Pickled Beets

Here is the promised post on pickled beets! 

 

I like beets, but they are one vegetable that I find to be just a pain in the neck to prepare.  You need to either roast in the oven for an hour, or steam for a long time, or cut up and sous vide, or put in the pressure cooker.  And generally I don't want a whole bunch of beets at once, because most often they are going into a salad. 

So I was happy to find a recipe that you can do a whole bunch of beets at once, and then they keep for a long time (guessing 3-4 weeks), and use as desired.  The recipe is very similar to the Pickled Green Bean recipe, although it does have some orange juice added to the brine which sweetens it just a bit.  

Pickled Beets with Orange

2 pint jars (or 1 quart jar)

1 pound loose beets (about 4 medium)

1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds, divided

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, divided

2 large pieces of orange zest

2 (1/8-inch-thick) orange slices, divided

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Scrub the beets, but do not dry. Wrap individually in aluminum foil (or wrap a few small ones together in one sheet) and place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast the beets for 50 to 60 minutes. Check the beets after 30 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water to the foil packets if they look dry or begin to burn. Remove from the oven once a fork or skewer slides easily into the center of the beets. Small beets may cook more quickly than large beets.  Alternatively, you can cook the beets any way you like – steaming in a pressure cooker takes about 20 minutes of cook time. Once the beets are done roasting, set aside until cool enough to handle.

Place 1/2 teaspoon each mustard seeds and coriander seeds and a piece of orange zest into each jar (if using pints, if using quart jars put everything in the 1 jar). Place an orange slice in each jar and press to stick to the side.  Working with one at a time, rub the beets with a paper towel to remove the skin and skinny root, if still attached. Cut the beets in half, then cut into 1-inch wedges. Pack the beets into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top. 

Place the vinegar, water, orange juice, and salt in a large measuring cup.  Heat to boiling in the microwave.  Stir to dissolve the salt. Pour the pickling liquid over the beets, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top of the jar; it's OK if you don't use all of the liquid.  Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Top off with additional pickling liquid if needed. Cover with the lids.  Let cool on the counter, then refrigerate at least 24 hours and preferably 48 hours before serving.    Beets will be good to 3-4 weeks.

Quarantine Eating

So what have you been cooking for the pandemic?  It's clear that I gravitate to the kitchen and cooking for stress relief, but not sure that's it a net benefit considering how stressful grocery shopping has been.  Seeing empty shelves is kind of scary (on top of the risk of being out in public).  Plus we have been getting a good portion of our food delivered, mostly though Amazon Fresh, which is frustrating trying to find things in stock and getting delivery slots. But I have filled my freezer with plenty of soups and stews "just in case" and doing a better job that normal at using up all of the things in the corner of the pantry and bottom of the freezer. 

I am grateful for so many things ... so far my friends and family are all healthy, we have a nice house, live someplace where we can get out for walks and runs, great neighbors, technology that lets us get together virtually.    Now if it would just stop raining!

Some of what I have been cooking ... some new recipes and some old: 

 A new recipe, Pasta with Chickpeas  from Melissa Clark at the NYT cooking.

This one is destined to become a favorite.  I pretty much followed the recipe, although I only had a half bunch of parsley.  I did use fresh cooked chickpeas ... my neighbor had a couple of pounds in the back of her pantry that were "at least" a couple of years old and was unsure how to cook, so I volunteered to cook in my pressure cooker...  I soaked them for 12 hours and cooked for 12 minutes in the pressure cooker and they were great. I'm grateful for great neighbors! Of course I haven't seen dry chickpeas in the stores, but the local store here is starting to get canned ones again.

I also found a tart crust recipe I like. What's great about this is that you can just bake off one small tart and save the dough for later. I have not tried the filling in this recipe, the filling was a freezer discovery, some lemon curd that I made year, topped with some Greek yogurt and chocolate chips. I sometimes make things and put them into the freezer for a rainy day.  We had over 3 1/2 inches of rain last week, so that counts as a rainy day! 

I have been getting what are essentially CSA boxes from my favorite farmer at the Farmers market.. including lots of beets.   

My try at Pickled Beets was successful.
There have been lots of meals with green incorporated in them...

Like Curried Lentils (this is with beet greens). I was able to get lentils last week at the local store, and this recipe will work with green lentils too, its just not as pretty. And Spinach Swiss Chard Crusted Quiche with Fennel and Sausage.  In a stroke of genius, I oven roasted the fennel, onion, and sausage in the filling on a sheet pan (at the same time as cooking the crust) .. one less skillet to wash and less total time.  

