Dishes Perfect for Fall

When Fall comes around, all the root type veggies are in full display. Sometimes, during Autumn, I begin to crave things that I did not have interest in, during the spring or summer. I am great with wanting beets at any time of year, but things like turnips or rutabaga? Not so much. 

Mashed Potatoes & Parsnips

Mashed Potatoes & Parsnips

Potatoes are always in evidence, but they are root vegetables, along with things such as parsnips. These two things are like a match made in heaven, and I make my mashed potatoes with up to half parsnips. Delish! I cook the vegetables (about 4 medium potatoes and one or two large parsnips) covered in water with about a tablespoon of Kosher salt. Then, with slotted spoon strain out the cooked potatoes and parsnips into a ricer, set over a bowl with 2 to 4 ounces of some kind of cheese (whether cream cheese, Boursin, Cheddar or other melting cheese) and some minced scallions and/or chives. The potatoes are riced straight atop the cheese mixture (which softens the cheese nicely for blending) and stirred in. I use some of the cooking water left in the pot to thin the potatoes to my taste.

Leeks are another great vegetable. I love leeks, but use them seldom. Yet there are just some recipes that taste great with leeks. Such as Potato Leek Soup.

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

Makes about six (1-cup) servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 leeks
2 - 3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of white pepper
1 bay leaf
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut in ½-inch dice
2 cups water
1½ cups milk, half & half or cream
 
Cut off the lightest part of the leeks, discarding the dark green tops. Cut off root ends and discard, and then slice down the center length of each leek. Hold the layers together with pone hand and fan the leek under running water to rinse out any mud or grit. Slice the leeks across the grain into about ½-inch slices. 

 Heat butter in a medium saucepan until melted and immediately add in the leeks. Cook them over medium to medium-high heat, stirring often, until they are relatively soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and toss to combine. Strip off the leaves of a few thyme sprigs and chop finely. Add to the pot and stir. Add in the salt, pepper, potatoes, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. 

 Remove the bay leaf and pour the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add in the milk (or half & half or cream, as desired) and heat before serving.

 NOTES: Stock may be used instead of water in the soup, although the salt will need to be adjusted. To make a pretty presentation, blend together 2 tablespoons of olive oil with another 2 - 3 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves. Pass the oil through a very fine mesh sieve. Using a teaspoon, drizzle about ½ teaspoon of the oil in a circular pattern over the top.

VEGAN OPTIONAL: If a nut or seed milk substitution is made for the milk and a vegan butter substitute or oil for the butter, this recipe is easily made vegan.

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Every year, come Fall, I make a soup with a slew of root veggies, plus their greens. This has been a staple for a lot of years now, and uses carrots, parsnips, rutabaga and beets, though any other root vegetable will also be great in this soup as well. The best thing is the use of beet greens and either turnip greens, mustard greens or whichever greens are your preference. The use of red beets will color all the vegetables. If you want a cleaner look for the vegetables, consider using Chioggia beets or golden beets.

Root Vegetable & Greens Soup

Root Vegetable & Greens Soup

Makes about 10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 carrots. scrubbed, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 - 3 parsnips, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 rutabaga, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 - 3 medium beets, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
a few grinds of the pepper mill
6 - 8 cups beet greens, coarse-chopped in about 1-inch pieces
4 - 6 cups other greens, coarse chopped in about 1-inch pieces
 
Heat a large soup pot and add in the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden. Add in the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in all the diced vegetables and the water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add in the greens and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until they are tender. 

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Sweet potatoes are available any time of year, but come Fall, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, they start to take a more center stage. I must confess: I rarely use mustard greens. They just aren't all that appetizing, to me, on their own in a dish, but with this particular combination, they are stellar. I feel positively virtuous when eating this side dish, and it could as easily be used as a main course for those who eschew meat.

Coconut Sweet Potatoes with Mustard Greens

Serves 6

2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 medium onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced

Coconut Sweet Potatoes with Mustard Greens

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 can coconut milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 cassia cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 cups sweet potato, peeled, in ½-inch cubes
4 - 5 cups mustard greens (about ¾ pound)
1 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and mustard seeds and saute for another 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, coriander, cinnamon stick and sweet potato. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until sweet potato begins to soften.

While sweet potato is cooking, wash the mustard greens and strip leaves off the stems. Discard the stems. Chop greens into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the mustard greens with the maple syrup and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. The greens should be tender and the sweet potato soft. Adjust salt level; remove cinnamon stick. Just before serving, squeeze in some lime juice, or serve with a lime wedge.

