Sweet Radish Risotto Boats {MMAZ #18}

by Heather Blackmon on December 18, 2012 · 26 comments

I hope you don’t mind that I postponed MMAZ at the last minute this week. When I heard about the Blog Day of Silence, I just felt that was important to support and that food really paled in comparison.

Today, I’m moving on to brighter topics though, as we share the final Meatless Mondays from A-Z of 2012!! This week’s key ingredient was radishes and I’ve already seen some great creations that have been shared over the past few days. But first, I want to shared what I cooked up for you!

I love risotto, so it’s always something that comes to mind for a warm meal. When Kirk and I were brainstorming ideas, he suggested a sweet base to complement to spiciness of the radishes. And to do something a little different with seasonal ingredients, I used chestnuts to create a creamy sauce for the risotto!

Kirk was actually feeling the altitude sickness when I tested this recipe on Sunday night, so I didn’t have my normal taste-tester to help me out. BUT, on Monday for lunch, he enjoyed some of the leftovers topped with blueberries! If you’re up for some extra sweetness, those make a great addition to this fun and colorful appetizer.

Sweet Radish Risotto Boats

by Heather Blackmon

Keywords: appetizer brunch salad side snack soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian gluten-free radish

Ingredients (6-8 as appetizers)

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used truffle oil)
1 cup arborio rice (gluten-free, if desired)
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chestnuts, roasted and peeled
1/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup diced radish
2 Belgian endives
Optional: blueberries

Instructions

Heat broth in microwave for 4 minutes.

Heat oil in small pan over medium heat. Add risotto and stir for a minute before adding liquid. Stir in broth about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once liquid is evaporated, add more broth and repeat process until all liquid is absorbed. (for video instructions on cooking risotto, click here).

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, grind chestnuts well. Slowly add water until paste is formed. Stir chestnut paste into risotto with ground nutmeg. Remove from heat. Stir in radishes.

Pull apart leaves and arrange with the scooped side up, resembling boats. Spoon risotto into endive “boats” and arrange on a serving tray or plate.

Optional: My husband topped each boat with 3 blueberries for a sweeter treat!

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Before I close for the day, I want to make sure you’ve heard about Laura’s new link-up called “Strange But Good”! Basically, it’s for featuring recipes like today’s, where the ingredients are not something most people would consider normal, but are actually really yummy! Although I’ll admit I’m not good at knowing what is typically “strange”, I’m loving the concept!