Light summer salad
As a light lunch for 3 or for 4 as starter
Ingredients
500g cooked organic beetroot
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
50g curly kale leaves
70ml creme fraiche
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 fennel bulb
100g sliced smoked halibut
1 lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Cut the beetroot into thin segments and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and leave to marinate.
Shave the fennel thinly on a mandolin or with a sharp knife and place in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice to taste, salt and pepper. Leave this too to marinate.
Mix the creme fraiche with the horseradish, salt and pepper and set aside.
To serve, spoon some of the horseradish creme fraiche on the base of each plate. Top with the shaved fennel, followed by the beetroot.
Drape pieces of the smoked halibut around and top with the curly kale leaves. Drizzle over the dressing left from marinating the beetroot and serve.
Beetroot
Beetroot, freshly harvested, are super-sweet, ready to eat after boiling for a much shorter time and just delicious without anything added. The balance of the sweetness and almost liquorice lingering aftertaste is amazing.
This is a two-in-one vegetable because the young leaves and the root are both edible. In the old days, beetroot was quite ordinary – cooked and served as a salad with sweet vinegar, or commercially pickled, causing everything else on the plate to turn red.
Nowadays, however, the humble beetroot has reinvented itself. It’s trendy for good reason: its health benefits are numerous (beetroot is a rich source of nutrients), and its versatility makes it ideal for use in all types of cuisine. Different varieties of beetroot now being cultivated are still finding their way into the market. Even the young leaves can be steamed or boiled – they have the taste and texture of spinach.
BEETROOT FOR BREAKFAST
- in a fresh juice with ginger and fresh apple
- in a beetroot soufflé with melting Gorgonzola
- scrambled eggs on toast with beetroot chutney
BEETROOT IN A SALAD
- cook with roasted butternut and toasted pumpkin seeds; serve with a cinnamon and balsamic reduction dressing
- cook and slice with pitted fresh cherries, raspberries, sliced baby radish and red basil; toss with walnuts and a walnut dressing
- cook and grate over a potato salad with a mustard and lemon vinaigrette
- top julienned fresh carrots with fresh julienned beetroot and thinly sliced shallots; serve with an orange and dill dressing with grated orange rind
- cook and top with rocket and an anchovy dressing
BEETROOT FOR LUNCH OR DINNER
- cook and bake in a quiche with prosciutto, Parmesan and caperberries
- cook and peel whole beetroot while still warm; serve with Boursin, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate syrup, seasoned with salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- cook or pickle as part of a beef or ostrich burger with a generous dollop of beetroot and onion chutney
- top a carpaccio of raw beetroot with lightly smoked grilled trout; serve with a horseradish dressing and warm crusty bread
- slice beetroot on a toasted baguette with ham and melting Brie; top with a beetroot pickle
- as a warm creamy soup with lightly smoked mussels
- in a risotto with star anise and shaved Parmesan
- as part of a vegetarian lasagne, using only cooked sliced beetroot and steamed beet greens with sautéed red onion and béchamel sauce; top with Gorgonzola and Parmesan
- roast and serve with seared duck breast and a ground coriander and orange sauce
PINK BAKING AND COOKING WITH BEETROOT
- add beetroot coulis to your favourite cheesecake recipe
- add grated beetroot to your rich chocolate cake to keep the cake moist and give a dark red colour
- add a little beetroot juice to icing for a pink colour
- add a little beetroot juice when melting white chocolate for drizzling over cake or any baked goods
- add beetroot juice to waffle mixture to make pink waffles
- add a little beetroot juice to cooked rice
- enhance any red or pink colour with beetroot juice instead of food colourant
BEETROOT IS BEST WITH:
PROTEIN: anchovies / bacon, prosciutto, salted pork / smoked fish, trout / venison
PRODUCE: apples / cherries / pears / raspberries / lemons / oranges / cucumber / ginger / horseradish / onions / shallots / potatoes / rocket
HERBS AND SPICES: allspice / star anise / cloves / curry / cumin / mustard seeds / chives / mint / dill / nutmeg / curry leaves / parsley / tarragon / watercress / radicchio
CONDIMENTS: mustard / vinaigrette / balsamic vinegar / sherry and red wine vinegar / walnut oil / brown sugar / balsamic reduction
DAIRY: butter / cream / crème fraîche / sour cream / Parmesan / Boursin / cheddar / ricotta
NUTS: walnuts
TIP: ABOUT THOSE BEETROOT STAINS…
Beetroot is a water-soluble dye; using hot water will react as a fixative for stronger colour. Use cold water and rub your hands with salt and lemon juice to remove stains on your skin. For stains on fabric, rub raw pear on the mark before washing in cold water. Then wash with soap.