NOTES: If sweet potato is not your favorite, other vegetables may be added or substituted, such as broccoli or cauliflower. Collard greens or spinach could be substituted for the mustard greens, though collards may take longer to cook properly.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Homely Vegetables Made Grand

Beets, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage. Homely vegetables that seem to be either loved or hated. I learned very young to love cabbage in the form of cole slaw, a love that continues to this day, though cabbage in most any form is high on my list of loves. I also loved beets, as my Mom would can them each summer and at a very young age I enjoyed helping her slip off their skins after boiling, as well as popping some of the tiny ones into my mouth. Beets also figured large at Easter each year, when my Yugoslav (these days her hometown would be in north Serbia) paternal grandmother made Beets with Horseradish to go with her ham. To this day, ham doesn't taste right unless I have some beets with horseradish on hand.

Lots of beets and healthy greens

Brussels sprouts on the other hand, took me a lot longer to come to terms with. I was a highly picky eater as a child. Once I married in 1970 at age 20 and moved to Guatemala, I was exposed to all sorts of foods I'd never heard of before and learned to like and to cook most of them. Brussels sprouts were not on that list, as I never once saw them while down there. So it wasn't until much more recently, like in the early 2000's, that I finally tackled learning how to make Brussels sprouts taste good. 

Brussels Sprouts

Along with many other members of the cruciferous vegetable family (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula radishes, bok choy and others), Brussels sprouts can be pungent and sometimes bitter. However, as they are now believed to trigger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, we are encouraged to eat more and more of these vegetables that are sometimes hard to enjoy. 

What I discovered is that Brussels sprouts become bitter when they are over cooked. If steaming, ensure they are cooked just until they are bright green and can be pierced with the tip of a knife. Once the color darkens into the olive range, they become bitter. I steam my Brussels sprouts more often than not, and this recipe for a "sauce" makes them quite palatable. My husband, far more picky than I ever was, has finally come to enjoy eating these little veggies based solely on this recipe, and that is a true coup!

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Dijon Caper Brussels Sprouts

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound Brussels sprouts
Salt, for sprinkling
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup capers, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lime zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

Trim the Brussels sprouts so they are of a fairly uniform size. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts in a very small amount of boiling water and sprinkle with salt. Cook until just barely tender. Better yet, steam them. Watch that they stay bright green. This can take about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size. They become bitter when overcooked.
 
While sprouts are cooking, mix all the rest of the ingredients together into a paste. When sprouts are tender, drain and return to pan. Mix in the flavored butter and toss until melted. Serve immediately.

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Cabbage

Another of the cruciferous vegetables, as mentioned above, cabbage is supposed to be exceedingly healthy for the body. That does not mean it is palatable to everyone. As I mentioned, I love cabbage. Whether it is plain boiled or served raw, I just love it. My husband however, will not eat it raw under any circumstances. Cooked? Depends. I have gotten creative with some recipes to tempt him. Often, it is better if he isn't aware of it at all. In that way of thinking, I have made this noodle dish, in which the noodles and the cabbage are pretty much all the same color, as well as a similar looking size, so it isn't as noticeable that there is cabbage in the recipe. He does love noodles, and most any pasta. So this recipe is perfect. If, perchance, you like the flavor of caraway seeds, do add a half teaspoon or so to the cabbage when it is being cooked. As my husband also dislikes caraway, I leave it out.

Noodles with Cabbage

Noodles with Cabbage

Serves about 6 to 8

6 ounces wide egg noodles
2 onions, sliced thin
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
(¾ teaspoon caraway seeds)
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces cabbage, cored and cut into ½-inch strips
1 tablespoon paprika, preferable Hungarian
¼ cup dark brown sugar, or more, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Put 6 ounces of water into a large pan. Add the onions, vinegar, butter, caraway seeds (if using) and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, and stir in the cabbage, paprika and brown sugar. Cover the pan and cook for 35 minutes, removing the lid three times during this period to stir. Add water, if necessary, to ensure that the liquid in the pan remains about ½-inch deep.

Approximately 5 minutes before cabbage finishes cooking, drop the noodles into 2 quarts of boiling water, with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook them for 5 minutes. The noodles will be undercooked. Drain them and add them to the cabbage mixture, along with some ground pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated and the noodles are al dente, 5 - 7 minutes. 

