Beet Carpaccio Salad

So you may notice that some of my recipes posted near each other in time have some of the same ingredients. Like the Carrot and Parsnip Salad and the Fettuccine with Parsnip Ribbons. Or the Spinach and Brown Rice Pilaf with Feta and the Zucchini Pancakes (which contain feta). The reason for this is that I often wind up using only part of a specific ingredient, and then go in search of something else to use the leftovers in. That is what happened with the beets, and is why this is your second beet recipe this week. Thankfully the golden beet is more versatile than one might imagine, and lends itself to some creative cooking.

Creative is just what I'd call this recipe, as carpaccio usually involves raw beef, not cooked beets. In the original dish, beef is pounded or sliced very thinly and served raw, topped with a mustard or tangy vinaigrette sauce. As best I can tell, that is - I've never had the dish myself, and vegetarian me never will. Today's beet version plays off of the carpaccio idea by having you make very thin slices of roasted beet, and topping them with a tapenade-like tangy caper and onion mixture. The whole thing is served atop a bed of peppery baby arugula.

Beet Carpaccio Salad
Adapted from A Veggie Venture and Bon Appetit
Serves 4
Printable Version

Ingredients:
2 medium golden beets
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
4 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons capers
5 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces baby arugula

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and scrub beets. Place in a roasting pan and coat with one tablespoon olive oil and one teaspoon salt. Roast in oven until outside of beets will yield easily to a knife, about an hour. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, use a table knife to peel away the beets' skin. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut beets into very thin slices. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together onion, capers, chives, eggs, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Spread the arugula out on the four serving plates. Arrange the beets in a circle on top of the arugula. Place a generous spoonful of the egg mixture in the center of the beets. Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil atop plate, if desired.

Verdict? Love this. If only because it is one of the more creative/innovative/unique dishes I've made in a while. Serve this as a light meal on its own, or as an impressive starter for a main course with bold flavors.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

So here's something you won't hear often:  This is a recipe inspired by one of my favorite dishes from my college dining hall.  I will say that apparently our Dining Services has won many awards, so the food was probably on average slightly better than most other college's food.  Not that it didn't stop us from complaining at the time.

But this dish was one thing I was always happy to see on the menu.  It is simple in concept - orzo, tomatoes, spinach, and feta - but hard to get the flavors just right, as I discovered from trying to make this several times.  But I think I got it down...  For the uninitiated, orzo is like what you'd get if macaroni and rice had a baby.  It is pasta in a grain shape, about 1/2 inch long. 

Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Serves 6
by Me, inspired by PUDS
Printable Version


Ingredients:
1/2 pound orzo
6 ounces fresh spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved if large
1/3 pound feta, crumbled
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil  (or fresh if you have it, see below)
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:
Add orzo to a pot containing generously salted boiling water.  Cook according to directions on package.
Place spinach in a large colander.  When orzo has finished cooking, pour the pot's contents over the spinach, allowing the boiling water to wilt the spinach.  Shake out all liquid and pour orzo and spinach into a large bowl.
Stir in all remaining ingredients.  Taste for salt.  If feta or lemon was particularly mild you may wish to add up to an additional tablespoon white wine vinegar.

Verdict?  Well, you know I like this lots.  I hope it isn't just my nostalgia for college days talking.  Give this a try and let me know!  This is a great dish to bring to a party, especially in these summer months where you want something light but also filling.  I highly recommend you try this with fresh basil if you have it available - use about 1/4 cup and either cut it into fine ribbons chiffonade-style, or tear it into pieces and stir it in.  That will really take the dish to the next level, I promise you.

Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts

This post goes out to my friend Adam, who shares my fondness for golden beets. They really are quite special.  Well, I suppose beets are pretty neat in general.  They look so unassuming in the stores, often stripped of their greenery tops and looking brownish from growing up in dirt.  But take them home and scrub away the soil, and you will be rewarded with their goodness.  Golden beets are even more special, as they won't stain your hands when working with them (a big plus, trust me), and taste (at least to me) a bit more buttery/subtly sweet than their crimson cousins.

