Athlete's Cookbook - Athlete Recipes

Beetroot Risotto

Key Features

• highly nutritious and colourful
• vegetarian
• high carbohydrate
• low fat

This fabulous risotto I first came across when travelling in Munich Germany, served to us by our German friend. Although I have made it many times since, it is always different to the first time. Maybe it was those German cheeses she used. Beetroot seems an unlikely match for a risotto, but the purple colour of the beetroot makes for an outstanding look to the meal. It will be a fabulous hit for your friends or family.

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 2-3)

• 2 whole beetroots
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 1 onion
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 100ml red wine
• 500ml vegetable stock
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• freshly ground black pepper

Risotto is always a great meal for athletes due to the high carbohydrate content of the rice. This has an extra added carbohydrate bonus from the beetroot as well. It would make a superb meal for the night before an event, being very low fat, and high carbohydrate. You may want to exclude the wine in the recipe, not to eliminate alcohol from the dish, as all the alcohol evaporates on cooking, but because you may be tempted to drink the rest of the bottle.

Method

1. Boil the beets till tender, approximately 30 minutes. Drain most of the juice from the pot, keeping about a cup.
2. Chop the beets into small cubes
3. In a separate pot cook the onion, garlic and fennel in the oil until translucent
4. Add the Arborio rice and cook for a few minutes longer till rice is coated
5. Add the wine and cook till evaporated
6. Add half the stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring regularly while cooking
7. Add the diced beetroot and thyme to the pot, followed by the remaining stock and continue stirring
8. Use the beetroot juice if the risotto gets a little dry and the rice is not done
9. When the rice is soft but still slightly al-dente, turn the element off, add the Parmesan and pepper and stir vigorously

Other options:

• Serve sprinkled with walnuts, soft goats cheese and rocket leaves to spruce it up a little for a dinner party.
• You can roast the beetroot wrapped in foil as opposed to boiling in step #1

• you can use chicken stock instead of vegetable for a lightly different flavour.

Tags: HIGH CARB, MAIN COURSE, MODERN FUSION, RICE AND GRAINS, VEGETABLE, VEGETARIAN