Thought for Food

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Risotto Verde with Watercress Pesto

Finally, on Friday, the sun came out again. After weeks of bad weather, we had a whole day of bright, beautiful sunshine. The air was crisp and cold, but that didn't matter. From inside our heated office the world looked warm and welcoming. So where once there was roast chicken and stew, I now detected cravings for springtime food. In my mental colour chart, I replaced brown and yellow tones with green and red. I was ready for a bit of living again. These sentiments were clearly reflected in our dinner that night: Risotto with mixed greens and watercress pesto topped with freshly cooked beetroot. And you know what was the best thing about it? You barely have to do anything to prepare it. Perfect for a Friday night!

For the risotto:
1 portion of Christine's basic risotto
all sorts of greens (such as Brussel tops, baby kale, spinach, mustard greens or anything else that's green, in season and to your liking), 2 handfuls in total
2 tbsp butter
For the pesto:
1 large bunch of watercress
a handful of pine nuts or almonds, crushed
90 g Parmesan, grated (alternatively, you can use Parmesan style cheddar or aged Gouda)
85 ml olive oil
salt to taste
To serve:
1 cooked baby beetroot
Parmesan shavings
Freshly ground pepper

Prepare the risotto according to the instructions, but don't add the cheese yet. In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the greens and cook slowly for about 2 minutes until the greens have collapsed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Now prepare the pesto. In a mini blender, puree the watercress with the oil. Add the crushed nuts and blend again. Finally, stir in the grated cheese and season with salt if needed (normally it shouldn't).
To serve, stir the greens and the cheese into the risotto and allow to heat through. Divide between 2 plates and top with the pesto. Cut the beetroot into quarters and arrange two bits on each of the plates. Add Parmesan shavings and freshly ground pepper to your liking.

Christine at 1:41 pm

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