How do you get a 2½-year-old to eat beets? Put them in a cake! (And how do you get the same 2½-year-old to eat fish for dinner? Promise him beet cake for dessert.) If you have a picky eater in your house or are suffering from an overabundance of beets from your CSA subscription this summer, baking up a beet cake is an unexpected but tasty way to incorporate the vegetable into your weekly menu. And even if you like beets when they’re prepared in a more traditional way, you have to admit that a cake – studded with chocolate chips, no less – tops even the most mouth-watering salad any day.
The chocolate won’t completely mask the beets’ flavor. Rather, it complements their natural sweetness while putting this concoction firmly in the dessert category, unlike zucchini bread, which you could classify either as a dessert or a breakfast bread. The original recipe, from Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s The Vegan Table, calls for 2 cups of pureed beets. If, like me, you don’t have enough beets on hand to yield 2 full cups, use applesauce to maintain the proportion of wet ingredients – a balance of 1½ cups beets and ½ cup applesauce lends enough moisture to the cake without diluting the beet flavor.
Oddly addicting, chocolate chip beet cake may become a summertime staple in your kitchen. You may even find yourself running to the grocery store to buy more beets when they disappear from your CSA box.
Your Bundt pan never saw this coming.
Chocolate Chip Beet Cake
Yield: 16 servings
Adapted from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick Goudreau via Epicurious
½ c canola oil
1 ½ c packed brown sugar
1 ½ c pureed cooked (boiled or steamed) beets (about 3 small beets) ½ c unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ c non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbsp for mixing with the chocolate chips
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Powdered sugar for sprinkling atop the finished cake
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and lightly oil a Bundt pan.
2. Cream together oil and brown sugar with an electric mixer (stand or handheld).
3. Using a double boiler or the microwave, melt ½ c chocolate chips in a small bowl.
4. Add beets, applesauce, melted chocolate, and vanilla to the oil / brown sugar mixture and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to beet mixture and stir until just combined.
6. Toss the remaining 1 c chocolate chips in 1 tbsp flour in a separate bowl and gently mix into the cake batter.
7. Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe by Jill Lewis, Heavy Table
http://heavytable.com/
Take the meat from one watermelon, seeds gone. Cut into chunks for blender or food processor. Process to liquid, stir in as much cayenne as your tastebuds enjoy. Serve cold with a sprig of mint floating on top. Submitted by Elisabeth Fisher, Stillwater
2 medium eggplants 1 large onion 4 cloves of garlic 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes Kalamata olives, to taste Feta cheese, to taste Salt and pepper, to taste 1lb. penne pasta Chop the onion and garlic. In a pot large enough to hold the sauce and pasta, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Dice the eggplant and add it to the pot. Saute until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes (and a 1/4 c. of red wine if desired). While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta. Simmer until liquid is reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste. When sauce is ready, add the pasta to the pot and stir. Sprinkle the olives and feta on top and stir again. Serve and enjoy. Submitted by Carolyn Bloom, Hopkins
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
* 1 Bunch Green Top Carrots, trimmed and peeled (leave an inch of the green top)
* 5 Med.-Lrg. Golden Beets, steamed just to fork tender and peeled
* 1 Lb. Green Beans, cleaned
* 2 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped
* 1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
* 1 Lb. Chard, washed and stems removed (save the stems)
* 2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
* 1 Tsp. Chili Flakes
* 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
* ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
* 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
* 1 Cup Olive Oil/Canola Oil Mix
* tt Salt and Pepper
* 1 Cup Chevre
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place an empty sheet pan in oven for 10 min. or until very hot.
3. Roughly chop chard into edible pieces. Toss with 2 tbsp. olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
4. Place the chard mixture on the preheated sheet pan and roast in oven until crispy, but not burnt.
5. Meanwhile, cut carrots lengthwise and cut each beet into wedges. Toss prepped carrots, beets and green beans with the thyme, rosemary, 2 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay out on a sheet pan and roast in same 400°F oven as the chard until nicely roasted.
6. Once chard and vegetable mixture are done cooking, set aside and let come down to room temperature.
7. In a bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and dijon until well mixed. Then, slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify into vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Mix the roasted vegetables and crispy chard in a bowl and place on a plate. Drizzle with some of the balsamic vinaigrette and crumble chevre over the top.
Can be served at room temperature or warm.
Recipe by Adam Anderson, first posted on Simple, Good, and Tasty
Submitted by Lee Zukor, Simple, Good, and Tasty
http://simplegoodandtasty.com/
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1 baguette, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp
2 cloves of garlic
3 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp drained capers, smashed
1 3/4 lbs. tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chopped basil
salt/pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the bread with 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt/pepper in a bowl. Place on a sheet pan, spread in a single layer and bake, stirring once, until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool and set aside.