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Beets

Unlike the above vegetables, beets are not cruciferous vegetables. This does not mean they aren't also healthy eating. Also anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying, beets, in the chenopod family along with chard, spinach and quinoa, also have edible greens, making this great root a twofer in terms of great healthy eating. Beets come in various colors. I find the lighter colors such as in golden beets or in the lovely striped Chioggia beets to be lighter in flavor also. Maybe just me, but to me, if you object to the dark red beets, give one of the lighter colored ones a try. Beets are touted as possibly having anti cancer benefits, and the type of fiber in beets can provide special health benefits in the colon.

While I have loved beets since little, I have yet to persuade my husband to try any of them (Except by subterfuge, in my Chocolate Beet Cake!) That does not stop me from trying out new recipes, and this particular recipe is so good that I just cannot stop eating the beets when they are done.

Lemon Garlic Beets

Lemon Garlic Beets

Serves about 6

14 to 16 ounces fresh beets, peeled
1 teaspoon lime zest
juice of one juicy lime (1 - 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. 

Slice the beets into ¼-inch thick slices, then slice the pieces into quarter-rounds. Place the beets into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to coat. Spread the beets into a single layer in the sheet pan, then spray another piece of foil with cooking spray and place the oiled side down over the beets, crimping the edges to seal the pan. Bake the beets for about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Fermented Red Cabbage Kraut

Fermented Red Cabbage Kraut with Beet

Since this past June when I started fermenting foods, I have discovered a lot of flavors heretofore missing from my taste repertoire. Each one is an experiment, and I never know what will be great or what will fall flat. My original sauerkraut recipe was delicious, and I truly thought nothing could beat it. Then I made a Lacto-Fermented Picalilli and my taste buds really took notice. Since those initial ferments I have made a lot of different things, some great and a couple that were certainly not to my taste.

Not too long ago I started a red cabbage ferment with some red beet grated in. I do not like raw beets. I absolutely love cooked beets, just about any way. Making this red kraut, which I hoped to enhance color-wise with the beet, was a total experiment. This time it was a tremendously successful experiment. I cannot taste the beet at all, and the color is lovely. The overall flavor is far better than the green cabbage kraut. I just love it!

Fermented Red Cabbage Kraut with Beet

Red Cabbage Kraut with Beet

Fermented Red Cabbage Kraut with Beet

1½ pounds red cabbage, finely shredded
1 beet, about 5.5 ounces, peeled and shredded
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1 large red onion, cut in thin slivers
2 red Fresno chilies, sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried hibiscus flower tea 
¼ cup liquid from a previous ferment, as a starter
1 teaspoon juniper berries
½ teaspoon allspice berries

4 - 5 teaspoons coarse sea salt 

2 - 4 cabbage leaves for covering the final mixture

BRINE, if needed:

1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt, dissolved in:
1 cup water

Place all the ingredients into a very large bowl with the salt. Use hands to squeeze the mixture or some implement to smash down the mixture and break down the cell walls of the vegetables (such as a meat tenderizer or a heavy rolling pin). The goal is to break down the vegetables enough so that the overall size and amount shrinks to about half the original bulk. This can be done in short bursts, allowing the mixture to rest for an hour in between and form its juices. It is preferable to have the cabbage make its own juice, but if there is not enough juice to cover the mixture when the vegetables are pressed down, then the added brine may be needed.

Pack the mixture into one very large or two smaller bail-wire jars (Fido) fitted with an airlock. Allow about ⅓ empty jar space above the vegetables. Press the mixture into the jars very tightly, ensuring that the juices completely cover the vegetables. Cover with the reserved cabbage leaves and weight the vegetables with glass weights or zip-top baggies of water. The goal is to keep everything submerged. Close the lid and have the airlock in place. Set the jar in a dark corner to ferment for 2 to 4 weeks. This time will depend on how warm or cool the room temperature is. Cooler will take longer fermenting time. Warmer will ferment more rapidly. 

Once fermented to your taste (or when all bubbling stops), re-pack the ferment into jars with a plastic lid and refrigerate.  


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Fermented Beverages are Added to the Growing List

Lately I am all about fermenting, and finding out more and more, daily. It appears there is almost nothing that cannot be fermented, adding amazing probiotics to the system. A couple of weeks ago, when cutting up a pineapple to use in a fruit salad, I kept aside all the outer peels and the core of the pineapple (without the green top). I saved them in the fridge for a couple of days, until I had time, and then placed these leavings into a large jar. I added in a cinnamon stick and then dissolved ½ cup of honey into about 6½ cups of water and poured this over the pineapple leavings. I screwed the cap on, loosely, and set the jar in a dark corner of the kitchen.

