A word about beets: I love them. They are pretty, they are great for you, they are versatile, they taste like you are eating everything good borne from the earth...but they are also MESSY. And honestly, while I'm all in favor of cooking from scratch and earning bragging rights for doing things like churning your own butter and making your own mayonnaise even thought it tastes exactly the same as Land-o-Lakes and Hellman's, this is a case where you can save yourself some time and bleach by simply buying the prepackaged version.
I roasted my beets. By the time I was done, my fingers were fuscia, my kitchen looked like the scene of a small massacre, and my roasting pan had burned beet sugar coating the bottom of it.
Trader Joe's has cooked, vacuum-packed beets available in the refrigerated section that I have kept on hand for salads and whatnot, and next time I want some beets in a pinch, I will reach for those again. Not to say I won't roast my own again, but definitely not on a weeknight. Heck, for all I know canned (gasp!!) beets might be just as good as the original, too. Sounds like some experimentin' is in order!
Menu:
Scallioned Beets and Their Greens in Herbed Mustard Sauce
Outrageously Good Pan-Crisped Millet-Vegetable Cakes
Scallioned Beets and Their Greens in Herbed Mustard Sauce
This was a very tasty and colorful vegetable side, but not worth the time it took to prepare the beets. I would definitely use pre-cooked next time. Also, my beets did not come with their greens, so I used kale instead. And finally, this is Whooo! Mustardy! And I love mustard! If you are at all mustard-phobic, this is not the dish for you. Next time I might temper it a bit with some honey or something. There was a whole lotta tang in this recipe. I've re-written the recipe as I made it (which basically just means I cut it in half and actually measured my beets).
Serves 3, generously
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 c vegetable stock
1 1/2 T course-ground Dijon mustard
2 T reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp butter or olive oil (I omitted this and used cooking spray instead)
3 scallions, white and light green parts, minced
1 bunch (whatever came off the beets) beet greens, washed, stems finely diced, and leaves sliced into ribbons (I did not have greens and substituted a bunch of kale leaves)
1 pound Basic Baked Beets (to follow), cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T minced fresh parsley
1 T minced fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine the cornstarch with 1 T of the stock to dissolve, then whisk in the remaining stock. Stir in the mustard and sour cream. Set aside.
2. Melt butter or spray cooking spray in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and greens and saute for 1 minute, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and add the beets and garlic to the pan and toss until just heated through, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk the mustard mixture. Quickly stir it into the beets. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is hot and thick, 1 minute at most. Stir in the herbs and taste for seasonings.
Basic Baked Beets
Servings variable
Whole fresh beets, all about the same size, greens removed and scrubbed.
mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or peanut (I omitted this)
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly coat each beet with oil (This was not necessary). Individually wrap the oiled beets in sheets of foil.
3. Place the beets in a baking dish in the preheated oven.
4. Bake until done, testing with a fork (the fork should go in easily, but the beet should still offer a tiny bit of resistance). This could be 35-90 minutes. I'd say mine took about 45 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool (or you can opt to do as I did and burn your fingerprints off trying to skin the hot beets because you are too hungry to wait). Unwrap and peel with a vegetable peeler or slip the skins off with your fingers.
Outrageously Good Pan-Crisped Millet-Vegetable Cakes
OK, I wouldn't classify these as "outrageously" good. They were Satisfactorily Good. As veggie burgers go, they were unusual because of their color and the addition of tahini. They were filling and very tasty. They called for ingredients that I would not have thought to include in a veggie burger and thus helped me branch out a bit (beets, millet). However, they were very soft and they took a long time to brown, and I got impatient and took them off before they were truly "pan-crisped." They might very well fall apart if eaten as a burger between bun halves. That being said, I would make them again and I'm glad I made the whole recipe so I could freeze the leftovers.
Makes 6 cakes
1 small beet
1 carrot
3 c Basic Moist-Style Millet (to follow)
1/2 c canned navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 T tahini
4 cloves garlic, peeled and split
juice of 1 lemon (all I had was a lime, this worked fine)
1 T soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
1. Using the grating blade of a food processor, grate the beet and carrot. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl containing the millet. Set aside.
2. Without washing the processor, replace the grater blade with the S blade. Add the beans, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Process until very smooth. Work the mixture into the millet, using your hands. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more soy sauce if needed.
3. Shape the mixture into 6 patties.
4. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until quite hot, then add the cakes and lower to medium. Cook slowly, 8-9 minutes, before gently flipping. Cook on the second side until crisp.
Basic Moist-Style Millet
makes 4 cups
1 c millet, well rinsed and rained
3 1/4 c water or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
1. Over medium heat, in an ungreased cast-iron skillet (or stainless steel), toast the millet, stirring frequently, until lightly fragrant but not browned, about 2-3 minutes. This may take 7-9 minutes if it is still damp from rinsing. When it's reached the proper degree of toastiness it will also sort of skitter around the pan. Remove from heat.
2. In a pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring the water or stock and salt to a boil. Stir in the toasted millet. Return to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook until the millet is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 25-30 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
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