Creamy Beet Risotto

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Peel and chop beets. Put beets on a baking sheet. Rinse, dry, and pick 2 tsp of the thyme leaves. Toss beets in 2 tsp oil, thyme, a good pinch of salt and pepper and roast until tender, about 18 to 22 minutes.

Peel and mince shallots. Mince garlic. Heat 2 tbsp oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and pinch salt, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in farro, cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water and vegetable powder. Bring to a simmer, cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.

When the beets are roasted, stir them into the almost-cooked farro until it turns a deep purple, about 1 minute. Continue to simmer until farro is tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vegan parmesan and vegan butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zest 2 tbsp of the orange and add it to a medium bowl. Peel the oranges by cutting off both ends and then using a knife to cut away the peel and pith (the bitter, white spongy layer between peel and fruit). Supreme the oranges by cutting the segments away from the membrane, over the bowl with the zest, to catch any juice.

Rinse and dry the arugula and add it to the medium bowl with the oranges. Toss with 2 tsp of olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Put the beet-farro risotto in a shallow bowl and garnish with the orange zest and a sprig of thyme. Serve with the arugula-orange salad and enjoy!