When fermenting something sweet like this, it is highly important to stir the mixture very often, (I stirred about 4 times a day), in order to keep any molds from forming (as the fruit floats and is exposed to air). The liquid is very sweet, and the fruit is sweet, so the ferment can go on to creating wine, if left unchecked, but for an amazing lightly effervescent beverage, it is ready in about 2 to 5 days, depending on how warm it is in the house.

Since I cannot get my husband to eat either my wonderful fermented sauerkraut or the fermented piccalilli I am loving so much, I figured one sure way to get some probiotics into his diet is with a beverage. When stirring the mixture daily, check it from the time it starts to exhibit myriad tiny bubbles at the edges of the jar. The ferment has begin at this time, and where to stop it will depend on your taste buds. I waited until I could actually feel that tiny bit of effervescence going on - not much, as I didn't want it alcoholic - but just enough to make it interesting. This happened at about 5 days in my kitchen. I strained off the liquid and put it into a container with a pour spout and gave it to my picky man. He loved it! 

For my next magic trick, I decided to use strawberry tops. If you are one of those who still uses a strawberry huller to pull out just the green calyx and core of the strawberry, then this will not suffice. However, if you, like me, just cut right across the top of the berry, to save time, then keep those strawberry tops with that little bit of fruit still attached! My second fermented beverage for my husband was a Strawberry Ginger Spritzer. Pretty much any fruits and peelings can be used this same way, changing out spices or other flavors as desired.

Strawberry Ginger Spritzer

Strawberry Ginger Spritzer

Makes 7 cups
Takes about 2 to 5 days, depending on temperatures

1 pound strawberries: tops cut off (use the berries for something else)
4 or 5 strawberries, sliced
5 slices fresh ginger, with skin on
pinch salt
6½ cups filtered water
½ cup sugar or raw honey

Place the strawberry tops, sliced berries and ginger slices into a large glass jar, capable of holding at least 7 - 8 cups liquid. Stir together the water and honey or sugar until dissolved, and pour this over the fruit in the jar. Cover loosely with a lid (gases will build as the mixture ferments), or cover with a cloth, towel or cheesecloth, held on with a rubber band to discourage flies, fruit flies or other insects. Allow this mixture to ferment, stirring well 3 or 4 times a day with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. 

Keep an eye out for tiny bubbles forming around the top of the liquid. Using a clean spoon, taste once this fermentation begins. If it is not at all fizzy, wait another day or two or until it begins to have a tiny bit of fizz happening on the tongue. Once it is fermented to taste, strain the liquid into a glass or plastic jar and refrigerate. Keep in mind that the fermenting may still continue in the fridge. Keep the lid loose.

Then, as I was reading about Beet Kvass everywhere lately, and I just happened to have 2½ beets in the fridge (having used 2 slices in the making of the Fermented Pink Onions a few days prior), I thought I had best find out what all the to-do was about. Beet Kvass is an Eastern European beverage, obviously made with beets, very popular in Russia and the Ukraine, among other places. It is fermented to taste and then the beverage is either drunk as is, for its tonic qualities (a VERY long list!), or added to soups or stews. The beets, once fermented, may be used for a secondary ferment. After that, they are either discarded, composted, or added to soups or stews. Waste not...

I love beets, when they are cooked. Raw, I have found, I am not fond of them at all, plus they make my throat feel raw and scratchy. So, I avoid raw beets! So with this Beet Kvass, I was very, very leery of how the taste might be, as the beets are not cooked, but only fermented. I needn't have worried. I guess I should know better by now that once a food is fermented the flavor profile is so different it is hard to believe. This tonic has salt added, making it a brined beverage. After tasting it at 3 days, I find I am eager to leave it fermenting for longer, to see where it goes. It can become very sour. When to stop is up to individual taste. It can be fermented for up to a month, if the flavor is acceptable. Sally Fallon, in Nourishing Traditions, says:

“This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are just loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments.”

The recipe for Beet Kvass is just about identical wherever you find it, with the main difference falling in the amount of time to ferment. Some people say two days. Sandor Katz talks of up to a month. As I say, taste and see where you prefer the flavor.

