You haven’t lived until you have tasted this cheese. Now combine it with the lovely beets and you have a salad fit for a king.
- 4 red beets, roasted and peeled
- 4 golden beets, roasted and peeled
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. minced fresh basil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 cups mixed baby greens
- 2 pouches of Burrata cheese
- olive oil for garnish
- basil flowers for garnish
Thinly slice the roasted beets using a fine paring knife or a mandolin.
On 4 pretty plates. arrange the sliced beets, alternating the colours in a circular manner. In a narrow bowl, whisk together vigorously the balsamic vinegar and lime juice until emulsified. Add the honey, basil, salt and pepper to taste.
Place the baby greens in a bowl, drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to coat.
Top each arrangement of the beets with a mound of greens. Slice each pouch of cheese in half and place one on each salad. Drizzle with additional dots of balsamic dressing and garnish with a basil flower (optional).
What did I say? That cheese is to die for. Yes, it is more expensive to buy but you should do this for a special occasion or, use as often as you wish.
Beets With Marmalade Butter
Make sure you cook the beets unpeeled and whole. This way they don ‘t bleed while cooking and they keep all the ‘healthy’ nutrition.
Beets
- 10-12 fresh beets, without greens
Cook the beets in a pot of boiling water for about 40 minutes, until cooked and when pierced with a skewer are tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, cut off the stem and root ends and peel the outer layer off with a paring knife.
If you have a mandolin to slice the beets or use a Chef’s knife to slice by hand and put into a large bowl.
Butter
- 1/4 cup Seville Marmalade
- 2 tbsp. butter
When ready to serve, place the butter and marmalade in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the beets and ‘gently’ mix to coat evenly. Cover and heat until hot.
Garnish
- 4-5 kumquats, cut in half
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
To serve, line the edges of a platter with spring mix greens. Set the beets in the middle and garnish with the kumquats and parsley. It is lovely and a very impressive vegetable to serve.
Serves 8
Beet Cake With Rhubarb Cream Cheese Icing
Everyone has a recipe for carrot cake….this is similar and the colour will fool you. When making the batter it is, of course, red (looks like a red velvet cake) ..when it is baked, it is not. As far as taste and flavour go, it is hard to beat (excuse the pun). Truly a delicious cake and the icing….WOW!
This recipe is from the Walnut Beach Resort Chef, Justin.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup Crisco oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 up brown sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 3 cups grated beets (peeled and grated raw – wear gloves)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees or set your barbecue (that is right) with indirect heat with the far left burner on high and the burner next to it on low. Grease and flour 2 x 8 or 9 inch cake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla together.
In three stages, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just mixed together.
Fold in your grated beets and divide the batter between the two pans equally.
Bake 40-45 minutes in the oven or bake with the lid closed on the barbecue , checking every 15 minutes until done. Test with a toothpick.
Remove and allow to completely cool.
Icing
9 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Take the rhubarb, sugar and water and place in a small pot on the stove. bring to a boil.
Lower the temperature and cook until it becomes thick, like jam. About 30 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, whip the ceam cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add the cooled rhubarb jam and mix in.
Add as much of the rhubarb mixture as you like to taste. Put about half of the icing on the top of the bottom layer, place the second cake on top and finish icing.
If making two separate cakes, make the icing 1.5 times to ensure you have enough for both.
Garnish
Take one beet (medium size) and peel then slice very thin on a mandolin (if you have one). In a saucepan of 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, boil for 4-5 minutes to thicken and cook the beets.
. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, lay out the slices and bake in a 250 oven for 45 minutes or so. They will appear to be a little limp when you first remove them from the cookie sheet, but as they cool, they crisp up (like chips). Put a handful on top of the cake. You devil you, who knew you were so clever?
This is amazing…..try it and I know you will like it.
Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad
Salads sound good, especially good when you want to close the blinds and block out the tail end of winter. Think warm, sunny days on the deck…at the lake…having a lazy Sunday….on and on! This will serve 6 guests.
- 6 small beets (3 yelllow and 3 red would be awesome)
- 2 large blood oranges
- Baby mixed spring greens
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium, minced shalot
- 2 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- few thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the beets individually in tin foil and bake about 1- 1 1/2 hours until fork tender. Remove beets from oven, unwrap and cool a few minutes before handling. Wearing gloves, peel and slice the beets into eighths. Set aside.
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the pith (white) as you can. Now with a grapefruit knife, remove each segment from their skin.
Place the segments in a bowl. If there is anything left in the skins, squeeze whatever juice you can and sprinkle over the segments in the bowl.
Make the dressing and whisk it all together until well blended.
Now on salad plates, place some of the greens in the centre of each plate. Place some of the beets pieces on each plate (if using yellow and red beets, mix them up), sprinkle the orange segments around the plate and drizzle the dressing over it all.
Warm rolls, glass of crisp, chilled wine…voila! Pure enjoyment in a meal.
Beet and Cabbage Borscht Soup
I love this soup and and this is an awsome recipe to use. The sour cream makes it and, of course, nice warm rolls, glass of wine, good company….what else is there?
Serves 4-6
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 1/2 cups chopped cabbage (1/4 of
a small one) - 1 small onion, chopped
- 8-10 cups vegetable broth
- 6-7 small beets, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup drained and chopped Roma tomatoes (canned)
- 1/2 cup chardonnay wine
- Pinch celery salt
- Fine herbs to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Sour Cream for garnish
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and add potatoes, cabbage, onion and saute until the cabbage softens (maybe five minutes). Now add eight cups of broth, , wine, the beets and tomat
oes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (thirty to forty-five minutes). Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Put in a blender and blend until smooth. Be sure you do this in small batches or it will explode all over your kitchen. Trust me. If you want a thinner soup, add more stock. Ladle into pretty soup bowls, add a dollop of sour cream. This is a very good course to serve company. Remember, it is all in how it is presented. Voila! You mastered another easy course for your dinner.
