Homegrown Chioggia Beetroot Curry

I spotted some beetroot leaves dancing in the breeze at the weekend. I had forgotten that I planted some beetroot, so it was a nice surprise when I pulled them out of the ground to find some healthy bulbs and free from slug holes. 

In my delight I showed D and he said why don't you make a beetroot curry.  It was decided.  I removed the leaves and ordinarily I would have used them to make Beetroot Leaf Kuku or Beetroot Bhajis aka Pakora, but they were not as lush as my red chard last week, so they were destined for the compost bin. I then peeled the beetroot to reveal that they were not traditional deep burgundy beetroot, but chioggia known as candy cane or candy strip beet. 

This is when I realised the beetroot curry would not be as bold coloured, still I went with it as I have made  a beetroot curry with Golden Chioggia Beetroot in the past.

Compared to traditional beetroot which is earthy in flavour this was quite sweet, almost like turnip, in fact looking at the photograph below you would think it was turnip. 

Whilst making the beetroot curry (recipe below) I got distracted by the blue tits and the  green finches, goldfinches and bullfinches on the bird feeder in the garden, then I noticed a  goldfinch was stuck in the greenhouse.  I rushed out to open the greenhouse door, it took me a while to encourage it to fly out as it was flitting from one waning tomato plant to another.  It eventually came out and that is when I  decided to pick up some tomatoes that seemed ruby red and healthy.  

D was not convinced.  He was right, I tasted one and it was a little too far gone - well at least the red chillies were okay.   Anyway, I am sharing this blog post with Dave over at Happy Acres who hosts Harvest Monday every week.

Beetroot Feta Pate with Rainbow Carrot Crudites

For those of you who follow me on twitter, will have seen this Beetroot Pate early on in the year, as I made it for New Years Eve.  

Its also my new blog header to celebrate ten years of blogging.

I just haven't got round to sharing it on my blog for various reasons, but mostly being busy at work.  So here it is finally. 

Its very pleasing to the eye with the rainbow purple carrot crudites, posh word for raw veg for dipping. 

Black Sesame and Purple Cauliflower Cake

When the opportunity presents itself, I do like going to farmers markets to see what's in season and also what new and what different vegetables I can get hold off, plus I am always looking for inspiration. It did not disappoint I came home with a purple and green cauliflower. 

At the time I was not sure what to make with it to be honest, but that is me - buy first - think later.  At one point I had considered making a warm cauliflower salad with them, but then D suggested making a Savoury Cauliflower Cake that I made many years ago.  

I don't make this Savoury Cauliflower Cake that often because it uses 10 eggs, but as we had some friends coming over, I thought it was worth the effort.  

Of course in true Shaheen style I adapted it a little from the original recipe only in that I added some beetroot powder to the egg batter. I also made the topping looking a little more pretty with red onions filled with some black sesame seeds. Here it is looking vivid and incredible before going into the oven to be transformed into a golden bake. 

This is not a recipe that you knock up after work.  Its takes time from steaming the cauliflower, cracking 10 eggs, grating the cheese - I know so much work - but its worth the effort when your guests exclaim 'Wow'!

Just a shame when you slice into it that the beetroot colour has faded upon cooking and so did the steamed purple cauliflower.  Shame really, still it was a very nice savoury cake to eat and share.  

Other Savoury Cakes on my blog
Celery and Pecan Cake
Leek and Stilton 'Eccles' Cake
Persian Style Upside Beetroot Rice Cake
Savoury Broccoli Cake
Vegetarian Chorizo, Sun dried Tomato and Pistachio Savoury Cake

Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad

I made this Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad back in September when I made the Beetroot Balsamic Orzo Pasta with Green Beans for work. 

Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad is known as Rosolje.  Obviously it has beetroot and potatoes, but it also has pickled gherkins, red onion, slithers of eating apple and for flavour soured cream, of course those of you who are vegan can substitute this with a vegan alternative, mustard and seasoning to taste. One of the recipes that I adapted (see links below) had herring, which omitted.  The recipe also suggested hard boiled eggs, which I also left out. 

This Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad made for a nice change for lunch at work.  I am not a huge fan of beetroot salads, but D does love them, and I like to please him.  Saying this though, I did actually enjoy eating this, I especially liked the piquancy from the pickled gherkins.

