High protein Chicken and Beetroot Risotto
Fabulous risottos are so easy to make in your Thermomix ® and this one is very tasty. Sports nutrition expert Nigel Mitchell’s combination of lots of protein (chicken, cream cheese, parmesan) and three grains ups the nutritional impact as well as adding different textures – the rice is al dente, the quinoa soft, and the pearl barley is delightfully a little chewy. Serves 6.
100 g parmesan, cut in 2 cm pieces
40 g coconut oil or olive oil
135 g red onions, halved and sliced in half rings
135 g beetroot, cut in bite-size pieces
135 g leeks, cut in bite-size pieces
400 g chicken breast fillets, cut in 4 cm pieces
25 g garlic, cut in slivers
100 g pearl barley
100 g risotto rice
100 g quinoa
20 g homemade vegetable stock paste or 1 vegetable stock cube (for 1 litre)
1000 g freshly boiled water
½ tsp fine sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
180 g cream cheese
50 g fresh rocket leaves (arugula)
1. Using the built-in Thermomix ® weighing scales, place parmesan in mixing bowl then grate 10 sec/speed 10. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Weigh coconut oil, onion half rings, beetroot, leeks, chicken and garlic into mixing bowl and cook 10 min/100°C/reverse/speed spoon.
3. Add barley, risotto rice, quinoa, stock paste and freshly boiled water. Stir with spatula then cook 15 min/100°C/reverse/speed spoon.
4. Add salt, cream cheese and half the reserved grated parmesan. Stir in with spatula then cook 5 min/100°C/reverse/speed spoon. Transfer to a large serving dish, sprinkle with rocket and remaining grated parmesan and serve.
Tips
Recipes for homemade stock paste can be found in The Basic Cookbook.
Chicken stock paste can be used if preferred.
For a delicious vegetarian risotto, replace the chicken with an extra 400 g vegetables, cut in bite-size pieces, e.g. carrots, turnips, butternut squash, leeks and beetroot.
This recipe is for Thermomix ® TM5 only.
