Beet Hummus

 Somebody missed me.    Maybe even more than one somebody.
 I actually had a few people urge me to continue to share recipes here.  After taking a  little break,  I realized that I wanted to come back here and talk about food.   I love to cook and I love food, so it just makes sense.

 I had a Roast Chicken disaster in the middle of February and it was really sad.  It was quite the debacle and after that happened, I felt like I lost my mojo for a couple of weeks.  The defeat of the Chicken made me lose a little confidence in the kitchen and I played it really safe for a little while.  Then, I got inspired  and decided to try a few things that I had been looking forward to for quite some time.  This Beet Hummus was on that list.

 I love Hummus.  I have made every kind imaginable and I love beets, so combining the two didn't seem that weird to me.  I pinned a few different recipes and waited for the perfect opportunity to make this lovely dip.  One of my best friends was coming over for lunch one day and I wanted to make the best lunch ever.  I made this Beet Hummus, Homemade Veggie Burgers (the best one's I've ever had-don't worry, I will share the recipe later), Kale Chips (with Red Russian Kale), and Meyer Lemon Sorbet. 


  This Hummus was fantastic with all sorts of veggie dippers, but it was also really good smeared on top of the Veggie Burgers.   I made it the day before we enjoyed lunch together and that made it really easy to pull off a great lunch menu. I would like to try it again using golden beets as soon as possible.  It is delicious!

I used this recipe from Our Share of the Harvest 

and this recipe from Erin's Food Files 

as a basis for this Beet Hummus, but didn't follow them completely.  I have made hummus so many times that I know how much of what to add to get the consistency that I want. 

  

Beet Carpaccio

I absolutely love going to the Farmer's Market.
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get one of the participants' last bunch of chioggia beets. I was so excited, I could hardly stand it.
It was the day before father's day, so I knew that I would be working these beets into the menu somehow.

I love beets cold or warm, raw or cooked, so I was looking for a interesting, new way to serve them.
I don't remember exactly how I found this recipe for Beet Carpaccio, but it looked delicious and I knew it would be a fun way to enjoy our beautiful beets.
This dish has you boil the beets until slightly tender, then the beets are thinly sliced and layered on toasted baguette slices. Cheese, herbs and olive oil are sprinkled/drizzled on top to finish them off.

I used feta cheese instead of blue cheese since that is what I had in my fridge and I knew that beets taste really good with feta.
I also used fresh thyme as the herb for seasoning.

This turned out to be a beautiful and very yummy appetizer. A perfect choice.

(Carpaccio refers to the slicing the beets thinly in this dish. Traditionally carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish, thinly sliced, but it is sometimes seen now to mean thinly sliced, and can be used to describe fruits, vegetables, etc.)



Recipe for Beet Carpaccio
* I used fresh thyme to top my beets
* I used feta cheese instead of blue cheese

2 Thanksgiving Sides- Autumn Hash and Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

I love roasting vegetables. I truly believe that any vegetable can taste delicious if you roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It's true for brussel sprouts, parsnips, beets, cauliflower, etc. I could give millions of examples.
I saw a couple of recipes in the Thanksgiving issues of food magazines and these 2 side dishes really looked delicious. I decided to try both of them and see if they would be a great addition at a Thanksgiving dinner. Both of these would be great for a special occasion, but I also think they would be great anytime. Delicious.

The first recipe comes from Bon Appetit and I thought it looked beautiful with all the different colors and I loved that they included the beet greens, mixing them in with the oven-roasted vegetables. The original recipe calls for potatoes, sweet potatos, yams, baby golden beets, and butternut squash. I changed it a little bit and decided to use red potatoes, butternut squash, golden and red beets. The fresh herbs it uses are oregano, Italian parsley, and rosemary.

I couldn't find baby beets, so I just used normal sized beets and cut them into small pieces.
This was really delicious and a great way to get more vegetables on the table!