I am sharing this Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.  Recipe adapted from Estonian Eating and Cooking and Nami Nami: An Estonian Food Blog

Balsamic Beetroot Orzo Pasta with Green Beans

We have homegrown beetroot and D is very excited.

I have made an Estonian Beetroot and Potato Salad, and this simple Beetroot Orzo Pasta and Green Bean Salas for work.

I have mentioned in previous blog posts, that week after week I make the same salads, so its nice to vary with the changing seasons. 

I am sharing this Orzo Pasta Salad with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.  

Other Beetroot Salads
Beetroot Bulgar Salad
Beetroot and Pearl Couscous Salad
Beetroot and Cumin Pasta Salad
Beetroot Horseradish and Green Bean Salad
Salad
Balsamic Beetroot Dyed Pasta Salad
Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Feta Salad

Parsnip to Beetroot Fudge

A long while back a girl called Harry introduced me to Parsnip Fudge.

The girl in question is Harry Eastwood.  Harry Eastwood is a British celebrity chef and cookbook author of Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache (2009). Harry Eastwood is perhaps the first veggie desserts food writer and vegetable cookbook author in the UK; and I'd even go as far as to say perhaps the first to go beyond carrot and parsnip cake here, pushing the boundaries of hidden vegetables in cakes, desserts and puddings.  Her cakes are super loaded with vegetables with inviting fantastic names like Heartache Chocolate Cake made with whole aubergines.   She  opened up the imagination of chefs, home cooks and food bloggers that now adding vegetables to cakes, desserts and puddings has become a trend.  Some people still see vegetables in cakes and sweet things as unusual when these days its really not.   

Anyway, after all this high praise, I go and adapt her gorgeous Parsnip Fudge recipe and replace it with bleeding crimson Beetroot, I have been thinking about doing it for a long while and found the motivation to do it finally. So what was the motivation, I am married to a man who likes beetroot.  He also has a sweet tooth, very sweet.  He likes his sweet things more than I do - Yes, even chocolate.  I want to make him happy like he makes me happy, so these were made especially for him (but I have also shared some of them too, just don't tell him). 

By the way, You have to like beetroot to enjoy and appreciate these morsels, if not - I wouldn't even make this as it would be wasted on you, really - just go an eat a toffee fudge instead. 

I was so pleased myself especially as making fudge from scratch is still relatively new to me.  I have made vegan ones many times, but not traditional ones with fattening sickly sweet condensed milk, one of the first being Marmite fudge which was adapted from Green Gourmet Giraffe Vegemite fudge and now this.  The stirring for this beetroot fudge took a little longer, but the result was Amazing, aesthetically and also in flavour.

I have a renewed sense of respect for people who make fudge from scratch now and will not bemoan at how expensive it is when I see it being sold, I will of course support artisan and independent traders.  

Of course you can adapt this Beetroot Fudge recipe like I have further with carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and even greens...I have also been thinking foraged wild weeds and seaweed, yes Seaweed Fudge and its not that unusual as its already been done by Fiona Bird in her cookbook Seaweed in the Kitchen.

You can find the link to the original Parsnip Vanilla fudge recipe below,  I replaced the parsnip with raw chopped beetroot that I blended with some of the condensed milk. My slightly adapted recipe instructions below  are a little simpler, but you will need a high speed powerful food blender.  If you don't have a high speed powerful blender, then fear not - you can still make this with cooked beetroot. I would recommend cooking the beetroot yourself from scratch in a pot, although you could try it with cooked beets (not pickled), my only concern is it may contain more liquid, so its up to you.   I am sharing these homemade crimson Beetroot fudge pieces with CookBlogShare hosted by Recipes Made Easy and Treat Petite hosted by The Baking Explorer and CakeyBoi.

Beetroot Chocolate Brownies for Family and Friends

Chocolate Beetroot Brownies were all the rage and quite popular four - five years ago.  In fact hidden vegetables in cakes, vegetables in desserts, vegetables in pudding  and vegetables in sweets because quite trendy.  Chefs, experimental home cooks and food bloggers started throwing in different vegetables and then it was made out to be 'oh my goodness this is so original and a new concept and discovery', when in fact the idea of putting vegetables in cakes, desserts and puddings had been around many, many years. 