And we have not had to sacrifice our lunch salads..   And in case you think every meal is all healthy and green like this, the salad is incorporating some left-over take-out fried chicken from a local restaurant (doing our part to support local business...).

There are also lots of meals with wheat and cheese ... 

Like pizza (I have been experimenting with a no-knead crust) and Macaroni and Cheese.


Also in the comfort food category was Meatloaf.    And the mini-loaf I froze came out great.  I thawed in a bowl of cold water (took about an hour), then it needed to bake for about 45 minutes. 

Plus some simple dinners, like a loaded baked sweet potato and the quesadillas  pictured with the beets. 

And the normal...Foil Grilled Fish, (using up some fish a neighbor gave us last fall)  Stir fry,  and "Whatever" Pasta. 

  
I've also been experimenting with no-knead bread ... but that's another post.   Stay well, and let me know how you are doing!

The importance of Fat

Last year, I talked about balancing your diet, with the intention of doing stories on Protein, Fat, and Carbs. I only got as far as protein. Time to continue the story, with Fat. We have a love-hate relationship with Fat. We love high fat foods but told not to eat them by the likes of the American Heart Association, the USDA, and Cooking Light Magazine. We have been led to believe that Fat will make us fat. But it turns out that Fat is a very complex character. Studies are now coming out saying Fat (at least the kind in olive oil and nuts) is good. There has been a lot of bad science, but it is slowly getting better. Just replacing fat in our diet with simple carbs doesn’t work to reduce chronic diseases like diabetes or heart problems.   There are lots of reasons for this (like we eat more calories total), and simple carbs (without fat) don’t fill you up. And to make fat-free taste good, the product is spiked with emulsifiers, gums, salt, and artificial flavors. Everyone agrees that some fat in your diet is good. Some vitamins are fat soluble, so some fat on vegetables, like an oil based-vinaigrette on salad or bacon in green beans, makes the vegetables more nutritious. The problem with fats is that they are a bunch of different things, and very quickly a discussion of fats brings back nightmares from organic chemistry class. Things like saturated fats, mono-saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, trans fats, omega-3. -6, and -9 fats, long chain and short chain fatty acids. Let’s look at the current fat stereotypes, and try to make sense out of them without needing a degree in organic chemistry and biology.

The good fats: the one that wear white hats. These are fats found in unprocessed foods, like nuts and avocados, olives, salmon and other fatty fish. This is pretty well accepted by everyone. Extra virgin olive oil is also in the category of good to eat.

The easy to love fats with a bad reputation: Bacon, butter, eggs, steak. These get labeled as saturated fats, and we keep hearing they are bad for us. But unfortunately there are not many good, controlled studies which show whether a long term animal-fat laden diet is good or bad. There are population studies that show that red-meat rich diets are bad (but these diets are also likely rich in simple carbs, as in do you want fries and a large coke with that burger?). There are also population studies that show that traditional cultures based on hunting or dairy have good health. Some studies (but not all) show some people that go on very low carb diets (i.e. a high fat Atkins Diet) have improved blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and can reduce weight. These fats are the most complicated. There are a bunch of different structures for these fats, and the make-up of these fats depends on what the animal ate. For example, a cow that is raised on grass has more good omega-3 fats than a cow raised on grain (organic beef and organic milk comes from cows that are raised on grass not grain). Meat and dairy are not empty calories, in addition to protein they have a load of good vitamins and minerals. Personally, I count the fat in meat as a good fat, but with limits. Pesticides tend to accumulate in fat (which is true for humans as well as cows and fish), and modern practices for “factory meat” are pretty gruesome and include some less than desirable components, like routine antibiotic use as well as other chemicals like arsenic in chicken feed. And likely soon, GMO modified salmon. I usually try to eat organic or wild meats and dairy, that tends to limit how much I eat due to availability and cost.

Next in the list is the “polyunsaturated fats”, like canola oil. While has been generally considered a “good” fat, scientist is being to suspect these are problematic when consumed in large amounts, primarily because it throws off the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats (the more omega-6 fat you eat, the more omega-3 fat you need). Also, they are made from GMO modified crops and are processed like a Hollywood starlet to make them palatable. It’s usually easy to replace these with olive oil. Oils are empty calories, but we don’t eat them in isolation. Oils are a carrier for something else, and need to be looked at in context of what they are mixed with… raw vegetables in a salad or French fries? A bit of oil in granola, or pseudo-butter substance on movie popcorn?

