps release the starch in the rice and makes your risotto creamy and dreamy.)

 

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and sauté until the onion is lightly browned and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute.

 

Add the rice and cook until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. (This adds a nutty elegance to the rice’s flavor.) Add the wine and stir until it has almost been completely absorbed by the rice. Still stirring, slowly add about ½ cup of the warm broth and cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring, adding additional broth after each addition has been absorbed. It will take 25 to 30 minutes to use up all of the broth and for the risotto to become creamy and al dente. When the final ½ cup broth has nearly been absorbed, add the beets, stirring them in well. Add lemon zest and juice, then the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

 

Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

 

tip

Yes, raw beets go into this risotto. Because they’re shredded, they cook fast yet still have a very tiny bit of bite to them.

 

Added yum:

Sprinkle the top with crispy fried pancetta

 

 

Sharon Caldwell Peddie is the Author of “Grow Yourself Beautiful: A Smart Girl’s Guide to Following Her Heart and Focusing on Her Inner Joy and f-words mom let us say: food, family & friends”. For more information on her books visit: sharonpeddieblog.com or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Sharon%20caldwell%20peddie, or https://www.pinterest.com/sharonpeddie/pins/,https://www.amazon.com/f-words-mom-let-say-everyday/dp/B0BNT2G6N7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZPX0IPDUHIUV&keywords=f-words+mom+let+us+say+food+family+%26+friends&qid=1676312524&sprefix=f-words%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1

Anything contained in my blog that is written or shared by me is just my personal view. If you find inspiration in any of my content, please be responsible, safe and legal.

“Forest Bathing”

“Forest Bathing”….Ahhhh. What is it and why does it sound sooo good? We have all experienced the beautiful sense of calm that comes from spending some quiet time in nature. I recently learned the term “forest bathing” and in my opinion, there has never been a better way to describe the act of quiet time with nature and the euphoric, calming feeling that follows. I love the term and intentional concept so much, I wanted to share it with anyone who may not have heard of it or had it registered this way.

We can thank the Japanese for this exquisite term and intentional practice. As I understand it, the term Shinrin-yoku, was created in the 1980’s by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and translates to forest bathing. This ecotherapy concept was meant to be an antidote to the burnout from the technology boom and to also encourage their culture to connect and protect Japan’s forests. Forest bathing has become a big part of Japanese preventative and restorative health care practices. This concept has gained popularity all over the world. 

Shinrin-yoku/forest bathing, doesn’t literally mean go take a bath in the forest (although that could be fun too), but it does encourage absorbing the forest atmosphere through calm, quiet, mindful exercise. Like everything, forest bathing can become something different for everyone but the idea is to leave the world behind and be present with nature. If yours involves movement, maybe remove a stressful goal in order to gain all of its benefits. The practice encourages using all 5 senses to observe, soak in, and experience all that the forest wants to give us. It’s not a new surprise, but more and more studies are proving that spending time in nature strengthens our immune system; lowers our stress; eases anxiety and depression; lowers our blood pressure; elevates our mood; and helps us sleep better. The list of benefits is even longer than that! 

I think this forest bathing term caught my interest because I love a forest! I fell in love with them as a little girl. My family and I spent a great amount of time in Ocala National Forest in Florida, and its surrounding sister forests too. Ever since, I have always loved spending time with trees and being in all the pretty places that house them. I don’t know that I’ve always understood all of the health benefits, but I know my time in nature has always left me feeling happy, peaceful and grounded. So much so, I’ve made hanging out in them a way of life. So many of my favorite hobbies take place in the great outdoors. I especially love hiking and feel so blessed to live in Oregon where there is an abundance of spectacular trees and forests!! I have always thought that spending time in the forest feels and smells like a magnitude of wonderful things. It’s like looking at colorful, miraculous works of art. Many forests have herby, floral smells that calm and delight like a luxurious spa. Time in the forest has allowed me many, meaningful conversations with God. They are so detailed and long, they draw you in like soft motivation from a physical trainer. A forest can feel like free therapy from a problem solving psychologist. I didn’t know I was “forest bathing” but I know I always leave the forest a stronger, better me. How fun to have a term to describe this beautiful thing I love! 

The world and life can be pretty hectic, stressful, and overwhelming at times. As humans, I think we are always seeking ways to deal with it so we can enjoy our lives. If we don’t find healthy ways to do so, we can become depressed, sick or attach to unhealthy vices. Our beautiful earth has a forest or park never too far away from us. Next time you’re feeling low, overwhelmed or just in need of some fresh air and me time, go to the trees! From personal experience, I can assure you the trees will help calm you, restore you and heal you. The trees will always show you how to love and appreciate life more. Your forest bath is waiting. Go take it. You deserve it.

Sharon Caldwell Peddie is the Author of “Grow Yourself Beautiful: A Smart Girl’s Guide to Following Her Heart and Focusing on Her Inner Joy and f-words mom let us say: food, family & friends”. For more information on her books visit: sharonpeddieblog.com or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Sharon%20caldwell%20peddiesharonpeddieblog.com or https://www.pinterest.com/sharonpeddie/pins/

Anything contained in my blog that is written or shared by me is just my personal view. If you find inspiration in any of my content, please be responsible, safe and legal.