Roasted Beet Hummus

I took the risk and tried this recipe for an open house I hosted this afternoon; it was a hit!  A number of guests commented that it would be a beautiful addition to any holiday menu.  It was good!  I think the cannellini beans as the base allows the bean flavor to take a back seat and lets all the other yummy flavors shine through.

Source:  marthastewart.com

1 chopped clove garlic

1/3 c. chopped roasted beets*

1 c. cooked white beans (I used cannellini beans)

2 T. lemon juice

2 T. olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Puree garlic, beets, beans, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Serving suggestion:  serve with fennel

*Note:  Roasted beets freeze beautifully!  I had roasted some beets earlier in the summer, then stuck them in the freezer.  Out of the freezer they peel super easily, so this was a quick and easy recipe to make since the beets were all ready to go.

Pickled Beets

Source:  Adapted from Mennonite Country Style Recipes

4 qts. beets

2 1/2 c. vinegar

2 1/2 c. water

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 t. whole allspice

1 (3-inch) stick of cinnamon

1/2 t. whole cloves

1 T. pickling spice (optional)

Cut tops off beats leaving 1" of stem; leave root attached.  (This helps to prevent the nutrients from cooking away in the water.)  Wash thoroughly.  Cover with hot water and cook until tender enough that skins slip off, approximately 15-25 minutes, depending on size.  Dunk in cold water to cool for handling.  Cut off remaining tops and roots and slip off skins.  Cut into cubes, slices or quarters, or leave small beets whole.

Pack beets into quart jars.  Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in saucepan.  Tie spices in a cheesecloth and add to pan.  Heat to boiling and boil 5 min.

Remove spice bag.  Pour vinegar/sugar mixture over beets in jars, leaving 1" headspace.  Tighten lids, and process in boiling water bath for 10 min.

Roasted-Vegetable Salad with Poached Eggs

Source:  Everyday Food Magazine

3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1 medium yellow onion, diced medium

2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 large beet, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/2" wedges

1 large sprig rosemary

3 T. olive oil, divided

sea salt and pepper

4 large eggs

1 head red leaf lettuce, trimmed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces

1 T. lemon juice plus wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes, onion, carrots, beets, and rosemary with 2 T. oil; season with salt and pepper.  Roast vegetables until golden and tender, about 30 min.

Meanwhile, in a straight-sided skillet, heat 2" water over medium until a few bubbles rise to the top.  Crack eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl and gently pour into skillet.  Cook, undisturbed, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 3-4 min.  With a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl and toss with lettuce, lemon juice and remaining 1 T. oil; season with salt and pepper.  Divide among four plates; top with poached eggs, and serve with lemon wedges.

Roasted Beet Salad Pizza

OK, I don't have an official recipe for this pizza, but it's basically this Roasted Beet salad turned into a pizza!  My neighbors Cory & Heather and I are in love with this salad, and we also LOVE pizza, so we compared notes and turned it into a pizza.

Here are the basic directions:

Brush pizza crush with olive oil.

Layer plenty of soft goat cheese and sliced roasted beets.

Bake

After baking, add spring greens or arugula (I prefer arugula), candied pecans or walnuts, and generously drizzle with dressing.

YUMMM!!!!

Roasted Beet Sandwich

Fabulous!!

I broke my "local/in-season" rule by buying some arugula for this recipe - a friend was coming for supper, and I didn't want to wait until spring to try this.  I knew it would be good because it's basically a variation of the Roasted Beet  Salad that I love, love, love, and it was as good as I anticipated!  I'll be sure to plant some beets and arugula and make this again!

Source:  adapted from recipe in Botanical Interests 2012 seed catalog

2-4 fresh beets, roasted, peeled and sliced

2 large handfuls of fresh arugula

4 slice (1/2" thick) good quality, multi-grain bread slices

4 T. soft goat cheese

3-4 T. Chef Tim's Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

sea salt, to taste

Remove stems and greens from beets, wash and pat dry.  Place in glass baking dish.  Toss with small amount of olive oil; sprinkle with sea salt.  Tightly cover dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees F. until soft (30-50 minutes, depending on size.  A toothpick should be easily inserted all the way to the center.)  When cool enough to handle, gently rub the skins off and slice.  Toast the bread.  Spread a thick layer of goat cheese on one slice of toasted bread.  Layer sliced beets on top of goat cheese.  Pile arugula on top of beets.  Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with sea salt.  Top with other slice of toasted bread.

Spring Greens with Beets & Goat Cheese

I used fresh roasted beets in place of the canned beets in this salad - yum!!

Source:  adapted from Taste of Home magazine, April/May 2009

2/3 c. pecan halves

3 T. balsamic vinegar, divided

1 T. water

1 T. sugar

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. maple syrup

1 t. whole grain mustard

1/8 t. salt

5 oz. spring mix salad greens

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) sliced beets, drained*

1 c. crumbled goat cheese

In a large heavy skillet, cook the pecans, 1 T. vinegar and water over medium heat until nuts are toasted, about 4 min.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Cook and stir for 2-4 min. or until sugar is melted.  Spread on foil to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, syrup, mustard, salt and remaining vinegar.  Refrigerate until serving.

In a large bowl, combine salad greens and dressing; toss to coat.  Divide among eight salad plates.  Top with beets, goat cheese and glazed pecans.

Yield:  8 servings

*Note:  To roast beets, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a 9x13" baking dish, toss 1 bunch beets (about 1 1/2 lbs.), scrubbed, with 1 T. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cover dish tightly with foil; roast until tender when pierced with a knife, 45-60 min., depending on size.  When cool enough to handle, rub with a paper towel to remove skins (if desired).