This is the first recipe I tried them in, found after randomly picking up both golden beets and brussels sprouts (something I haven't eaten since I was a child) at the store one day.  I discovered a love for the beets, and rediscovered brussels sprouts, all in this one very simple dish: oven roasted beets meet parboiled brussels sprouts accompanied by shallots and herbs.

Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from We [Heart] Food (another great blog name, no?), via Simply Recipes
Serves 3-4
Printable version


Ingredients:
3 medium/large golden beets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
kosher salt
10 large, fresh brussels sprouts
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and scrub beets.  Place in a roasting pan and coat with one tablespoon olive oil and one teaspoon salt.  Roast in oven until outside of beets will yield easily to a knife, about an hour.  Remove from oven and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, use a table knife to peel away the beets' skin.  Cut beets into cubes about 1" to 1 1/2" on each side.
Remove outer layers of brussels sprouts until leaves appear tightly bunched and clean.  Trim bottoms of stems.
Fill a small saucepan halfway with generously salted water and bring to a boil.  Add the brussels sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes, until almost fully cooked.  Drain and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, cut sprouts in half.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, being careful not to brown them.  Add a second 1/2 tablespoon of oil and raise the heat to medium-high.  Place the brussels sprouts in the skillet cut side down.  Let cook just until the surfaces begin to brown. 
Add the beets, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Let cook for an additional minute or two.

Verdict?  A great tasting, healthy dish that is so simple to make.  I think it would also be great with a dollop of goat cheese on it.  I served it alongside some baked tofu.  I'm sure you can think of many other things that would make great company for the beets n' sprouts, too.

Spinach and Brown Rice Pilaf with Feta

My kitchen is full of printouts of recipes I discover when I'm at work. I print them out and save them for when I'm ready. Some I get to within the week; some I've had for months. This recipe didn't even make it 24 hours.

Silky spinach meets hearty brown rice and tangy feta in this Greek-inspired dish. You'll have doubts when this first goes in the pot - it looks like a giant pot of watery spinach filled with rice that will never cook. But it will cook. And it'll be quite tasty when it is done, I promise. I served this as a one-dish meal with some chunks of lemon pepper baked tofu on top.

Modifications from the original: The original called for jasmine rice and fresh spinach. I used brown rice for the health benefits as well as because that is what I had in my pantry. I also used a mix of fresh and frozen spinach, in an effort to test to see if this recipe could be made using either one. In the end - I don't think it matters. This dish cooks for a good 40 minutes, so using fresh doesn't really seem to matter. Use whichever is available; obviously starting with frozen chopped spinach rather than fresh will save you the cleaning/chopping time.

Spinach and Brown Rice Pilaf with Feta
Inspired by Kim O'Donnel

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup brown rice
1 pound spinach, chopped (frozen or fresh)
Salt and black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh dill
Dash of nutmeg
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 pound feta, crumbled

Method:
In a 4-quart saucepan or other large pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add onions and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes.
Stir in rice and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb some oil.
Stir in spinach in small batches, waiting for each batch to wilt a bit before adding more. (If using those bricks of frozen spinach, just toss the whole brick in and break it up as the contents reach a boil.)
Stir in 1/4 tsp salt and a generous pinch of fresh ground black pepper.
Add 2 cups of water and turn up heat to bring mix to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes (or until rice is almost cooked), stirring occasionally.
Add the dill and nutmeg. Cook for another 10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice is thoroughly cooked.
Add another generous pinch of salt (up to 1/4 tsp) and more fresh black pepper to taste.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Transfer to serving dish and crumble feta on top.

Verdict? Wonderful. The spinach got nice and creamy, the lemon juice and feta imparted a nice contrasting tang, and the dill gave the whole thing an extra "fresh" taste. Serve as a main dish topped with a protein of your choice or as a great side.