People have been eating carrot cake, parsnip cake and sweet potato pies for years , but hey we food bloggers  and I do not exclude myself from this like to some times think we created something unique when we throw in a cauliflower, a bit of spinach or even beetroot, when its actually quite an old idea.  One thing you can guarantee someone, somewhere has already done it, not everything appears on websites.  Many of these delicious hidden sweet vegetable recipes can be found in old cookbooks, published in other parts of the world and in different languages too, not everything is in English. 

I made these Chocolate Beetroot Brownies a couple of months back when  a good work colleague reminded me that I had promised her Beetroot cake'.  Shortly after, I made some Chocolate Beetroot Brownies for her.  she was delighted.    She was given a very generous slice.  

In fact this recipe makes a lot, that I also ended up sharing some with family and other friends.  I am sharing some of these Chocolate Beetroot Brownies with We Should Cocoa Challenge; and and Treat Petite hosted by The Baking Explorer and CakeyBoi.

Simple Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Salad

This Simple Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Salad was made last weekend when neither of us wanted to leave the warmth of our home.

I made do with what we already had indoors: some carrots, beetroot new potatoes and red onion.

As the beetroot and carrots roasted together, the beetroot infused some of its colour into the carrots almost making it look like almost like rainbow carrots.  the red onions became soft and silky and the small potatoes, golden and crisp.

I finished  this Simple Roasted Beetroot and Carrot Salad off with a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar and with a gentle crumbling of soft snow feta crumbs, inspired by the snow flakes falling from the sky outside that day.

I describe this as a Simple Roasted Beetroot Carrot Salad as it is hardly a recipe and mostly done by eye-balling ingredients and and to taste.  Feel free to serve it alongside some greens, in our case it was peppery rocket. 

I am sharing this Carrot and Beetroot Salad to Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen;  as it can be eaten with a spoon like a chunky soup too; and The Flexitarian for MeatFree Recipe of the Week;  and with Confessions of a Mother Runner and Whisk and Two Wands for Meatless Monday.

Creamy Beet Rose Rice Pudding with Pomegranate (vegan)

The inspiration for this Creamy Beet Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Seeds  has two sources.   The recipe idea itself came about after a conversation with my work colleague.  She came back from town with what was supposed to be her lunch.   She says out loud to me 'I wanted a change from beetroot salad and I wanted something warm, so I have rice pudding from...'.  I started thinking -  Beetroot and rice pudding.  Then under her breath she grumbled and 'you still  owe me a beetroot cake'.

Well still no beetroot cake for her, but did make the Creamy Beet Rice Pudding that I was imagining and rating in my head.  I was inspired further to add the Pomegranate Seeds as I had also just watched Pan's Labyrinth in readiness for Food'n'Flix.

I have my own DVD of Pan's Labyrinth from Guillermo Del Toro along The Orphanage, The Devils Backbone and Cronos.  Its a dark fantasy Gothic supernatural fairytale set against the backdrop of fascist regime in Spain in 1944.  Ofelia the lead character discovers a labyrinth and meets a faun who tells her she is a Princess and sets her three challenges if she wishes to return to her Kingdom.    I had forgotten how graphic the movie was and although its a dark fairytale with good versus evil, its not a fairytale designed for children. Its been described as Alice in Wonderland for adults. 

Vegan Beetroot Creme Brulee with Pomegranate Seeds

Its been two years since I last made a vegan Creme Brulee, and I was looking for an excuse to use my new cooks kitchen blow torch that was gifted to me two years ago, when I grumbled to my husband that the Brulee topping of the Creme Brulee I had made were not perfect. Christmas came that year and I found one under the Christmas tree. 

I  made these stunning vegan Beetroot Creme Brulee's  with Pomegranate Seeds last weekend. 

These Beetroot Coconut Creme Brulees are vegan and were a a bit of an experiment.  I was not sure if the heaviness of the beetroot was solidify, I was pleased with my first attempt as the Beetroot Coconut Creme Brulee turned out pretty amazing.  I have to admit there are still a couple of tweaks required as its not perfect,  but I am happy to share what I have already with my readers as Valentines Day is coming.  

