what to do with beetroots?!

[phil the shed]

i've been eating beetroot in many disguises almost a week now some with every meal some in my cheese sandwich.............




i pee purple hee hee....................

[annianni]

Russian Beetroot Salad (Mmmm)
Steam the beets (as many as you need, avg, 1 per person)
Grate and put in large bowl.
1 tsp per beet of horseradish
1 tbsp per beet of sour cream
a handful of walnuts
season and mix it all up.
add a little mayonnaise if you like and chopped fresh Russian tarrragon if you have it growing or dried.
Lovely with any oily fish especially.
Enjoy
Anni

[Dottie]

Last year I had a go at beetroot hummus, as I love both hummus and beetroots. But I only found it ok, and today I've just made a courgette hummus but this recipe was without chickpeas. Again I'm not totally sold, but it's not bad, just different. Could just be that I love the standard hummus, so all others don't come close. So it's worth trying if you like the option of light lunch/snacks rather than heavy meals. Sometimes I've even take a pot to the lottie with some ryvita's, sitting on my bench next to the pond. Lovely.

Beetroot Hummus [Taken from the internet]

Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side dish or starter

4 small beetroot, cooked (NOT pickled beetroot)
200g chickpeas (1 can or equivalent dried chickpeas, cooked)
3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste) [Holland and Barrett if none in your supermarket]
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional, but tastes great)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)


Method
1. Put all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
You may need to add a little water, if the paste is too thick.

The easiest way to do it is to process in this order:
o lemon, olive oil, garlic, tahini
o then add beetroot
o then add chickpeas (and water, if needed)

2. Serve with toast, fresh vegetable sticks or as a side salad.

[ohbeary]

Ha!, beetroot cake selling @ 60p a lump, I would say slice but we are talking 1/4 of a 1lb loaf tin!, customers are getting used to mad food @ C3...

[ohbeary]

YUk yuk, made it again, only bigger mix, selling well, in tray bake format!, currently (none of those, used sultanas) selling @ 80p, bigger slice, putting out taster plate of little cubes to get folk addicted!! so they have to keep buying my cake( yes now claiming it as mine!!)( all my best recipe's are stolen ), I am using a carrot cake recipe cunningly adapted by substituting beetroot for carrot, might try a combination next time?, orange and purple flecks inna cake!!!!!!

[bustertom]

First cook the beetroot then:

300g cooked beetroot cut into 5mm dice
150g onions, peeled and chopped
120g cooking apples, peeled and chopped into 5mm cubes
40g brown sugar
1 tsp fresh finely chopped ginger
80ml malt vinegar
1 tsp salt
1-2 chillis (depending how hot you like it!)
1 large clove garlic (optional)

mix all ingredients together in saucepan, Bring to a boil whilst stirring regularly then keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
cover and simmer for about 45 mins (stir occasionally)
Pour into clean sterilised jars, seal then leave for at least a month (if you can)
Enjoy

Made this up yesterday and its lovely. Going to make a big batch up next weekend as lots of beetroot ready. Didn't use chillis but may add some to this next batch.
Thanks for the recipe,
Clare

[Panda]

I have never been a fan of beetroot. Probably stems from only having the cheap pickled stuff at christmas as a child. Had the most fab Beetroot and chocolate cake at a cafe last week and loved it so have had a go myself with beetroots that my aunt grew. It makes the most fabulous rich, moist chocolate cake, fab served with creme fresh. receipe is:

Ingredients:
75g cocoa powder or powdered drinking chocolate
180g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large eggs
200ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas 4.

Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking
powder into a bowl.

Puree the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs, one at a time and next add the vanilla and oil, and blend until smooth. Add the sugar to the mixture.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture and lightly mix.

Pour into a greased and lined 9 inch cake tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is firm when
pressed with a finger.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve.

I found the recipe on this site - Home Delivery - Riverford Organic Vegetables

[annianni]

Thanks to Hans Mum for the cake recipe (post #15)
My 16yr old novice baker daughter made it, and it was delicious!

[OllieMartin]

Just found this recipe, looks interesting.

Can't eat chickpeas myself, but if anyone else tries it let me know how it tastes:

Beetroot Hummus

INGREDIENTS
225 g chickpeas
1 large onion, chopped
455 g beets
120 g tahini
3 cloves garlic, crushed
60 ml fresh lemon juice
6 g ground cumin
60 ml olive oil

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cover chickpeas with cold water and soak overnight.
Drain chickpeas and place in a large heavy saucepan; add onion, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 hour, or until chickpeas are very soft. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cover beets with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until tender; drain and allow beets to cool before removing the skins and chopping.
Puree beets in a food processor; add the chickpeas and onions, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Process until smooth. Slowly, while the machine is running, pour in the reserved cooking liquid and olive oil. Continue to process until mixture is thoroughly combined. Drizzle with a little olive oil.