The other main controversial topic is to use whey or not to use whey. Whey (obtained from placing plain, unflavored yogurt into a coffee filter lined sieve and drained until reaching the amount needed, usually 1/4 cup) is used as a "starter" much as a sourdough starter gets fermentation rolling in bread. It will jump start the fermentation process and the time it takes will be less, if you are in a hurry. The flip side is that slower fermentation allows the formation of many more strains of lacto-ferments to form, making a more potent and healthful tonic. I chose not to use whey in this ferment. When eliminating the whey, more salt is needed. Salt is used to keep bad bacteria at bay until the ferment begins. Once fermentation begins, then any unwanted bacteria will be killed off in the fermentation process. I basically used the recipe from Wellness Mama, http://wellnessmama.com/9087/beet-kvass-recipe/, but here it is, without whey and with more salt.

Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass

Serving size 3 - 4 ounces, twice daily
Makes about 2 quarts

2 - 4 beets, scrubbed well, cut in ½-inch cubes
4½ teaspoons coarse sea salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
7 cups filtered water

In a jar large enough to hold at least 2 quarts, place the beets and salt. Cover these with the filtered water and stir to dissolve the salt. Cover the jar loosely with a lid, or top with a cloth held in place with a rubber band. Keep out of direct sunlight. Stir daily 1 - 2 times. The beets will float, and molds might form if not moved enough.

Once the flavor is to taste, strain off the liquid, leaving at least ¼ cup of the already fermented liquid in the container. Add salt and water again for a second batch and stir well. The fermented liquid acts as a starter, already having the strains of good bacteria in it to help things along. Refrigerate the finished Kvass.  

Some additions, if desired: carrots, fresh ginger. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Chocolate Beet Cake Revised

1st Chocolate Beet Cake, as mini cupcakes

Last weekend I had made and served little mini cupcakes at an Open House. The cake was an experiment, using beets in a chocolate cake. This was an idea I'd never had before and I made part of the recipe into the mini cupcakes and part into a single layer cake to try here at home. While I am not terribly into chocolate of any kind, occasionally I do not mind making and eating a chocolate cake. As chocolate cakes go, that one was good. Flavors were great, to my palate, though I felt it could have been a bit more moist.

I had questions about this whole beet cake concept: 

• how much of the beets would be too much?
• how much sugar is needed?
• should I try using oil instead of creaming butter and sugar?

On that first attempt, I was cautious, using only 1 cup of beets for what was the equivalent of a two-layer cake. I went the route of what I felt was a normal amount of sugar, and creaming the butter and sugar before adding the eggs and the beets to the mixture. As I looked at the recipe I had created, I decided next time to alter some of these things. 
 

Chocolate Beet Cake, revised, with Hazelnut Creme Filling and Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Meanwhile, this past Monday my son called to tell me he and his wife (whom I just adore) were planning to come for a short visit, arriving Thursday around dinner time. They would stay just a couple of days, while on their way to Glacier National Park. As it happens, both of their birthdays fall in September. As it also happens, they both love chocolate cake, and preferably chocolate cake with hazelnuts added in some way. This seemed to be the perfect occasion to make the second Chocolate Beet Cake with the revisions I was planning, as an early birthday celebration.

A slice of Chocolate Beet Cake, revised, with Hazelnut Creme Filling and Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

For this second cake, the sugar amount was left as it stated. I added an extra half-cup of pureed beets for moistness, and an extra ounce of bittersweet chocolate. As for oil, since I don't keep any cooking oil except olive oil in my house, if I am looking to substitute something for oil in a cake, it is either melted butter or melted coconut oil. For this second cake I increased the "oil" to 2 melted sticks of butter (1 cup), instead of the 1½ sticks in the first cake. Since I was adding more beets and more "oil", I added an extra egg to help set the cake. The first time I used gluten-free flours and added in guar gum and some powdered egg white for stabilizers. This time I used regular all-purpose (wheat) flour. 

This time the cake was perfect and moist, with a wonderful chocolatey flavor and texture. The added beets still did not come through in the flavor, but only added extra moistness to the cake. Perfect!

Chocolate Beet Cake, revised

Makes one 2-layer (8-inch) cake

3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
2 sticks / 16 tablespoons / 1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups pureed beets (about 3 medium beets, cooked and pureed)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a saucepan over very low heat, melt together the 3 ounces chocolate with the butter, just until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if on Convection Bake). Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the pan bottoms with parchment. Spray the parchment. Set pans aside.

Sift or whisk together in a bowl, the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Once the chocolate and butter mixture is no longer hot to the touch, beat in the eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla with the pureed beets and mix well. If using a larger saucepan, the whole cake can be mixed together in this pan. Add in the flour mixture, mixing well until just combined. Do not over beat.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few fudgy crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely to fill and frost.

