Tag Archives: beets

May 22, 2013

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing

We’re back from Mexico!

Translation: It’s time for this detox salad.

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing

Did I mention that we leave for a wedding on the East Coast on Friday morning? This is going to have to be some quick detoxing.

We didn’t go too crazy with the food and drink on our little vacation, buuut we were staying at an all-inclusive resort. AKA I had ice cream at lunch everyday (amazing!). Also, one night we tried about four dessert wines. They were reeeeally good. I’m hoping to do a little trip recap later in the week with pictures etc., so stay tuned. In any case, some healthy food can’t hurt over the next few days.

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing

Now usually I’m wary of words like “detox,” “cleanse,” etc. I’m not sure I really buy it, you know? But you can’t deny there’s some healthy stuff packed in here. And according to the ever-trustworthy interwebs, beets, kale, apples, and ginger all have detoxifying properties, not to mention a ton of nutrients. Nutrients that I desperately need this week.

The great thing about this salad is that it is totally delicious and satisfying and doesn’t feel like a “detox” at all. In fact, this dressing is my newest obsession (the third miso dressing I’ve posted in the past few weeks?) and I dare you not to dip your finger in it. Sooo good.

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso DressingThe key to making this salad is to not go overboard. (And I learned the hard way.) Two cups of any fruit or vegetable is really not very much, and it’s crazy easy to underestimate the amount of veggies you’re chopping up. Maybe it’s just me that has this problem? I tend to throw the measuring cup out the window when it comes to things like soups and salads, assuming that more is always better. And I mean, who wants to have half a beet leftover? The first time I made this salad, I probably ended up doubling all the ingredients except for the dressing.

Yeah… it tasted much better the second time around.

I think you’ll enjoy this salad, whether you’re looking for a healthy lunch or dinner, or a yummy side dish for a barbecue this weekend. Don’t be afraid to get out the mandolin and go to town!

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing

5.0 from 1 reviews

Raw Detox Salad with Apple Miso Dressing
 
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This nutrient-rich raw salad is so tasty and satisfying, you would never think of it as a detox!
Author:
Yields: 3

Ingredients
For the salad:
  • 2 cups julienned golden beets (1 medium-large beet)
  • 2 cups julienned Granny Smith apples (1 to 1 1/2 large apples)
  • 2 cups finely chopped kale
For the dressing:
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp white miso paste
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Instructions
  1. Combine vegetables in a large salad bowl.
  2. Blend together all dressing ingredients. Pour over vegetables and toss to combine.
  3. Serve immediately, or will also keep up to 2 days in the fridge.

Notes
Adapted from Emily Geizer.

 

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April 1, 2013

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

Wait, come back.

This is delicious, I promise.

For some people, there is probably no phrase in the English/Yiddish language more unwelcome than “Moosewood Cookbook borscht.” You might be thinking, “Mushy cabbage without any meat to redeem it? No thanks!” But I think borscht gets a bad rap mostly because of its name; the word seems to conjure up images of a smelly old Russian lady standing over you until you finish your meal. It certainly sounds like something you’d have to be forced to eat.

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

Luckily, I am not a smelly old Russian lady, and I’m probably several thousand miles away from you. (This is good for both of us, because I prefer to hide behind my computer screen.) I won’t force you to make this or eat it. I will just strongly recommend it, since it’s one of the best meals to come out of my kitchen in a while. Also, I’ll show you pretty pictures of it in the hopes that that will convince you.

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

What would definitely convince you is if these pictures were scratch-n-sniff. Ohhh my goodness. My whole apartment smelled amazing while this was on the stove and for hours afterwards. There is really nothing better than the smell of onions being sauteed in butter wafting through your kitchen. I never thought a vegetarian dish of mostly cabbage and beets could smell or taste so incredibly rich, but this manages to. Can I bottle up a borscht scent to use as a perfume?

OK, maybe now we’re getting into smelly old Russian lady territory.

In any case, I’m head-over-heels in love with this borscht, and I have my Grandma Jane to thank. (Hi Grandma!) For the record, my grandma is neither smelly nor Russian; she is Midwestern, super fit, and an amazing gardener and cook. A few years ago, she did her very own borscht cook-off, auditioning multiple borscht recipes until she found the best one, which she then cooked for my family at Christmastime. I was skeptical, I have to admit. Cabbage dishes did not make a regular appearance in my mom’s cooking rotation. But it was love at first bite, and that was way before I ceased eating meat or started naming cabbage among my favorite foods.

Bottom line: You, too, may be skeptical. You may not like cabbage. Or beets. Or dill. But you will love this borscht.

It’s so simple, and tastes so rich yet fresh at the same time… I really can’t describe it. You will have to make it for yourself, unless you’re lucky enough to have a grandma who will make it for you.