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash



The second recipe I found in Ladies Home Journal. It combines acorn squash, carrots, and beets. It also has a fabulous dressing that combines thyme (one of my fave herbs) and orange juice/zest. Delicious! The thyme and orange really go great together and make these vegetables taste amazing.

Spice up your thanksgiving table by adding some delicious color and nutrition with roasted vegetables!


Recipe for Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash

Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad

Sometimes I try a dish out of pure curiosity.
I have been loving beets lately, so when I was flipping through Great Food Fast and I saw this quick, little salad- I decided to try it.
If you haven't seen this cookbook, I have to say it is really cool, because they organize the recipes according to season. This recipe was in the autumn/fall section of the book.

I was doubtful about how well my husband and kids would like this, so I waited until my mom came to visit to make it. She likes interesting flavors and vegetables, so I was hopeful that she and I would be fans.

The heading on the page suggested serving it as a side to pork or chicken, but I decided to serve it on a meatless meal night.
I told my kids and husband that they had to try at least one bite and if they didn't like it, they were off the hook. None of them liked it.

My mom and I, on the other hand thought it was a refreshing salad.
I don't think I have ever eaten raw beets before, but the combination of spices and flavors was quite delicious.
I think it would make a nice side on Thanksgiving or at any meal, really. So there you go.


Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls honey
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
1 pound raw beets, peeled
2 carrots, peeled (I used matchstick carrots)
1/3 cup coarsely torn fresh parsley

1- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, honey, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and 3/4 tsp salt.
2- In a food processor (I just used my box grater), fitted with the shredding disk, shred the beets and then the carrots. Add to the bowl along with the parsley, and toss all of the ingredients to combine.

Roasted Beets with Feta, Sunflower Seeds,and Spinach

I remember seeing this post featuring red and golden beets on one of my favorite blogs- The Food Librarian. I have linked to Mary's blog a million times because she always makes such delicious food.

I grew up eating red beets and the greens, but had never tried golden beets before and actually hadn't seen them anywhere, until just the other day.
Of course, I bought them and went home and immediately roasted them. I washed the beets, wrapped them in foil (separately- so the red beets wouldn't bleed too much) and roasted them at 400 degrees for about an hour. I checked them at that point with a fork and they were tender, so I took them out.
I let them cool for a couple of minutes and then peeled them. The skin comes right off. I sliced them and tasted a golden beet for the first time. Delicious! Beets really do taste like candy, in my opinion.

Later we had them with dinner on top of a bed of spinach, sprinkled with feta and sunflower seeds. I was going to dress this salad with balsamic or red wine vinegar and olive oil, but it really tasted great with just these few components, so we ate it this way.
Absolutely delicious. I think golden beets are a little bit milder in flavor than red ones, but they are both really yummy.
I know I say this all the time, but I think I have a new favorite food.

Basic How-to for Roasting Beets

One Year Ago-Dorie's Biscotti

Sauteed Rainbow Chard and Beet Greens

Do you love dark greens as much as I do?
I think I could eat them for every meal and be happy. Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens, etc. I love them all.
My grandpa grew beets growing up and what I remember most isn't the actual beets. It was eating the dark, leafy greens and the purple-y ribs. My mom would steam them and they were delicious.
I know a lot of people throw away the greens on top of their beets- The Horror! Don't do it! They are soo delicious.

I found some beautiful rainbow chard, as well as red and golden beets. I was so excited to saute them for dinner!

When I cook swiss chard and beet greens I always cook the ribs and stems. They become quite tender and are very tasty.

Plus, how can you not like eating something that tastes good and looks so beautiful?
I also use this techique to saute spinach, but I don't cover it because it wilts very quickly.
I saute kale too, but always remove the kale from the stems.