DO AHEAD: The cake layers may be left in the pans overnight, covered tightly with cling-film or foil, to be filled and frosted next day.

Cake batter in pans |     baked cake   |   Hazelnut Creme Filling   |   Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Since my kids like hazelnut, I created a Hazelnut Creme to spread between the layers. This creme has no chocolate in it. I wanted contrast in flavor and texture. The recipe yielded 2 cups of filling, though I used only about 1½ cups of it for the cake. The rest would taste wonderful on toast, crackers, a bagel, or anything else you would like with a hazelnut flavored cream. I used "white chocolate chips" as part of the filling for flavor. The term "white chocolate" is used loosely when looking at most grocery store-bought brands, as there is no cocoa butter in the ingredients. If true white chocolate is desired, find an alternative with real cocoa butter such as Valrhona Ivoire, Guittard or Lindt for better flavor and actual cocoa butter content. This is what I did:

Hazelnut Creme Filling

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup / 4.4 ounces / 124 grams hazelnuts
½ cup / 4 ounces / 113 grams cream cheese
1 cup / 5.5 ounces / 156 grams white baking chips
2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), optional

Set the hazelnuts in a saucepan and just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil and let stand in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, off the heat. Drain and place the hazelnuts into a food processor. Process the hazelnuts until fine. Add the cream cheese and process to combine.

Place the white baking chips into a small microwave-safe bowl and use short 7 - 10 second bursts to melt the chips, stirring after each few-second burst. My microwave took almost 40 seconds to completely melt the chips. Add the melted white chocolate chips to the food processor and process to combine, adding in the Frangelico while processing, to combine and loosen the mixture a bit. If not using Frangelico, thin to spreadable consistency with milk, cream or even water.

DO AHEAD: This filling may be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated, covered tightly. To use, bring to room temperature and stir well before using.

Use this Hazelnut Creme Filling to spread over the first cake layer. Set the second layer over top. Frost with Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache if desired. I wanted a chocolate ganache for the top of the cake, and realized I had no heavy cream in the house. Wondering if there were alternatives for the cream, I found a recipe for this Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache on a website called The Big Bake Theory. I advise you check out the recipe(s) on this website as she gives many options for making ganache. The only thing I did differently was add in Frangelico and some Espresso Liqueur. The ganache was not too sweet, as I used bittersweet chocolate with the sour cream. A sweeter chocolate may be substituted, if a sweeter ganache is desired. The sour cream tang was very apparent. Since the cake was rich and the filling was rich, I felt that a slightly less sweet ganache would be perfect. And it was!

For this recipe the two main ingredients (chocolate and sour cream) must be measured by weight, as it needs equal weights of sour cream to chocolate.

Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Makes about 3 - 4 cups (2 pounds) ganache

Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

16 ounces / 453 grams sour cream
1 pound / 452 grams (milk, semi or bittersweet) chocolate
3 - 4 tablespoons Frangelico, optional
2 - 3 tablespoons Espresso liqueur, optional

In a double boiler, set over (but not touching) simmering water, mix together the sour cream and chocolate. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to melt together. Once all the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from heat. If using the liqueurs or other flavorings, add them and mix well.

If desired, the ganache can be used immediately, pouring over the cake as a glaze. If using as a frosting, allow the ganache to cool completely to room temperature. This can take up to 3 hours until it will spread as an icing.
This amount of ganache was not needed if just using it to top the cake as I did. I had about 2 cups leftover. Once refrigerated, this ganache could easily be rolled into balls for truffles. After assembling the cake, I chopped a handful more of hazelnuts and sprinkled them over top of the ganache, just for looks and texture.  

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Beets in Chocolate Cake Oh My

Chioggia Beets, ready to go in the oven

What next? Beets used in chocolate cake may not be a new thing for many people, but for me the first I ever heard of it was last week when I was given many bags of beets from someone's garden. I love beets. Mainly, I would pickle them and either eat them that way or make my Grandmother's Horseradish with beets for Easter (or any time there is ham around the house). There is another way I have eaten beets in recent years, since finding a recipe in an ad in Food and Wine Magazine. It was one of F & W's Grace Parisi recipes called Lemon and Garlic Roasted Beets, and was created to pair with Folie a Deux's "Menage a Trois" red wine. The recipe does pair excellently with the wine, but just the beets alone are just addictive for me; I just can't stop eating them. That recipe is no longer available on Food and Wine's website, but with a few little changes, I have been making them myself for years. I made them a couple of years back using Chioggia Beets from the Farmers' Market. They were the prettiest things you've ever seen. Well, if you like beets. 

