For the Love of Beets

You may think, it's not beet season... but, it is beet green season!  Who doesn't love a vegetable that is two-in-one?  I know, I know, many people aren't beet lovers, as crazy as it sounds, but it's true.  In this post I am talking to the beet lovers among us.

This could be called "Taking Requests Two", since a review of good ways to use beets was requested along with the kale request.  So here goes, you'll be ready for the whole beet season, from greens to roots.

I adore beets, they just make me happy!  But, I fear you'll find my use of beets boring.  I use them pretty simply, not much of a recipe required.  I welcome those of you that have other beet recipes to share them with us in the comments.

 

This picture was taken from the Tucson Community Supported Agriculture newsletter from January 9, 2012.

Beet Greens

• Saute w/eggs- In a previous post I talked about my favorite lunch.  It's basically a saute of vegetables and an egg or two, maybe some feta cheese sprinkled on top.  This would be great with beet greens.  I simply use whatever vegetables I have in the fridge, it's often just onion, celery, and arugula, spinach, kale, or beet greens.  The constant is some form of green!
• Saute 2 - This is not a recipe, but my favorite dinner, when my husband is gone and it's just me is a very simple Roasted Potato and Beet dish.  I simply dice and roast a couple beets and one potato.  Then I throw it in a saute pan with some garlic and a whole bunch of beet greens on top.  The beet greens melt and I have a wonderful savory meal.  Don't forget the course salt to taste!
• Quiche - I haven't done this, but I think a quiche with beet greens, fennel, and mushrooms would be perfect, perhaps with a cheese combination of feta and provolone.  I would probably go with the rye pie crust I found for this!

The Beet Root

• Slaw - Back in May I posted a beet slaw recipe for you.  This is a great way to use raw beets.

• Pickled - I've also previously posted my favorite recipe for quick and easy pickled beets.

• Pizza - Yes, pizza!  I posted this recipe for a Roasted Beet pizza last year.

• Salad - I have had versions of the following salad in restaurants and enjoy it.  Arugula, roasted beets, and goat cheese.

As you can tell, I love roasted beets in a variety of ways.  I like to use raw beets for salads and my preferred way to do greens is to just quickly melt them with some olive oil, garlic and salt.  What's your favorite beet dish?

 

Cookies and Appreciation

I've been trying to remind myself lately to appreciate where I am at this moment.  Who hasn't wished they could do that just a little more often?

It all started as I hiked to this viewpoint  a couple weekends ago, took off my hiking boots and took out my book thinking, hmmm not a bad place to spend an hour.

So while I have a cookie recipe to share today, I'll also share some of the recent places I've enjoyed recently.

Aren't these red cactus flowers pretty?

Cookies are the perfect recipe to share with this post because who doesn't really appreciate the perfect cookie?  I took these camping last weekend and I think everyone in the group enjoyed them.  Even with the sneaky "healthy" stuff I snuck into them, the whole bag disappeared!

I had to find some way to use the Macadamia Nuts I brought back from Hawaii this spring.  They've been patiently sitting in my refrigerator waiting for me to decide.

I think I have it hard, these little yellow flowers work hard, against all odds, to shine bright in the desert!

Oatmeal White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

(Based on the Eating Well Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)
Made about 40 cookies

2 cups regular rolled oats
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tahini
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unrefined sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients, oats thru salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat tahini and butter until blended into a paste.  Add sugars and continue beating until well combined.  Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. 
4. Stir the oat mixture into the wet mixture with a wooden spoon until just moistened. 
5. Stir in chips and nuts.
6. Using a 1 or 1 1/2 inch scoop, scoop cookie dough onto parchment paper and flatten a bit, placing two inches apart.
7. Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 16 minutes.  If you have two sheets of cookies going at one time, switch them half way through.  Cool on the pans for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

If you have not invested in scoops yet, do it now!  I love these things for cookies and anything else I can think to scoop.

This is my view as I walk to the grocery store, isn't it lovely?

Mmmm, a plate of cookies.

What view or item did you appreciate in your day today?

Taking Requests - Kale

I've had a request to talk about some of my favorite Kale recipes.  Which means someone really is reading my blog and knows I love Kale!  Aren't we so lucky that Kale has such a long season?  It is hardy so you can plant it early, but then you can also plant it late summer and munch all fall!  Sometimes longer depending on where you live.

My sadness is there is no fresh Kale around me at the moment.  I mean Smith's has it, but it's pretty iffy and definitely not organic, so I'm going to have to resort to a review of yummy sounding recipes versus grabbing you with bright pictures.

Easy ideas:

1. Don't forget to add handfuls of  chopped greens to any soup you make.
2. Back in January, I posted this review of a Bacon and Butternut squash pasta with Kale.  But you say, it's not really butternut squash season.  Substitute what you have, such as zucchini or asparagus! 
3. I know it's not really a recipe, but last June I posted about one of my favorite ways to use Kale, sauteing it with eggs for my lunch!  I just adore sauteing kale with any other veggies I have in the fridge and an egg.  If I feeling special I'll crumble a little feta on top!
4. Of course, you can't miss out on the currently popular Kale chips.  There are many recipes for these crisp, salty chips, but here is one from Steamy Kitchen.
5. Kale is good in a salad, it softens a bit, but doesn't wilt as quickly as other greens.

Next I'll share the kale recipes that are in my to try pile.  As I look at recipes I always make the assumptions that fresh beans or vegetables can be substituted for canned and meat can be subbed or left out.

1. White Bean and Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Kale, and Zucchini from Cooking Light
2. Barlotti Minestrone from Cooking Light
3. Here's a great looking Roasted Potato and Kale Curry from 365 Days of Kale.
4. I'm after pretty much every recipe on this list of 15 Kale recipes from Serious Eats.
5. I'm also all over this list of Kale recipes from Martha Stewart, especially the Lemony Kale Salad and Kale Crostini with Parmesan.

All of this being said, what's my next Kale recipe to do this weekend?    A Kale and Leek Quiche.  No, I don't have a recipe to share as it's in my head right now, but doesn't it sound good?

In short, Kale can be treated like you would any green, such as Spinach, and basically I suggest putting it into everything!