The Beetroot Coconut Creme Brulee really, really was luscious, it was creamy, it was delicious and it was really amazing to eat breaking through the shardy sugar glass with my little spoon. 

I am going to be honest and forgive me if its sounds boastful, that is not my intention, bit I was rather surprised and a little impressed with myself that I was able to create something so gorgeous in my home, this is the kind of dessert you find at avante garde vegetarian and vegan restaurants. I am even secretly smiling to myself. 

The photograph above of the vegan Beetroot Coconut Creme Brulee, one without the sugar topping, and one with the brulee sugar topping and then I finished it all off with a generous scattering of ruby pomegranate seeds.

Golden Chioggia Beetroot Curry and Beetroot Chutney

This Sri Lankan style Beetroot Curry is one of my husbands favourite dishes, in fact anything with beetroot he loves. 

This Beetroot Curry is a mildly spiced, earthy and a little sweet.  The sweetness comes from the golden beetroot.  

Here are the beetroots picked up from a farmers market in South Wales.  We have Golden Beetroot, Chioggia described by many Brits as the 'sticker rock' beetroot because of the pink and white striped on the inside and the more recognizable Beetroot that makes our hands stain when we peel and chop it.  It even stains our lovely wooden chopping board.

I was very careful stirring the different beetroot together upon cooking as I did not want to lose the colours.  It was a little difficult but with a wide pan, I managed, a little bleeding of the beetroot into the yellow an chioggia could not be avoided though, that was naturally going to happen.  

The photograph directly above was taken in the garden where there was still a little light, but don't expect me to keep popping out in the garden where its icy cold for decent pictures. I have to admit in the next few weeks, if not two months my food blogging may slow down.  I will still of course be cooking, just not photographing and blogging about it due to poor lighting, but know that I always eat well.

Finally, a little while back I promised you all a recipe for Beetroot Chutney Chutney.  I seem to have misplaced the recipe that was given to me, when I locate it I will up-date this blog post, for now - please just admire that beautiful Gothic deep red colour.  I will be twisting open a jar come the Christmas holidays.

Beetroot, Horseradish and Green Beans Pasta Salad

This Beetroot, Horseradish Pasta Salad was made in a hurry a few weeks back over the weekend.

I took inspiration from what was in my fridge: cooked beetroot and green beans and kitchen cupboards: horseradish powder and dried pasta and lunch was on the table in less than 30 minutes.

The amount of horseradish you put in is subjective, put in as much or as little as you want.  I made the horseradish myself with some horseradish powder that I picked from Glastonbury earlier on in the month.  But if you use ready made, albeit a vegan brand make sure you get good horseradish - nothing disappoints than a tame horseradish in your mouth when your expecting a boom!

We had some Beetroot Horseradish Pasta Salad left over, so I took some into work and shared it with a colleague who comes from Slovakia where they do like their beetroot.  By the way this is the same work colleague who gave me some beetroots from her allotment plot a little while back and I made a vegan Beetroot and Soy 'Lamb' Curry.  She liked it and wanted the recipe.  I told her 'there is no recipe, but this is what I did'... I cooked the pasta and stirred in cooked green beans, cooked beetroot and then stirred in a little olive oil along with some horseradish , finished of with a good grinding of salt and pepper. 

I was never a fan of beetroot when I was small and it was not something that my parents cooked with.  The only form I ever saw it was in jars for making cheese and beetroot rolls, the stuff was harsh.  However, when I left home for college and then University, I became more adventurous with my food and my culinary adventures had just begun.  I met my husband, then a friend, then a boyfriend, then fiancee for many many years before we got married - well he loved the red beet root, so I began discovering the versatility of this earthy vegetable and began making both savoury and sweet dishes with it.  I would not say that I love beetroot, but I have over the years begun appreciating it much more than I did in my early formative years.  

Other Beetroot Sweet and Savoury Recipes that may appeal
Beetroot Chocolate Cake Runner Up in the Great Vegan Bake Of 2013 
Chocolate Beetroot Black Bean Chilli
Raw Beetroot Coconut Halwa Hearts
Beetroot Pakora Bites
Beetroot Pearls
Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry

This blog post is part of Vegan Month of Food: Memories and Traditions.  I am also sharing this Beetroot, Horseradish and Green Beans Pasta Salad with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen;  and Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice;  and Simple and In Season hosted by  Feeding Boys;  

Horseradish and Beetroot Powder Popcorn for Grown Ups

I am such a moody person, I don't have one late night snack I go to, its depends how I feel.

