I was definitely pleased with beets as a main course. However, in initially undertaking this exploration, my goal had always been to experiment with the versatility of the root. So, for my next foray into Beet World, I decided to use them in a side dish.
In some ways, this should have been easy to do. In the end, though, I actually had a harder time coming up with a non-salad side dish featuring beets than I did coming up with a main dish. It was a slow process and I nearly ran out of time, but in the end I did manage to develop a well-balanced meal.
Today's Menu:
Sweet and Spicy Mini S&P Burgers
Rubied Mashed Potatoes
Chopped Salad
As with the gnocchi, I built the meal around the beet--trying to find a balance of flavors and textures that would be both complimentary to each other and highlight the beets. But, as I said, I had a hard time coming up with a beet dish. At the last minute, I remembered that I had a bunch of red bliss potatoes lying around, and they were about to take root...
Again, I wanted to stay away from the traditional uses of beets, so I didn't want to just make a side of roasted beets and potatoes [delicious though this may be]. Eventually, I decided to go for a mashed potato that included roasted beets, caramelized onions, feta cheese, and parsley.
I thought the caramelized onions would add nice texture. The feta would be a nice change from something like cheddar--it has a distinct flavor and saltiness that I imagined would play nicely with the beets. Basically: it's a mediterranean spin on mashed potatoes.
In the process of creating this recipe, I learned something about making these mashed potatoes:
I've been baking a lot of bread lately and have gotten used to putting my hands in bowls and kneading doughs. I don't have a potato masher at home and two forks was a waste of time. So, I actually kneaded the potatoes and beets together with the heels of my hands and ended up with a nice smooth consistency. I love chunky mashed potatoes, but in this case I think a smooth dough worked out better as it allowed the texture of the feta and onions to contrast boldly.
Just like the gnocchi, this dish sure was colorful. This time, though, the magenta-crimson color was maintained and the bright flecks of green and white really popped. It wasn't an appalling color, either--somehow, it managed to seem natural even though I can't think of any magenta colored foods. It's absolutely gorgeous on a black plate.
I always have trouble coming up with meals that pair with potatoes. This was no exception. It took me forever-and-a-day to come up with a main dish. In fact, I stopped thinking about it for awhile because it was frustrating me so much and I moved on to another side dish. Since I don't feel like i'm eating real vegetables when I eat mashed potatoes, I decided that a nice chopped salad of fresh veggies would be a reasonable idea.
Ok, ok, so I stalled long enough. I really struggled to come up with something, though looking back at it I don't know why. I actually came up with the idea, went off to do some work, and then I couldn't remember what I'd decided to make. It took another hour for the idea to come back. Boy did I breathe a sigh of relief!
Granted, I was super stressed out at the time because of grad school and work related stuffs...but that is no excuse for forgetting a meal plan!
Shame.
Moving on.
So, I often have the traditional Meat + Taters urge when I make potatoes. I don't have a lot of time in the evenings to go grocery shopping, so I try to use what I have at home. In this case, that left me with some boneless skinless chicken breast and some ground beef as potential proteins. Remember that I had leftover rolls [I'd made them to go with dinner the night before], I suddenly came up with the idea of mini-burgers.
My mind went quickly from there, recalling a recipe for salt & pepper burgers with a mustard sauce in my Best American Recipes 2004-2005 cookbook. I'd enjoyed the mustard-beet combo before, so I thought I would make those.
Alas, when I went to make them I discovered I had only the ground beef, the salt, and the mustard necessary. So, I adapted it a bit and ended up with some delicious salt & pepper burgers with a mango mustard sauce.
The end result: all good. This meal is definitely going to be entered into my regular rotation of go-tos. It's easy, satisfying, and, yet again, brings out the greatness of the Beet!
Sweet and Spicy Mini S&P Burgers
[note: this recipe was inspired by the one found in The Best American Recipes 2004-2005. it's been changed significantly, so you should really try out the original sometime]
for the burgers:
1/2 lb ground beef
coarsely cracked black pepper
fine-grained sea salt
for the sauce:
1/4 c dijon mustard
1/4 c sweet mango chutney
directions:
1. make the burgers
a. make four patties from the beef.
b. cover the surface of a plate with black pepper. place one side of each patty into the pepper and press lightly to get it to stick. do not repeat this on the other side.
c. heat a skillet [preferably cast-iron but use the heaviest skillet you have] over high heat until very hot [a drop of water will skate across the surface]. pour salt in the skillet to lightly cover the bottom surface.
d. place the patties, un-peppered side down, in the skillet and cook a few minutes. flip the burgers and cook until done to your standards.
2. make the sauce
a. remove the burgers from the pan and put them on buns. leave the pan on the stove and decrease the heat to low.
b. add the mustard and chutney to the pan and stir with the remaining burger juices until it is all combined and becomes runny.
c. put sauce on the buns and add whatever other condiments you wish.
Rubied Mashed Potatoes
1 medium or 3 small red beets
5 red bliss potatoes
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 handful parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil
salt
pepper
directions:
1. prepare the dough
a. make the beets
i. preheat the oven to 450F. wrap the beets in tinfoil and place in the oven to roast 1 hour or until fork tender.
ii. remove from the oven and peel off the skin. cut into chunks and put in a medium bowl.
b. make the potatoes
i. bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. add the potatoes and cook until tender, approximately 15 minutes.
ii. remove from water and put in the bowl with the beets.
c. mash
i. with the heels of your hands, knead the beets and the potatoes together until they form a smooth dough that comes together [some chunks of beet will likely remain and that's great!].
2. prepare the onions
a. put some olive oil in a pot and heat on medium-high. add sliced onions and cover. cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown.
3. mix
a. add the onions, feta cheese, and parsley to the dough. with your hands, lightly knead the dough until everything is combined. chunks of onion, cheese, and parsley should remain distinct.
b. add salt and pepper to taste.
Chopped Salad
1 bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 medium tomato, cut into large chunks
1/2 medium cucumber, cut into large chunks
1 celery stalk, sliced into thick crescents
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
1 handful walnuts or other nut, coarsely chopped
1/2 handful raisins or other dried fruit, coarsely chopped
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
directions:
1. combine vegetables, nuts, and fruit in a medium bowl.
2. add a few swigs of vinegar and olive oil, to taste. add salt and pepper to taste.
beets and burgers bewilder the [taste]buds!
Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.
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