Next are the rest of the vegetable oils (like corn and soy). These are the cheap fats. They get credit for not being a saturated fat, but it’s not clear that saturated is a bad thing. Like canola, they start with GMO plants, then are processed with nasty chemicals (which are mostly removed). They commonly reside the ingredient lists of processed foods. Personally, I try to avoid these as much as possible.

Last, there is the bad-est fat of all: synthetic transfats. This one is sneaky, because as long as there is not too much, foods can be labeled “no-trans fat”. Look for “partially hydrogenated” oil, in the ingredient list. They show up in G-rated foods, like Skippy Peanut butter, and many varieties of Girl Scout cookies. Avoid entirely!

Around the world, healthy diets range from 10 – 40% or more fat (1). Some diets among hunter-gathers (like The Inuit) are almost 75% fat… and didn’t cause heart disease, obesity, or other problems we now associate with fat.

I know for me, a diet of at least 35% fat works for me. I eat low fat yogurt and cottage cheese, full fat cheeses (you don’t need that much), lots of nuts, plenty of avocados (right now, we are getting Fuente’s at the farmers market). Lunch is frequently a salad dressed in olive oil and lemon juice. I sauté vegetables in olive oil (and occasionally bacon or duck fat). I eat a variety of meat, including fish, chicken (with skin), beef, elk (which has virtually no fat), plus some bacon and salami. I think where you really get into trouble with fat is when you combine fat with simple carbs, like French fries, bread, and most any dessert.. portion control is key.

I will finish with a high fat recipe, a salad! This is my interpretation of a dish we had at one of our favorite restaurants in Scottsdale, FnB. The tarator has a Turkish origin, the recipe I used as inspiration was in kilograms and “tea glasses”. It’s similar to a Greek cucumber and yogurt salad (Jajoukh) but with carrots.

Carrot Tarator with Beets

Cook the beets however you like. I generally peel, quartered put in a vacuum bag then cook boiling water for about 15 minutes. You could roast them (like in this salad), or even steam if you like.

Serves 2 as a main dish salad, 4 – 6 as a starter

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces grated carrots (about 2 large)
12 ounces Greek yogurt (use at least lowfat, whole milk is better if you can find it)
¾ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed.

Quartered, cooked beets lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt
Roasted walnuts
Fresh dill or other herbs

Heat ¼ cup oil in small skillet over medium low heat, cook carrots for about 15 minutes (don’t brown). Let the carrots cool. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, yogurt, salt, sugar, and garlic in a medium bowl. Add the cool carrots. To serve, spread about ½ inch deep in a shallow serving bowl (need about 9” diameter), top with beets, walnuts, and dill.

How to not follow a recipe

I’m notorious for not following recipes.  Even my own.   I can’t help but mess with things, even perfectly good things. Sometimes it works, others not.  I roasted a chicken last week... It was small and I was late getting it into the oven. So I figured why follow the recipe I posted a week or two ago?  I'll just cook on 400 convection for the whole time!  Needless to say, in 50 minutes I had an overcooked chicken.  But still, I’m always on the lookout for an easier way to do something, or figure out how to make something with what I happen to have on hand.  A good example is a beet salad I made for lunch a couple of Sunday’s ago.  

But first, let me digress.  I got a great book for Christmas, called Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work.  It teaches you how to use all the cool toys in your kitchen, as well as chemistry behind certain foods and additives.  One of the cool ideas was to use your vacuum sealer for blanching vegetables.  The traditional method to blanch vegetables is to bring a large volume of salted water to boil, briefly cook (say 3-5 minutes for green beans), then remove the vegetable and put in an ice water bath.  Big pot + colander + big bowl = big mess.  Their idea is to put the vegetable in a vacuum bag, boil (using a pot that is just big enough) in bag, cool in ice bath.  The pot and bowl don’t really even get dirty, they just have water in them.  This hit me as a great way to cook beets for a salad, as the typical roasting process is messy and time consuming:  trim and scrub them, wrap in foil, roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, cool, then peel and get beet juice everywhere.  They are quite tasty, but it takes a couple of hours.  I have tried peeling, quartering, and steaming in the microwave, but this makes a pink foam that escapes from the covered dish and gets all over.  You can also boil the beets, but it seems that you lose all the red goodness… especially if you drain and use an ice bath to quickly chill to use in a salad.     So… I quartered some small beets, lightly salted, put into a vacuum bag in a single layer, boiled in a covered pot just big enough to hold them for about 20 minutes, pulled out, ran under some cold water (since I was using right away I skipped the ice bath).  Beets ready to go into a salad in under a ½ hour!  And if you didn’t want to use them right away, not problem, they will keep for a few days sealed in the bag in the refrigerator!