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

I made this dish with butter and topped it with Greek yogurt, but if you’d like to make it vegan, you could just as well start with Earth Balance and omit the yogurt/sour cream topping (or use a vegan substitute). It will be fabulous either way. What I would urge you not to leave out are the caraway seeds and dill. This dish is very simple and lightly seasoned – you’ll notice most of the ingredients are veggies – and so leaving out either of those seasonings will hurt it, in my opinion.

This recipe scales very well, as long as you have a big enough pot! I should also note that the original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt, but I found that to be a little much. I’d recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of salt, and then adding a bit more at the end to your liking.

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht

5.0 from 1 reviews

Moosewood Cookbook Borscht
 
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This Russian cabbage stew will convert you from carnivore to cabbage-lover.
Author:
Yields: 4

Ingredients
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup diced beets (about 1 medium-sized beet, peeled)
  • 1 1/2 cups diced potato (I used 1 Yukon gold potato)
  • 2 Tbs butter or Earth Balance
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 onion)
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  • 3 cups chopped red cabbage
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp chopped fresh dill
  • black pepper to taste
To top:
  • fresh tomatoes, diced
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • additional fresh dill

Instructions
  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring vegetable stock, beets, and potatoes to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 12-15 minutes. (It’s OK if the potatoes are a bit more tender than the beets.) Drain, reserving the stock, and set aside.
  2. In the same pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, caraway seeds and 1 tsp salt, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrot, celery, cabbage, and reserved vegetable stock. Cover and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes, beets, and all remaining ingredients.
  3. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if desired.
  4. Serve immediately, topped with chopped fresh tomatoes, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Notes
Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s The New Moosewood Cookbook.

 

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February 4, 2013

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

Yes, it tastes like beets.

Had to get that out of the way.

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

On Saturday I mentioned that I had pinned many beet cake recipes in preparation for a post this week. Well, here it is! A bright red cake filled with roasted and pureed beets. Yum?

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

If you don’t like beets, I’m not sure if you’ll like this, to be honest. You can taste them, although if you didn’t know they were there, you might not guess it. If you’re OK with beets, though, you will absolutely love this cake, if for no other reason than the fun color.

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

In general, I’m not a huge fan of “secret ingredients” (a.k.a. hiding vegetables in things), but the beets aren’t hidden here. Boom, there they are! You can taste their earthy flavor and you can deeeefinitely see them right in front of your nose.

Can you believe there’s not a drop of food coloring in this whole cake?

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

We all know I’m obsessed with colorful food, so I just can’t get over this bright red batter. So beautiful! And perfect for a certain romantic holiday coming up.

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

And then there are the raspberries that make the frosting such a nice girly pink. Actually, these photos don’t even do the frosting justice. It was even pinker than this!

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

I made this cake on a snowy day, and learned the hard way that pink frosting is the most difficult thing EVER to photograph. Low blue light + reflective Barbie-pink surfaces = photography nightmare. Sigh. It tastes good, I promise.

Speaking of Barbie… I made this cake with Valentine’s Day in mind, but I can’t help but think that it would be adorable for a little girl’s birthday party. Or a big girl’s birthday party! As long as that girl loves pink.

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

So what do you think… will you allow some vegetables in your cake? I think these beets are pretty enough that they can get away with practically anything.

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting | coffeeandquinoa.com

Red Velvet Beet Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves 16

Adapted from Straight from the Farm and Verve & Sass

Ingredients:

For the red velvet beet cake:
3 medium-sized beets
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature, divided
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 oz. dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s 60%)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

For the raspberry cream cheese frosting:
12 oz frozen raspberries
juice of ½ a lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

For garnish (optional):
Fresh raspberries

Instructions:

First, roast and peel the beets. This is my preferred method. Then roughly chop the beets and puree them in a food processor until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of beet puree. Set aside. (This can also be done ahead of time.)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour a bundt pan (or any cake pan of your choice).

In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup of the butter with the brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Melt the chocolate with the remaining butter in the microwave in 30-second increments. Beat the melted chocolate mixture, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and beet puree into the butter/sugar/egg mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Dump into the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. This took me about 40 minutes, but the original recipe says 60-70. The baking time will vary depending on which type of pan you use, so I would suggest starting to check at 40 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. After cooling, you can frost the cake immediately or wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before continuing.

While cake cools, make the raspberry cream cheese frosting. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the frozen raspberries and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the raspberries have broken down. Pour through a mesh strainer into a small bowl and cool completely. This should yield between 3/4 and 1 cup raspberry sauce.

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Beat in the raspberry sauce. You can choose to use as much of the sauce as you want for a frosting anywhere from subtle to shocking pink!

Pour frosting over cooled cake and garnish with fresh raspberries.

The cake will keep covered for several days in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Time:

3 1/2 hours

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