Red Goose GardensRoasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze
From “Simply Recipes”
2 pounds red beets, medium sized, scrubbed clean, green tops removed (see beet greens recipe for what to do with beet greens)
Olive oil
Salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the beets in the pan. Rub olive oil over the beets, and sprinkle with salt. Cover the beets with another sheet of aluminum foil. Roast for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the beets and how old they are. After 1 hour, test every fifteen minutes by poking a beet with the tines of a fork. Once the fork tines go in easily, the beets are tender and cooked. Remove from the oven.
2. While the beets are cooling, prepare the balsamic glaze. In a small, shallow sauté pan, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Heat on high until the vinegar has reduced to a syrup consistency. Remove from heat.
3. After the beets have cooled for several minutes, but are still warm to the touch, peel off the outer skins and discard. Cut the beets into quarters or more, bite-sized pieces.
4. Place beets in a serving bowl. Pour balsamic glaze over the beets. Stir in grated orange zest, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with a little orange zest to serve.
Roasted Beet Soup with Crème Fraîche
From Bon Appétit February 2005
What to drink: Pour brut or rosé Champagne throughout the meal, or pair the soup with a light red wine (try an Oregon Pinot Noir) and the Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab with a fragrant dry white, such as Viognier or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
1/2 pound red beets (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups water
1 small bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 fresh parsley sprig
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets. Cut 1/4 of 1 beet into 1/4-inch cubes; reserve for garnish. Cut remaining beets into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Melt butter with oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, onion, and celery and cook until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes. Stir in ginger, allspice, white pepper, and 1/2-inch beet pieces. Cook until vegetables begin to stick to bottom of pot, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add 2 cups water, bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate.)
3. Gently rewarm soup (do not boil). Divide between 2 bowls. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Sprinkle with reserved beet cubes.
Quinoa Salad Recipe with Roasted Beets, Chick Peas, Baby Spinach and Orange
From the “GlutenFreeGoddess.blogspot.com”.
This is a totally vegan quinoa salad recipe, but if you enjoy a little goat cheese now and then, I think this salad would be delightful with a crumble of fresh, organic goat cheese. I've also served this quinoa salad with a sprinkle of toasted slivered almonds.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
3 cups cooked quinoa
2 beets, trimmed and quartered
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons organic gluten-free tamari sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon organic raw agave nectar or local honey
1 cup drained rinsed chick peas
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces
While the quinoa is cooking, roast the beets in a medium size roasting pan, by combining the beets with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. Place the pan in the center of the oven and roast until the beets are tender (roughly 45 minutes). Remove the beets from the hot pan and set them aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, rub off the skin. Cut the beets into bite sized pieces.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, orange juice, GF tamari, vinegar, and agave in a glass measuring cup and whisk. Set aside.
Combine the warm, cooked quinoa in a mixing bowl with the chick peas and baby spinach leaves. Pour in the salad dressing and toss lightly. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.
Gently add in the cut up roasted beets and fresh orange pieces. Do not over mix or your entire salad will turn beet red. I think it's more attractive to keep the staining to a minimum.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh goat cheese, or slivered almonds, if desired.
Red Velvet Cake with Beets
Inspired by The African American Heritage Cookbook by Carolyn Quick Tillery
6 organic beets, boiled for 40 minutes, and then cooled, peeled, and chopped coarsely
1/2 cup organic applesauce
1/2 cup organic butter, softened
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
2 eggs, preferably organic and free-range
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
1 Tb. vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup organic plain yogurt
2 Tb. organic cocoa powder or organic raw chocolate powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups organic spelt flour or all purpose flour or cake flour, sifted
1 tsp. Himalayan or sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9 inch round layer pans. Combine chopped cooked beets and applesauce in a blender and blend until smooth. It should look like this:
2. In a large mixing bowl in an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, and then add the beet mixture, mixing well. Add the vinegar and the yogurt and mix well again.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa or chocolate powder, baking soda, flour, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until well blended.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from pans and allowing to cool completely. When the cakes are cool, you may frost them.
Red Velvet Cake Frosting
Adapted from The African American Heritage Cookbook by Carolyn Quick Tillery
Ingredients:
6 Tb. organic spelt flour or all-purpose flour
1 cup water or organic milk
1 cup organic butter
1 cup organic sugar
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
Bring flour and water to a boil, reduce heat, and stir constantly until thick and slightly clear. Cool in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and continue to beat until fluffy. Keep the frosting refrigerated before use.