Mince the garlic and mash to a paste with 1/2 tsp salt. Place in a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, capers and remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add the croutons, tomatoes, onion, basil and mozzarella. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. This can be made an hour before and chilled but be sure to bring to room temperature before serving.
Submitted by Annie Witkamp, TheDabble.com
http://thedabble.com/
To serve 6-8 as a side dish:
1 small head green cabbage, cored and sliced into thin ribbons
7-8 large leaves kale, center ribs discarded
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup salted cashews
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup candied cashews*
Place the cabbage in a large bowl along with the carrots and jalapenos.
Fill a bowl with ice and water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the kale, and blanch for one minute. Transfer the kale to the ice water to cool. Squeeze dry, chop, and add to the bowl of cabbage. Mix the ingredients together thoroughly.
In a blender add the oil, vinegar, salted cashews, heavy cream, brown sugar and salt. Blend until emulsified and smooth.
*To make the candied cashews, heat a skillet to medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 1 cup of salted cashews. Stir constantly until the sugar melts and the cashews turn golden. Be careful as the cashews will go from golden to burnt in the blink of an eye. Spread the cashews out on a sheet of wax paper to cool.
Before serving, pour the dressing over the slaw and mix thoroughly, adding more dressing if desired (I usually end up using all of it). Sprinkle the candied cashews over the top and serve.
Submitted by Erin McCleary, A Crafty Lass
http://acraftylass.blogspot.com/
Pasta with Beet Greens and Diced Roasted Beets
1. Roast beets
(Note: roasting the beets takes some time - you can do this ahead and refrigerate the beets until you need them.) Scrub beets, cut off tops to 1/2 inch. Put in a covered dish with 1/2 water or wrap in foil and bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until tender. larger beets take longer. When beets are cool enough to handle, skins should rub off with your hands. Use a peeler if the skin is stubborn.
2. Steam beet greens
Wash and then steam beet greens 5-8 minutes. Drain greens, cool and coarsely chop or cut into strips, set aside. (add cooking water to pasta cooking water for extra nutrition. Or save for soup stock)
3. Cook and drain pasta. Keep warm. (Warm the serving plates too - a nice touch.)
To assemble :
Saute the chopped beet greens in some olive oil with a handful of chopped garlic scapes or some chopped onion or garlic. Add diced beets in desired amount, along with a handful of golden raisins or even dried cherries or diced prunes. Stir in pasta, along with some cheese. (blue cheese, ricotta, or some kind of soft goat cheese would all be good). Serve topped with toasted pine nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts.
Submitted by Peggy Hanson, Cook Out of the Box
http://cookoutofthebox.blogspot.com/
corn
carrots
pea pods
garlic scapes
raw almond butter
raw tahini
coconut amino acids (or soy sauce)
lemon
chunk of ginger
coconut milk
spices: lemongrass, chili powder or cayenne powder, salt
Cut your veggies to desired sizes. Leave some of the scapes out for the sauce.Blend a cup or so of almond butter with a quarter cup of tahini, a few chunks of lemon (unpeeled), a handful of greens from those lovely carrots,some garlic scapes, ginger, a dash of coconut amino acids, a can of coconut milk, and spices. Mix the curry sauce with veggies and serve.
Submitted by Allegra Oxborough, Overhead Space
http://overheadspace.wordpress.com/
Best served with fried okra and a fresh tomato salad
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance margarine (or butter)
1/2 yellow onion (sweet onions are nice), thinly sliced
5 medium sized yellow squashes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup locally grown cornmeal
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Melt the Earth Balance in a medium sized pot with a heavy bottom over medium high heat. Add the onion slices and then the squash slices on top of that. Put a lid on the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. DO NOT open the lid during that time. It might smell like it's starting to brown, but that's good.
Open the lid and give the squash and onions a stir- It should be softened and browned on the bottom (If not, put the lid back on and cook longer).
Add the cornmeal and a generous amount of sea salt and black pepper. Stir, replace the lid and cook 5 more minutes.
After this point, the squash will be creamy and soft and the cornmeal will have absorbed some of the liquid. Delightful!