Chocolate Beet Mini Cupcakes

So, you must get the idea - I love beets. Yet in all my years, I never heard of or thought of using them in cake. I don't know why, really. After all, we make carrot cakes and zucchini bread. Why not use beets? They would provide the same moistness as these other vegetables. I asked the woman for the recipe she used, as she said it was her family's favorite chocolate cake. 

That day I came home with all those beets, I first washed, trimmed and peeled all the largest beets, wrapped them individually in foil and baked them. Smaller ones were done at 55 minutes; larger ones took up to 75 minutes in a 400-degree oven. I pureed the whole batch and got quite a bit of pureed beets, for use in cake or for anything else. I kept a couple of cups, in separate freezer baggies in the fridge, to use for a cake. I looked up "Chocolate Beet Cake" on the internet and found many recipes, with many variations. As usual, I compared those recipes to my idea of a chocolate cake or another similar type cake using a vegetable and created a recipe of my own.

A Slice of Chocolate Beet Cake

I was going to be making appetizers for the Open House this past Sunday, and thought to add in a few mini cupcakes to the agreed-upon foods. It is often the case that someone requires a special diet. Around here it seems gluten intolerance is one of the biggest difficulties. Since the fillings I created for the cherry tomatoes and endive leaves were both gluten free, I thought to give this cake recipe a try using gluten free flours.  I have found that gluten free cakes and dessert loaves seem to be more moist in general, so I proceeded with this in mind.

The recipe is large enough to make a 2-layer (8-inch) cake or a 9 x 13-inch pan. I used slightly less than half the batter and made 24 mini cupcakes. The rest of the batter I baked in a 9-inch round cake pan. I am sure the batter could be divided into two 9-inch pans, but the cakes would be far thinner; less lofty. The cake and the cupcakes turned out absolutely delicious. Again, as with the Maraschino Cherry Cake I made for my husband's birthday, it seemed the cake was done before I noticed, and it was a little more dry than I wanted. Not as dry as the cherry cake, mind you. This one is really nice. It could, however, have taken a few minutes less in the oven. 

I want to make this cake again, using a few different ideas. I do not keep cooking oil in the house, except for olive oil. I would like to try using melted butter or melted coconut oil instead of creaming the room temperature butter. I would also like to try using more of the beets than I did. I went conservatively for this first cake, using only 1 cup of beets. More would make a moister cake, and as there was absolutely no "beet" flavor in this cake, I have more confidence going with a larger amount. Here is my recipe as it stands today:

Chocolate Beet Cake (Gluten Free optional)

Makes two 8-inch round cakes, or one 9 x 13-inch cake

1 cup cooked, pureed beets (about 2 medium)
2 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups "6-2-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend" (or use regular all-purpose flour)

Unbaked batter left                 |                Baked cake on right

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda

• (If using a GF flour blend:add 1½ teaspoons guar gum, and 2 tablespoons of powdered egg whites)
  

½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan over low heat melt together the 4 tablespoons of butter and the 2 ounces of chocolate. Once just melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). Grease two 8-inch pans and line them with parchment. Grease the parchment. Set aside. IF using a 9 x 13 inch pan where the cake will remain in the pan, it is not necessary to line the pan.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. If making the cake gluten free, ass the guar gum and powdered egg whites to the bowl and whisk well to combine.

In a mixer bowl, cream together the 8 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add in the pureed beets and mix to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Divide the mixture equally between the two 8-inch pans, or pour all the mixture into the 9 x 13 inch pan.

If making regular cupcakes, I estimate about 1 dozen. If making mini cupcakes, the minimum yield will be 48.

Bake the 8-inch cakes for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few fudgy crumbs. The 9 x 13 will take a few minutes more. The mini cupcakes took about 12 minutes.

