Beetroot and Fennel Baked Risotto

We love a good risotto and when I had a lot of lovely fresh beetroot that needed using and I knew that it would make a delicious, vibrant coloured dish. When I looked in the fridge I also found a fennel bulb that needed using. Fennel and beetroot go hand in hand. The aniseed flavours from the fennel give the earthy flavours from the beetroot a fantastic lift. They really are a perfect match. Combined they create a really rich, special flavour. This meal is more time consuming but believe me it is worth the extra effort. Plus while the oven is working it's magic you can either sit back with a glass of wine or spend time with your loved one this Valentines day.

How will you be spending Valentines day this year?

A recent study was completed by Hello Fresh and they found that, like us, 70% of couples were going to stay in with a romantic, home cooked meal. They always say that the way to a mans heart is though his stomach so it is not surprising that 66% of those asked, also believe it. Also 72% said that a meal cooked by their other half was much more romantic than going out.

So, what were the most popular homemade meals for Valentines day?

One of the first meals that I cooked for the Hubby was steak and chips, so I was not surprised that steak and chips were the nations favourie Valentines meal. This was closely followed by curry and lasagne. They also asked what we the foods to turn you on and off. People voted chocolate, champagne, oysters and asparagus as turn on foods and beans, garlic bread, spicy foods and snails at turn offs. So if you are looking at cooking a romantic meal for you loved one, stay away from these!

When it comes to drinks the top romantic drinks were red wine, champagne and prosecco. But I have to admit my top drink has to be gin! If you follow these top tips you should be ok, just don't burn the food!

I have to admit that the hubby is not one for fancy foods and yes, when he saw the colour of this risotto he was shocked but I thought that the vibrant pink made this a meal that you will not forget and after tasting it, you will be making it again! This is a perfect vegetarian meal for Valentine's day!

This is what I did...

Beetroot and Fennel Baked Risotto

Ingredients

600g fresh beetroot, peeled and halved
150g fresh fennel
3 cloves of garlic
1 red onion, quartered
Olive oil
200mls white wine
750mls vegetable stock
2 heaped tbsp quark
Soft goats cheese
Pumpkin seeds
250g arborio rice

Method

1 - Preheat the oven to 200C

2 - Place the beetroot, chopped fennel and garlic cloves in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and place in the centre of the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes

3 - Once the vegetables have roasted remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes

4 - Place three quarters of the roasted vegetables in a blender with 50mls of water and blitz until you have a smooth paste

5 - In an oven proof pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat and gently fry the red onions

6 - Add the arborio rice to the pan and coat with oil

7 - Stir in the white wine, bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced

8 - Pour in the vegetable stock and mix thoroughly

9 -Stir in the vegetable puree and add the remaining chunks of vegetables and place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes

10 - Once the rice is cooked al dente remove from the oven

11 - Place the pumpkin seeds in a hot frying pan and quickly fry until they start to pop then remove from the heat

12 - Serve the risotto with crumbled soft goats cheese and the pumpkin seeds

This meal was an experiment but believe me, a really successful experiment. The flavours combined together to make a truly spectacular meal that is healthy, full of flavour and a vibrant pink colour!

Perfect for Valentine's day!

Enjoy x

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Disclosure: These statistics were supplied by Hello Fresh