Beets, Beets, Beets!

By Nóra McIntyre

Everyone keeps telling me that it’s winter, but snow be damned, if I can see orange leaves on the trees it’s still autumn to me. That means ‘tis the season for comfort food. Some of my favorite cold-weather recipes revolve around one magical pink vegetable— beets! Beets are delicious, versatile, and vibrant in color, and they can flourish in colder temperatures and store well. Below I’ve collected three of my favorite recipes featuring beets— Beet Hummus, Sweet and Savory Beet Kale Salad, and Beet Honey Cake. Let’s get into it!

Beet Hummus:

-1 can of chickpeas (or prepare dried from scratch!)

-1 roasted and chopped beet :)

-the juice of half a lemon

-garlic (1-2 cloves is sufficient, I use three because I’m a garlic fiend)

-tahini (the amount depends on your preference, I used ⅓ cup)

-salt to taste

-extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place the chickpeas, cooked beet, lemon juice, garlic cloves, tahini, and salt together in a food processor or blender and run for a few minutes until blended/smooth. Add a splash (a few tablespoons) of olive oil and blend for another minute. Add more salt, olive oil, tahini, garlic, or lemon juice to taste if desired.

Savory and Sweet Beet Kale Salad:

-kale

-1/3ish of a raw beet

-half a carrot

-nuts of choice (optional— I used walnuts)

-craisins 

-fruits of choice (optional— I used strawberries, blueberries, and apples)

-protein (optional— I used chicken, but vegetarian alternatives also pair nicely!)

-any other salad toppings you love :)

Dressing (for a single serving):

-a few tablespoons of olive oil

-a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

-juice of half a lemon

-a small spoonful of honey

-salt (to taste)

-pepper (to taste)

Directions:

The strange and beautiful thing about this salad is that it does not involve cooked beets! Rather, use a grater to shred the beet and carrot and set them aside. Chop any fruits you add and set these aside as well. Next, prepare the dressing. The ingredients for the dressing should be measured with your heart/to taste, depending on your desired salty-to-sweet ratio and how much dressing you like. Mix all the dressing ingredients vigorously with a fork. Add the kale and dressing to a bowl and use your hands to massage the kale for a few minutes. It’s important to add the dressing before the massaging process! This process softens the kale and is a strange bonding activity for you and your salad. Add the beets, carrots, nuts, craisins, and anything else. Mix and enjoy! 

Beet Honey Cake:

-2 cups of flour

-2 teaspoons of baking soda

-½ teaspoon of salt

-1 and ¼ cups vegetable oil

-1 cup of sugar

-3 tablespoons of honey

-1 tsp orange extract (optional)

-half a lemon

-4 eggs

-3 cups of peeled and grated raw beets (between 2-3 beets)

Frosting:

-½ cup (1 stick) of salted butter (at room temp.)

-2 cups of powdered sugar

-¼ cup of milk (at room temp.) (milk alternatives also work well)

-1 tsp of vanilla

-a small dash of lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Mix the oil, sugar, honey, orange extract, and most of the juice from half a lemon in another bowl. Add a bit of zest from the lemon peel if you feel zesty! Everyone suggests adding eggs one at a time. If you add two at a time, I will not tell on you; ensure they are fully incorporated. Add the dry and wet ingredients in three sections, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the beets. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans, and pour the cake batter equally into both pans. Bake for about 35-45 minutes— a toothpick inserted in the center should come clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. I usually run a butter knife along the edges of the pan and then gently turn it over, and gravity is a helpful tool if the cakes are stuck. 

Frosting Directions:

Make sure your butter and milk are at room temperature! This ensures smooth textured frosting, which I have learned the hard way on countless occasions. First, beat the butter until smooth. With an electric mixer, this should take about 1 minute. If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can do what I do— put on a high-intensity playlist and mix like crazy with a wooden spoon for a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a dash of lemon juice until the frosting is smooth/whipped to your desired consistency. This will take a few minutes (a little longer if you mix by hand). Add more powdered sugar if desired— I start light, and it usually pairs great with this cake! Wait until your cakes are cool before frosting. I often top this cake with berries, pomegranate seeds, (edible) flowers, or other garnishes. Enjoy!