Submitted by Liz McMann, Food Snobbery is My Hobbery
http://foodsnobberyhobbery.blogspot.com/
4 cups water
4 new potatoes, golf ball-size, sliced ¼-inch thick
4 baby carrots, 5 or 6 inches long, sliced on a long diagonal (or equivalent in larger carrots)
1 medium sweet onion, sliced thin
1 small zucchini or yellow squash, in very small dice, ¼-inch to 1/3-inch
A good handful of very young green beans, stem end trimmed
6 ounces fresh lake trout, skinned, cut into 2 chunks
3 to 4 ounces smoked lake trout, in large flakes, about 2/3 cup
40 leaves of wood nettle, washed, blanched, and chopped (or a good cup of spinach leaves)
½ cup wood sorrel leaves (or a few small leaves of garden sorrel, in chiffonade)
6 small cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 Tbsp heavy cream (we use Cedar Summit)
2 tsp butter (always Hope Creamery unsalted for us)
Salt to taste
In a large saucepan combine the water, potatoes, carrots, and onions with two good pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer and simmer briskly for 12 minutes. Add the green beans and diced zucchini, and simmer for six minutes. Add the fresh and smoked trout, and simmer for 6 minutes.
Add the blanched, chopped nettle leaves (or spinach) and most of the wood sorrel, keeping a few sorrel leaves back for garnish. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Divide the fish and vegetables between two shallow soup bowls, leaving the broth in the pan. Add the cream and butter to the broth, taste for seasoning, then bathe the fish and vegetables in this lightly rich broth. Garnish with the reserved wood sorrel leaves and the cherry tomatoes.
If you like, save the skin from the lake trout and crisp it in a little oil in a fry pan, or directly over the coals of a grill. Use the crisp skin as additional garnish.
Submitted by Brett Laidlaw, Trout Caviar
http://www.troutcaviar.blogspot.com/
2 shallots 3 cloves of garlic Olive oil Small green zucchini Small yellow zucchini Small summer squash Pine nuts 3/4 can of veg. broth Whole wheat penne pasta Seasoning to taste Saute the first three ingredients; add next three and cook until soft. Add the broth and simmer. Add pasta and serve. Submitted by Anthony Tomeo, Richfield, MN
1# golf-ball sized potatoes
5 or 6 small summer squash
10-12 small carrots
3 small onions, sliced
2 T butter
1/2# flavorful sausage, cooked and sliced
4 oz goat cheese
Dressing
1/3 c olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup parsley leaves, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Cut the potatoes in half and place in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 8 minutes, until starting to become tender. Toss potatoes -- careful, they're hot! -- in ample quantities of olive oil, salt and pepper. Don't wash the bowl just yet. Arrange the potatoes on a sheet pan, cut-side down. Roast 20-30 minutes, until cut-sides are deep brown, just about to burn.
Meanwhile, cut the squash into 1" chunks and place them in the bowl you tossed the potatoes in. If your carrots are pencil-thin like mine were, you won't need to peel or cut them; thicker carrots can be quartered. Toss carrots and squash in bowl, adding more olive oil, salt and pepper as necessary to make everything good and moist and seasoned. Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a sheet pan and roast in the oven 30 minutes, until the surfaces start to brown. It's probably a good idea to flip these veggies around about halfway through the cooking so both sides get brown.
Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small skillet and add the onions. Cook until greatly reduced and deep brown.
While the vegetables are roasting prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients. Salt and pepper should be added to taste; given the quantity of vegetables, you may need more salt than expected. Add in the sausage (I used the beef, bleu cheese, and Surly Bender sausage from Clancey's Meats & Fish).
As the vegetables are done roasting/caramelizing, add them to the bowl with the dressing. When all is ready, toss the vegetables well. Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve.
Submitted by Tom Nehil, Martha & Tom
http://marthaandtom.com/
Kohlrabi, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes Smoked paprika Fresh rosemary and/or thyme Olive oil Kosher salt/fresh ground pepper Easy as it gets: throw everything into a pan and cook on medium-high heat until the kohlrabi starts to brown, then medium-low until the center of the largest cubes are soft. Season to taste. Could also add garlic, onions, chives, turnips, potatoes, carrots, etc. Submitted by Michael Heuer, Minneapolis
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sucanat (or natural sugar cane)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 cucumbers, skin on and very thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
In a large bowl with a tight fitting lid, combine vinegar, sucanat, sea salt and dill until sucanat and sea salt are dissolved.
Add cucumbers and white onion to the bowl and stir to evenly distribute cucumber and onion. Secure the lid onto the bowl and shake vigorously.
Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving. Enjoy!
For a creamy version of this recipe reduce white vinegar to 1/3 cup and add 3/4 cup plain nonfat or lowfat greek yogurt to the dressing before adding the cucumbers and onion.
