Roasted Beet Chips
I always associate beets with the Borscht Soup that my Oma used to make in the fall and winter months. At the time, I don't recall being all that enamored with either the soup, or beets. But now I love them both. We have found that beets are not a vegetable that generates a mild response. Whenever we plan to serve them, we like to first test out the waters to see if our guests are beet-friend or -foe. Beets have a strong earthy flavor that needs some assistance. In their unvarnished form, they are a dusty and lumpy root vegetable, with little to commend by their exterior. But peel a beet and you will find a vibrant, sweet and minerally vegetable, happy to lend color and flavor to drab dishes. Beets and their greens are chock full of vitamins, among them A, B1, B2, B6 and C and are high in calcium, iron and magnesium. Beets respond well to many cooking applications and are delicious in everything from hummus to pickles to juice. I first made these roasted beet chips when I was hankering for some root chips (those incredibly overpriced bags of beet and sweet potato chips at the grocery). It occurred to me that I could make them on my own and instead of deep frying, I thought I’d give beet chips in the oven a go. While Paul was skeptical of my oven technique, it worked beautifully and he sneakily polished off the first batch before our guests arrived!
Yield: Serves 1-2 as a snack
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sized beets, washed, unpeeled, ends trimmed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or flake salt
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, cut the beets into the thinnest slices you can. Note, I would suggest using a plastic versus wood cutting board as the beet stains can be challenging to get out of wood. Additionally, if you get annoyed by beet stains on your hands, plastic/latex gloves are very handy.
- Toss the beet slices with olive oil and salt.
- Spread parchment or silicon mats on two large baking sheets. Spread beets on the baking sheets and intersperse with rosemary. Note, depending on the size of your beets you may need to make more than one round.
- Bake for 20-40 minutes (I know this is a very wide range, but you will need to keep a look out, depending on the size and density of your beets, the cook time will vary significantly. The beets will be done when they have changed color, become less of vibrant and bright, they should appear quite dry. Feel free to taste the chips along the way to test for the texture you prefer.
- Remove the pans from the oven. Add additional salt or flavoring to your preference and eat immediately.
Hearty Buckwheat Salad with Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
We discovered three bags of buckwheat groats in one of our suitcases when we returned to Haiti a few months ago.... some toddler packing assistance, perhaps?! Buckwheat is one of our favorite salad grains that we make seasonal adaptations of throughout the year. I especially love the nutty flavors of buckwheat with a creamy sweet roasted garlic vinaigrette and toasted vegetables. Beets and carrots are all plentiful in our Port-au-Prince markets this time of year, and we love the slightly offbeat grassy flavor of local okra in the mix.
For other grain based salads try our Spring Picnic Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Feta, Hearty Quinoa & Chickpea Salad, Spring Buckwheat Grouts Salad, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad with Mushrooms & Asparagus.
Beet Horseradish Hummus
Hummus is an infinitely adaptable dish, for some it is a nod towards ethnic cuisine, for others, a protein packed essential in a meat free diet. I like hummus for its ability to transform with color, from carrot stained orange to pea tinted green. Of all the variations on hummus, beet horseradish hummus is my favorite. It is hard not be captivated by this ruby toned riff on hummus. Try walking by a plate of beet horseradish smeared crackers and not eating them. To make this hummus, I paired walnuts and beets, two complementary flavors evoking earthy tones and fresh spring days, horseradish added the right amount of bite to the otherwise creamy scarlet hummus. Beware, once you make beet horseradish hummus, your view of its' beige sister will forever be skewed.
Sweet Potato, Chili & Lime Soup
Think of this Sweet Potato, Chili and Lime Soup as a sweeter tortilla soup, a spicier butternut bisque, or a limey chowder. This silky textured soup eats like a hearty cream soup gone funky with chili and lime. Given the natural richness of the sweet potatoes, we found that sour cream, lime, cilantro and tortilla strips are a must for both flavor and textural contrast. Our soon-to-be brother-in-law had the inspired idea of adding a dollop of Chimichurri Sauce to the soup, he was right, it’s a winner! Serve with some homemade bread and a bright beet salad, and you have yourself a colorful and light winter meal. This recipe is adapted from James Peterson.
Baked Tofu & Pickled Vegetable Rice Bowl
Baked Tofu and Pickled Vegetable Rice Bowl is a modern version of one of my childhood favorites. Growing up I was a very picky eater with a limited and perplexing range of favorites. On the top of my list was fried tofu with ketchup, a crunchy and comforting dish. I have happy memories of gobbling mounds of golden cubes dunked liberally with organic green tomato ketchup. To my parents great relief, my eating repertoire has evolved a bit since then, but my love for tofu remains.
Paul on the other hand, has a grown-up aversion to tofu. Whenever I cook with tofu, he expresses a strong concern that I am covertly working to turn him into a vegetarian, his own personal horror! Despite himself, Paul scraped his bowl clean and gives this dish two thumbs up.