So, back to the main story: How to Not Follow a Recipe.   I have a perfectly good recipe for beet salad, adopted from a recipe from a White House chef.  But it called for roasting the beets, plus fresh herbs I didn’t have, and feta cheese that I didn’t have.  And raw onions, which always seem to sharp in a salad.  First were the processes changes:  boil-in-bag beets (huge time saver) and the onions got a brief ice water soak to take out some of the bite.  I changed up the ingredients too:  used just lemon juice (I have lots of lemons) instead of lemon juice and vinegar.  If I didn’t have lemons, I would have used just the white wine vinegar.  I used the herbs that I happened to have on hand:  fresh mint, skipped the the parsley and cilantro (I would recommend having at least the mint or cilantro, they both have a strong flavor).  I did use the dried oregano it called for (one of the few dry herbs I keep around), but thyme or Italian seasoning would would too, and the cumin, a spice that pairs well with beets, but something I don't normally think of.   I used Romaine lettuce instead of spinach (its what I had on hand, pretty much any green would work), and goat cheese instead of feta (again, its what I had…  and pretty much my go-to cheeses for any salad are goat or feta). And I changed the ratio of beets to greens to make a main dish salad instead of a side salad.  The result?  A pretty good Sunday lunch.  Had I stuck to the recipe, I wouldn’t  have done it.  Was it as good?  Maybe not quite, but certainly better than just another PB&J sandwich!  

Main Dish Beet Salad

Serves 2.  

½ pound beets (any kind), peeled and cut into bite size pieces

½ red onion thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon (each) chopped mint and / or cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning (or 1 T fresh)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup kalamata black olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups romaine or spinach, shredded

1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil.  Lightly salt the beets.  Place in a single layer in vacuum bag and seal.  Place in boiling water (the bag will puff up), cover the pot if you want.  Turn bag over after 10 minutes or so.  After 20 minutes, the beets should be cooked.

2. Remove the beets from the pot, and run under cold water.  If desired, put into ice bath.

3. While the beets are cooking, put the onion in a small bowl with a few ice cube and fill with cool water.
  

4. Mix oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and cumin into a large bowl and stir together.  Drain the onions and add to the bowl along with olives and beets.  Toss.  Add the greens and toss again.

5. To serve, divide the beet salad onto 2 plates and sprinkle the servings with equal amounts of goat or feta cheese.

When life gives you lemons, make salad

Sorry to leave my faithful readers (both of you) hanging for the continuation of the side salad saga: Creations from Citrus. Our lemon tree is full (again) of nicely ripe lemons, so lemons are used pretty liberally right now at my house. It would be a huge adjustment for me to have to cook without having a tree to pluck lemons whenever I need. Almost as bad as not having an herb garden. 

I have published some of my citrus-based side salads before, like Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Vegetable Rice Salad, Greek Salad, and Corn and Bean Salad. Interesting tidbit: lemon juice based dressings are common in Middle Eastern food, because they historically don’t drink alcohol… so no wine, no vinegar, no vinaigrette based dressings.

In general, the dressings are 4 parts olive oil to 3 parts lemon (or lime) juice plus herbs. Personally, I like lemons and the acid bite, so I typically do more like a 1:1 ratio. And if you are using Meyer lemons, I would reverse the ratio, 3:4 (more lemon juice) because they just are not as sour.  Lemons pair wonderfully with many different herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, dill, oregano, mint) and will keep them from turning brown.

Beet salads just have a spectacular color, especially if you use red beets. It is a bit of a pain to cook them, I try to do ahead if I’m baking something else, just refrigerate after they have cooled, and they will hold for a day or so.

Beet and Orange Salad

Serves 4

1 pound gold and/or red beets
2 oranges
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ a small red onion (or sweet white onion) thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as mint, dill, parley, or basil
Salt, Pepper
1 oz goat cheese

Cook the beets: Scrub and trim the beets. Halve if large. Put in a shallow glass baking dish, add a ½ inch of water and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes in a 400F oven or until they are tender. Drain. When they are cool enough to handle, peel. (note – you can also peel them first then roast).

Prepare the oranges (start when the beets come out of the oven): Zest one of the oranges, put zest into bowl large enough to make the salad. Section the oranges by first cutting the peel off the top and bottom, then down the sides to expose the sections. With a small knife, cut out each section and put into the bowl. Catch the juice in the same bowl, and when the sections are out, squeeze any remaining juice from the membranes into the bowl. Add the lemon juice and onion slices plus a bit of salt to the oranges and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the beets, olive oil, herbs and freshly ground pepper; stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve with goat cheese crumbles on top.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!