Submitted by Maria Peters, simplycleaneating.com
http://www.simplycleaneating.com/
In Northern Minnesota we have very limited access to farmer's markets and have a short growing season. The veggies in this dish are from our garden -- all veggies (except sweet corn) are ready early which makes this dish so easy and fun to prepare. Other veggies may be used according to taste by the chef. Dice 3-4 chicken breasts. Sear over high heat with a bit of olive oil until edges are slightly brown. Reduce heat, add two dashes of soy sauce and/or your choice of asian spice (hoisin sauce, teriyaki, etc.). Cook until no pink remains in chicken (approx. 5-8 min.) Remove from heat. Add 6-8 Tbsp. water and scrape brownings from side of wok. Add 1/2-1 diced cup each of: Swiss Chard (rainbow makes for the best looking dish as the heat brings out its colors) Carrots Small new onions (red & white are fine) Sweet peppers Sweet corn kernels. Cook over heat until all veggies are just done. Al dente is best. Remove from heat. Return chicken to wok, add 3/4 cup diced pineapple with 3-4 Tbsp. juice from can (if using fresh, add in what you get from cutting the pineapple into chunks). Combine over med-high heat until most of the juice is gone. Serve chicken & veggies over rice or asian noodles. Season as needed with light soy sauce. Submitted by Erica Johnson, Hines, MN
Serves 2
1/2 c. safflower, canola, peanut, or other high-heat oil
6 new potatoes, shredded
1/2 green pepper, shredded
1 small onion, peeled and shredded
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
minced fresh herbs
Set a saucepan 1/2 filled with salted water on to boil.
Heat oil in a large (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high. While the oil heats, in a medium bowl, stir together the potatoes, green pepper, onion, flour, and salt. When the oil is hot, drop 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil. Use a spatula to flatten and spread the potatoes a bit, into pancake shapes. Fry until golden brown, then turn pancakes over and brown on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Fry remaining pancakes; drain. Place one or two pancakes on each plate.
The water will likely boil as you're frying pancakes. Turn heat down so that the water is barely simmering - small bubbles should barely break the surface. As soon as you're done frying the pancakes, crack one egg into a small dish and slide it into the water. Quickly do the same with the second egg. Set the timer for 3 minutes. The eggs whites will look shredded, but that's OK. When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to scoop one egg out of the water. Tilt the spoon so the water drains completely off, then place the egg on top of one of the plates of hot potato pancakes. Repeat with the second egg and second plate of pancakes. Top eggs with minced fresh herbs, a sprinkle of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper each. Serve immediately.
Submitted by Stephanie Meyer, Fresh Tart
http://www.freshtart.net/
Serves 4
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
8 cups loosely packed mixed greens, washed and dried
Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
½ tsp honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Garnish:
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp snipped chives
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the green beans with enough oil to coat and sprinkle with a little salt.
Place the green beans in the skillet and cook, rolling frequently to avoid burning, until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove. Arrange mixed greens on chilled plates or a large serving platter.
To prepare the vinaigrette: Place all ingredients in a clean mason jar. Shake until combined.
When ready to assemble the salad, toss the green beans with enough vinaigrette to coat. Arrange on top of the mixed greens. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the snipped chives. Pass any additional vinaigrette alongside.
*Add tofu, chicken, or shrimp to make a more robust meal.
Submitted by Crystal Grobe, Cafe Cyan
http://cafecyan.blogspot.com/
This pizza feeds one person but can easily increased to feed more.
Pizza Crust for One
1/2 T olive oil plus extra for the bowl
1/4 c warm water
1/2 t dry yeast
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 - 3/4 c all-purpose flour
Mix the 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil with the warm water. Stir in the yeast then the salt & wheat bran. Stir in the flour until you can't stir anymore with a spoon. Knead the dough until it is smooth & elastic, about 10 minutes. If the dough is sticky add more flour a little at a time.
Put a little olive oil in the bottom of the bowl. Put the dough in & turn it to coat with the oil. Cover & let sit until double in size, about 2 hours.
Making the Pizza
1 new potato
1 small beet
olive oil
1/2 c grated mozzarella
grated parmesan
2 - 3 spinach leaves, torn
1 garlic scape, chopped (you can use a clove of minced garlic)
1 spring onion, sliced (you can use a scallion)
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
salt
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Boil the potato & beet in pot of boiling water until just starting to get tender, 5 - 10 minutes. I did them separately to keep the potato from turning pink. Let cool until you can handle them then cut into 1/8 inch slices.
Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Spread the dough out on the sheet into desired shape.
Cover the dough with the mozzarella & then sprinkle with parmesan. Top the cheese with the spinach leaves, potatoes, beets, garlic scapes & onion. Sprinkle with thyme leaves & salt.
Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until the cheese & crust are golden brown.
Submitted by Kathy Lewinski, A Good Appetite
http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com/
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