Creamy Whole Beet Pilaf

1 beet, peeled and quartered
1-2 c beat greens, stems trimmed/shredded

4 c water/broth (up to 7 c. if using brown rice instead)

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, minced

1 c Arborio rice (I rarely use arbirio, but most often brown rice)

salt and pepper to taste

1 T lemon juice (opt.)
2 T butter (opt.)

grated Parmesan cheese  (opt. for top)          

1. Sautee onion in the oil until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the rice; cook and stir another 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the beet and beet green mixture, cooking another minute.
4. Pour in the broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding each batch, stirring continually. Do this for the amount of time the rice normally takes to cook, but allow the water to absorb until tender--may have to periodically taste for doneness. (I do brown rice and cook it for a whole hour with seven cups of broth/water)
5. Continue stirring until creamy and thick, about 3 minutes more. Add lemon juice, butter and salt if desired. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired. ]

*found this recipe at allrecipes.com and it's a great way to use the whole beet/greens. I tweaked it a little by not adding any cheddar cheese, using brown rice and adding the lemon juice. It's very creamy with the brown rice and 7 cups water! And I've used pumpkin and feta, in place of beets. Adding pureed vegetables makes it healthier. So this recipe is my modified version. Enjoy!