beetroot

Beetroot, Chickpea and Walnut Falafels

~ louisehad ~ 1 Comment

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Beetroot is having its moment in the sun again with its glorious pinkness and deep earthy flavour. You just can’t move without bumping into a recipe using beetroot. This one from the August 2017 Waitrose magazine is perfect for a summer’s day; it’s light, healthy and pink! I did adapt the recipe slightly by adding very generously heaped teaspoons of the coriander and cumin. I also added 2 teaspoons of pomegranate molasses and a tablespoon of lemon juice, just to liven up the flavour of the beetroot. I used blue cheese when building up the flatbread which worked really well, but goat’s cheese or feta would also do the job!  You can find the original recipe below.

 

Ingredients

400g can chick peas, drained
220g beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
100g walnut pieces
25g pack flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
25g pack mint, roughly chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin

 

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C, gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Season and pulse until everything is finely chopped and beginning to clump together.

2. Take tablespoons of the mixture to shape into about 20-24 small patties. Space them out on the lined baking sheet, brush lightly with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before taking them off with a spatula. Serve on their own or with Greek yogurt or hummus, fresh coriander, shredded lettuce, cheese, sliced tomatoes and flatbreads or pitta, if liked.

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Beetroot Risotto with Cherry, Watercress and Feta Salad

~ louisehad ~ Leave a comment

Beetroot risotto

I don’t know what it is about me and beetroot. If you asked me what my favourite vegetable was, it wouldn’t be beetroot and I certainly wouldn’t think about using it in a risotto!  But the colour in this risotto is so striking, just amazing, I simply can’t resist it. The fennel is the secret weapon, it gives the sweet earthiness of the beetroot a depth of flavour and an unexpected twist. I served the risotto with Cherry, Watercress and Feta Salad which is a fresh crisp salad with great flavours and it also carries similar colours to the risotto.  Both recipes come from Waitrose Late Summer Harvest, 2014.

 

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Ingredients: Serves 2-3

1 red onion

1 bunch of Beetroot (or a pack of 4 pre-cooked)

1tbsp olive oil

1tsp fennel seeds

500g hot vegetable stock

125g arborio rice

Feta cheese to sprinkle on top

Chives to garnish

 

 

  • Dice the onion into small pieces and grate the beetroot.
  • Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Remove from heat and add fennel seeds followed by the onion and beetroot. Return pan to the hob and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir the rice into the beetroot and onion.
  • Add a third of the stock. Cook quickly until the liquid is absorbed, then add the remaining stock and simmer until the rice is cooked and the liquid is all gone. Add extra liquid if the rice has not cooked through.
  • Season the risotto.
  • Use a food ring or a small bowl to shape the risotto and turn it out onto the plate. Sprinkle the feta and chives on top. 

     

     Cherry, Watercress and Feta Salad

    Cherry Pistachio Salad

    Ingredients

    1 spring onion

    1tsp orange blossom water

    1tsp Dijon mustard

    1tsp red wine vinegar

    2tbsp olive oil

    Pinch of caster sugar

    25g pistachios

    70g pack of mixed watercress, rocket, and spinach

    150g cherries

    100g feta

     

  • To make dressing, finely chop the spring onion.
  • Place in a bowl and add orange blossom water, vinegar, mustard, olive oil and pinch of caster sugar and then whisk together.
  • Season to taste.
  • Heat pistachios in a dry pan until lightly browned.
  • Place rocket in a large shallow bowl.
  • Halve and stone the cherries and scatter over the leaves, then crumble the feta on top.
  • Drizzle the dressing over the salad then scatter with the pistachios. DSC01569

      

Pickled Pear, Lentil and Goat’s Cheese Salad

~ louisehad ~ 1 Comment

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This is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite salads. What first attracted me to this recipe was the colour of the pears; I think they look amazing. So this was the salad I made when my mum and dad came for a fleeting visit, and they loved it. The ingredients are simple, flavoursome and marry together so well. The recipe is from Rachel Khoo’s, My Kitchen Notebook. In the original, she uses blue cheese which I like, but not everyone is a fan. My parents really enjoy goat’s cheese which works extremely well, so I used it in this version of the salad. I’ve also made it with feta which is also delicious. You don’t need to use a salad dressing as the pears are quite juicy and sharp. If you really wanted, you could drizzle a little of the pickling liquid over, but I don’t think it needs it. A nice addition to this is a handful of pan roasted walnuts or pecans sprinkled over the top.

Preparation time: 15 minutes,  resting time: overnight,  cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

250ml water

250ml red wine vinegar 150g caster sugar

4 firm pears, peeled but with stems on

4 small beetroot, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

200g Puy lentils

100g cheese: choose from goat’s cheese, feta, gorgonzola or other blue cheese

1 handful of watercress

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of sea salt pinch and freshly ground pepper

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Method

  • Put the water, vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the pears and beetroot. Cut a piece of baking paper/parchment larger than the diameter of the pan, crumple it up, and cut a hole or slit in the centre. Place in contact with the liquid and let some seep through to keep the paper in place. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 1 hour.
  •  Remove from the heat and transfer the pears, beetroot, and all the liquid to a lidded container. Set aside until it cools to room temperature, then put in the refrigerator to pickle overnight.
  •  When ready to serve, cook the lentils following the package instructions, then drain.
  • Transfer the pears to a cutting board and the beetroot to a bowl (discard the liquid or save it for up to 1 week for pickling something else).
  • Toss the lentils with the beetroot, then crumble the cheese into small chunks and add to the bowl. Divide the mixture among four salad plates.
  • Cut each pear in half and place them on the serving plate, with a little watercress.
  • Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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