Allow the 8-inch cakes to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely before frosting.
For this cake I made a frosting using 1 part cream cheese to two parts butter and flavored it with green tea powder and a little pistachio flavoring. For this frosting the butter and cream cheese MUST be very soft, at room temperature, or it will not whip properly. The flavors were a wonderful match:

Pistachio Green Tea Icing

Enough to frost top and sides of a two layer 8-inch cake

Pistachio Green Tea Icing

2 sticks or 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
4 cups confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 - 2 teaspoons Matcha Green Tea Powder, optional
a few drops of pistachio flavoring, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed

In a stand mixer, beat the first two ingredients on medium or medium high for 8 minutes, until nearly white and very soft. Sift together in a separate bowl the confectioners' sugar, salt and green tea powder if using. Stop the mixer and add these dry ingredients all at once. Turn mixer on to very low speed for about one minute, until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the flavorings. Increase mixer speed to medium or medium high and beat for 6 minutes more, adding the cream if necessary to make it spreading consistency.

This makes a very pale green colored icing. If more color is desired, add in a few drops of green food coloring. I grated a little more of the bittersweet chocolate to sprinkle over the icing.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Beet Harvest

Four bags of beets

My sister-in-law called me a few days ago to ask if I wanted a bunch of beets. One of the volunteers at the Museum has a huge garden and had an abundant beet crop. I love beets. 

We drove out there the next day and, oh my! This woman certainly had a lot of beets. I wish I would have thought to weigh them! She had some really huge ones and on down to very tiny ones. There were two bags already picked, holding an average of 8 - 10 medium sized beets each. She picked and bagged at least 5 more bags while I was there. She had two varieties. Both are the deep red type, but one variety was the regular round kind, where the second were long and narrow, some up to 9 inches long. 

3 (10-ounce) bags of beet greens

I like beet greens also, and I have tried on occasion to buy beets with some greens that are not too wilted or outright brown. I make a soup at least once each Fall, using all the root vegetables available at that time: beets, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, parsnips. Getting the greens is a bonus. The woman gave me a few ideas for things to do with beets, including freezing them or pureeing and freezing. She said she makes a chocolate cake with pureed beets in it and I was very interested in that idea. The first thing I did when I got home was set all the beets on a surface to get a photo! The next thing I did was break off all the larger beets and take them to scrub and wash, trim and peel. I wrapped them individually in foil and baked them. Some were done at 55 minutes and others took as long as 75 minutes.

That day I had something else going on, so I let the beets cool and refrigerated them. Setting aside the greens from all those beets I baked, I washed them well and then chopped them before tossing them in a hot skillet until wilted. I bagged them in 10-ounce lots, like the boxes of frozen spinach you can buy at the store. Since I am accustomed to using 10-ounces in a recipe, I figured this would be the easiest thing to do. I had 3 bags, plus one that was only 6.5 ounces. I planned to use this bag, after picking a few more beet leaves from the remaining batch of smaller beets to make up the missing 3.5 ounces. 

Beet Green and Artichoke Pie

A dear friend gave me a recipe for a "Spinach Pie" some years back. I made it as the recipe stated, but I felt the result was too dry and stiff. It had the addition of 3 tablespoons of flour, precisely for this purpose, but I didn't care for it. It also had artichoke hearts, red bell pepper and cheese. She is a vegetarian, so this fit her criteria. The pie has no crust, so no calories from that quarter! I have made this pie a few times, altering it as I went. This time I decided to come at it fresh, and using the beet greens set aside for this reason. The pie turned out just magnificent. The flavors are outstanding. I wondered if the beet greens would be too strongly flavored, but the reverse was actually true. It was far milder on that score, possibly just because of the freshness an healthiness of the leaves. The only thing about my version with no flour, is that it weeps out a lot of liquid in the pie plate. This makes no difference to me. And, though I do not need to avoid gluten, this pie is totally gluten free. Spinach will work perfectly also.

Beet Green & Artichoke Pie

Beet Green and Artichoke Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie / 8 servings

10 ounces beet greens
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 jalapenos, minced
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimiento
1 (6.5 - 7 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 large eggs
1 cup of cream or milk
½ cup sour cream
6 - 8 ounces shredded cheese of choice (Cheddar, Jack, or combinations)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). Spray a 10-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

If the beet greens are not already cooked and wilted, rinse them well, leaving the water on the leaves and set them in a hot skillet. Toss them with tongs until they are completely wilted. Set them in a colander to drain and when cool enough to handle, squeeze them well. Chop the leaves and place them in a large mixing bowl and set aside. 

My dinner:  Beet Green and Artichoke Pie

Wipe the skillet dry and add in the olive oil and onion. Saute the onion until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add in the garlic and jalapeno and toss for another 3 minutes. Add the ingredients of the skillet to the beet greens. Add in all the remaining ingredients, mixing well to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate. Bake the pie for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until set and golden.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.