Sauteed Rainbow Chard and Beet Greens by Mary Ann
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Rainbow Chard, rinsed well and chopped- including stems and ribs
a couple bunches Beet Greens, rinsed and chopped-including stems and ribs
chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large saute pan or electric frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add onion and cook for a few minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
When onion and garlic are translucent, add your greens and stems.
Using tongs, toss the greens with the onions and garlic, until nicely mixed.
Add enough chicken broth to cover bottom of the pan and cover.
Reduce heat to medium and let greens cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir and check to see if stems and ribs are tender and greens are wilted.
If not, cook a little longer and check every few minutes until ready.
Make sure you do not over cook.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.


One Year Ago-Homemade Happy Meal-Mini Sliders on Whole Wheat Buns and Oven Fries

Beet Risotto with Roasted Asparagus and Feta

Yum-o! I know there are some people out there who really don't like Rachael Ray and I am not going to judge anyone based on that, but you have to admit- she makes some tasty food.
I saw this Beet Risotto and was intrigued. I am absolutely in love with risotto, after learning it really is not that difficult to make. If I see a recipe that contains the word risotto- I am making it.
I love beets and the great thing about this dish is that it would be appealing to people who don't like beets. Their sweetness is not prominent. I think the chicken stock helps to tone it down a little bit. Plus, it is beautiful. Eating food that looks this good pleases all the senses. I used feta cheese because it was in the fridge and it tasted great crumbled on top. Yum-o again. There, I said it!

Beet Risotto with Roasted Asparagus and Ricotta Salata Rachael Ray From Every Day with Rachael Ray March 2007 FOUR SERVINGS
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) ( I used much less, probably 2 Tbls total)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 baseball-size red or golden beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine if using red beets or dry white wine if using golden beets (I omitted this and just used more chicken stock)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (I used feta cheese)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium pot, warm the broth over medium heat. In a large, deep skillet or a medium Dutch oven, heat 3 (1) tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Stir in the rice to coat with the oil, and toast for 2 minutes. Add the beets, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until absorbed into the rice, then begin adding broth a couple of ladles at a time, stirring with each addition, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. While the risotto is working, on a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the remaining 2 (1) tablespoons EVOO, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes.

3. Serve shallow bowls of beet risotto with the roasted asparagus and crumbled cheese on top.

Coming Tomorrow- Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Craving Ellie in my Belly- Jewel Roasted Vegetables

This weeks Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Marie over at A Year from Oak Cottage. She chose Jewel Roasted Vegetables, which consists of carrots, beets and brussel sprouts. Aren't they pretty? Plus, we already know I have a thing with fresh thyme. Love it!
We ate beets alot when I was growing up, because my dad and my grandpa grew them in their gardens, and I really like them. My favorite part is the beet greens. You cook them up just like spinach, or swiss chard, mmm...
Anyway, back to the veggies. I loved this combination. I think Brussel Sprouts get a bad rap, but I don't know why. I think they taste great if you cook them properly. I love to roast them in the oven, so this was a perfect recipe for us. Surprisingly, my son gobbled down his serving and asked for more. Plus when you have this many beautiful colors going on in a recipe, you know it has to be good for you. Thank you Ellie for creating this delicious recipe and Marie, for choosing it. Go check on the other CEIMB Bloggers and see what they thought of this recipe!

Jewel Roasted Vegetables from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger
4 medium beets

3 Tbls olive oil

1 1/2 pds carrots

1 1/2 pds brussel sprouts

8 large cloves garlic, left unpeeled

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp pepper, plus more to taste

1 Tbls chopped fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 Tbls of the oil. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch thick pieces, and trim the brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Put the carrots, sprouts, and garlic cloves in a large baking dish and toss with the remaining 2 Tbls oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the large pan of vegetable to the oven separately, and cook everything for 1 hour more, stirring the vegetables once or twice.

Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board. Stir the thyme into the carrot and brussel sprout mixture and let it continue to cook, for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, after about 5 minutes, peel, then cut them into 1-inch chunks. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with beets, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Beet Greens by Me

wash and dry your beet greens. Place them in a saucepan with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the greens and stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice. Enjoy!

Coming Tomorrow- Dorie's All in One Holiday Bundt Cake