These days late night snacking for me can be nacho and dip or hummus with pitta chips or simply Marmite on toast , but there are night when it can also popcorn in all its many flavours Turmeric Garam Masala and chilli, Wasabi Popcorn, Black Pepper and Salt Popcorn, Rosemary and Chilli Popcorn, Sumac Popcorn  and more recently Beetroot and horseradish.  This is popcorn for grown ups. 

I don't really do sweet popcorn and find it a bit sickly, though recently whilst looking at a bottle of ginger syrup in my kitchen cupboards, I got thinking about making some gingerbread popcorn for Christmas festivities.

I've picked up some beetroot powder, tomato powder, lemon powder, spinach powder, horseradish powder and a number of others and have been thinking of ways to use them in my sweet and savoury baking and cooking.  I have used it in shortcrust pastry and popcorn so far, so thought this would be good to share tonight for Vegan Mofo prompt of Late Night Snack.   

This Horseradish and Beetroot Powder Popcorn is an acquired taste, so don't bother making it unless you like both the ingredients, unless of course you just want to marvel at the colour. 

Autumn Beetroot Barley Goats Cheese Salad

This Beetroot Barley Goats Cheese Salad is an autumnal salad because of the hearty barley and the colours that remind me of the drying leaves on the trees.   Its perfect for taking into lunch as it won't leak liked those tossed in heavy salad dressing

The goats cheese is optional, but I think it works as it makes a nice contrast to the earthy beetroot.  Of course you could use a dairy free alternative like Gary which is actually made from coconuts and is very popular in the UK right now.  I have to admit I have not tried Gary yet as every time I go to seek it out it is sold out. 

This Beetroot Barley Goats Cheese Salad is not much of a recipe as I eye-balled most of the ingredients: cooked barley, cooked beetroot including its juices, a little balsamic vinegar an extra virgin oil for dressing, salt and pepper and then topped with rocket and goats cheese.  Quite simple really.

Love Beetroot Hearts Quiche with Feta and Chives

I  harvested some beetroot from my garden a few weeks back and made a few recipes with it such as Beetroot Gratin, Beetroot Horseradish Pasta Salad, Beetroot, Beetroot Chutney,  Soy 'Lamb' Curry, and Beetroot Chocolate Cake.   

And this gorgeous Beetroot Heart Shaped Quiche with Feta and chives.

I made this Love Beetoot Heart Quiche totally from scratch.  From peeling and cooking the beetroot to cutting them into dainty hearts, to making the shortcrust pasty which is dyed with beetroot powder, but you would not know it as once it was baked, it lost that magnificent colour.  

Winter Beetroot Potato Horseradish Gratin

This Winter Beetroot Potato Horseradish Gratin is perhaps something best served around Halloween when loud bold colours seem more acceptable on the dinner plate, though I must add orange is the real colour of Halloween, not Gothic blood wine colours.  

This a dish that was made from scratch, from peeling and cooking the beetroot (which were from my own garden plot) to making the sauce, the only shortcut I used was horseradish sauce from a jar.  I have seen fresh horseradish root in the city of Cardiff, but its very expensive and I would only want a tablespoon or two, not the whole root - so its from a jar, no shame in that.  

You could make this grating completely with beetroot, but I thought it might be too overpowering and alternated it with sliced potatoes.  This recipe is vegetarian, but it can easily be made vegan.

I served the Beetroot Potato Horseradish Gratin enjoyed it with Cauldron Lincolnshire sausages which I prefer to the other supermarket brands.  I find the Cauldron ones are a lot more succulent and flavoursome, many others vegan and vegetarian sausages are just shaped like a sausage and taste of nothing. 

The Beetroot Potato Horseradish Gratin was surprisingly quite nice,  I say this as I still consider myself a convert to the beetroot club, I never liked it when I was a child.  The gratin was sweet and earthy, a little punch in the mouth from the horseradish - so make sure its good horseradish and the colour is something you just have to accept and you will, if you like beetroot.