Chocolate Beet Brownies
1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cooked beets or 15 oz. can beets packed in water, drained and mashed;
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy.
Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed.
Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets.
Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture.
Fold in wheat germ and almonds.
Turn into greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool before cutting into squares.
Apple Beet Compote
3 red beets
3 golden beets
1 fennel bulb
2 large apples
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Clean and peel beets then cut into small chunks
Mix each color separately with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and place into roasting pan.
Cut fennel bulb into the same size pieces and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper, then place in roasting pan with beets.
Place the roasting pan into the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until beets are soft*
While beets are roasting, peel and cut the apples into bite-size pieces and place them in a sauté pan with 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Sauté apples for 5 minutes just to soften them up some, set aside.
In another sauté pan add one tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of brown sugar and mix well.
Add the walnuts and over medium heat. coat the walnuts with the brown sugar mixture* tossing to get them completely coated.
Remove the walnuts from the pan and place them on parchment or a plate to allow the sugar to set.
When the beets are done, gently mix your compote together and serve warm.
Roasted Beets ‘n’ Sweets
6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to coat.
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Mix the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag.
Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag.
Seal the bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Mix the sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet.
Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.
Beet Salsa
2 tomatoes, cored
2 green chilies, seeded for less heat if desired
1 orange or red bell pepper, seeded
1 cucumber, peeled if desired
2 cloves garlic
½ medium sweet onion
1 beet, peeled (young, juicy beets are best for this recipe)
1 bunch green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch each paprika, garlic salt, celery seed, and cayenne, or more to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Coarsely chop all the vegetables and place them into the bowl of a food processor.
Add the herbs and seasonings.
Pulse until blended but still chunky.
Adjust the seasonings.
If necessary, work in batches and transfer the blended salsa to a large bowl for final seasoning.
Yields about 10 cups.
Serve with lime wedges and your favorite tortilla chips, or as a topping for grilled fish.
Gorgeous Beet and Apple Salad
4 to 5 medium-sized beets, cooked , cut into large cubes
1 large Granny smith apple, unpeeled, cut into large cubes
¼ cup slivered red onion
1 Tbsp Canola oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp minced shallots
¼ tsp sugar or honey
Toss beets, apples, and red onions together in a medium-sized bowl.
Mix remaining ingredients to create the dressing.
Pour over vegetables and toss to mix well. Chill.
Serves 4.
Chocolate Beet Brownies
1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup cooked beets or 15 oz. can beets packed in water, drained and mashed;
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy.
Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed.
Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets.
Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture.
Fold in wheat germ and almonds.
Turn into greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool before cutting into squares.
Beet and Brown Rice Salad
with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Sesame Dressing
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 large beet, grated (2-3 cups)
1 cup arame seaweed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 scallions)
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup brown rice vinegar
1 Tbsp umboshi vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 ½ tsp)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Put the rice and beets in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cover the arame with water and soak for 15 minutes.
Place a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the toasted seeds to a dish to cool.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and lower undrained arame into the pot. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the scallions, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, umboshi vinegar, and garlic in a large jar. With the lid tightly screwed on, shake the jar vigorously until the oil and vinegar no longer separate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the seaweed in a colander; add it to the beets and rice and toss briefly. Add the oil and vinegar mixture and toss thoroughly.
Chill at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve chilled.
Open Hands Farm 