Beetroot and Buratta Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Sherry or red wine vinegar
500g pack cooked organic beetroot
1 small baguette
1 ball burrata
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 small bunch dill
1 stalk rosemary
1 small bunch chervil
125g bull’s blood leaves
Method
Preheat an oven to 180°C. Cut each beetroot into 6 wedges and place in a roasting dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Break the small baguette into crumbs and finely chop the rosemary. Add both ingredients to a bowl with 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the breadcrumbs until golden brown. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Fry ¾ of the bull’s blood in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 10 seconds, season with salt and pepper. Pick the chervil leaves and finely chop the dill. Mix the beetroot together with the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the bulls blood between 2 plates and spoon the beetroot on top. Tear the burrata between the 2 plates, laying it on top and finish with the uncooked bulls blood leaves.
Cold Roasted Beetroot and Fennel Soup
A refreshing summer soup made with ingredients usually associated with the colder months.
Serves 2
Ingredients
500 g pre-cooked beetroot
1 fennel
3 celery stalks
1 onion
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 bay leaf
1 small cucumber
1 small red onion
1 bunch radishes
1 orange
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
dark country bread to serve
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Cut the beetroot into chunks. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Cut the fennel in half, remove the hard core. Keep the green twigs separate. Cut the fennel and celery into small pieces. Peel and chop the onion.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the fennel, celery, onion and bay leaf and sweat for 5 minutes over medium heat. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 1 liter of hot water.
3
Pour the warm stock into the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beets to the pan, remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth. Add a little extra water if the soup us too thick.
4
Cut the cucumber, red onion and radishes into small cubes. Chop the green fennel fronds and stir through the cubed vegetables. Grate the zest from orange and mix it through the finely chopped vegetables.
5
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
6
Divide the soup between 2 bowls and sprinkle the cucumber mixture. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with dark farmhouse bread.
Warm Chickpea Salad
This salad, served warm, utilises a store cupboard staple, chickpeas, with a selection of later winter ingredients including beetroot and cabbage.
Serves 2
Ingredients
120 g bulghar wheat
600 g savoy cabbage
1 tin chickpeas
2 precooked beetroot
1 clove garlic
100 g feta
5 g ras al hanout
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Cut the savoy cabbage into 1-1.5 cm strips. Cut the beetroot into wedges. Add the bulghar wheat to the pot of boiling water and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Drain the bulghar through sieve. In a bowl, mix together the walnut oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Finely chop the garlic clove and add to the dressing. Drain the chickpeas through a sieve and rinse under cold water. Place the beetroot in a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and warm them gently through.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the savoy cabbage and fry gently for about 4-6 minutes until tender. Add a splash of water to the pan to help the cabbage steam. Add the chickpeas and ras al hanout to the pan. Ensure that the ingredients are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the bulghar through the chickpea mixture. Add the dressing and extra salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the salad between 2 plates. Lay the beetroot on top and sprinkle with the crumbled feta.
Baby Beetroot
Autumn is the season for root vegetables and one of our favourites is beetroot. If you are able to find them, spend that little extra and treat yourself to a bunch or two. They are a bit of a pain to clean. Be sure to rinse them well to remove all the sand. Trim off the leaves, leaving a little bit of the stalk. If the leaves are fresh and in good condition, you can use them too. Just walk briefly until wilted and they make a great side dish.
Place the beetroot on an oven tray lined with foil. Lay the beetroot on top, add some fresh thyme, whole unpeeled garlic cloves, a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Wrap the ends of the foil tightly together and place in a 210 C oven for about 1-1,5 hours until tender. Allow to cool slightly and then peel of the skin with the help of a small knife. Serve as is or with a balsamic and olive oil dressing. The uses for beetroot are seemingly endless.
Balsamic Roasted Beetroot, Quinoa and Kale
Serves 4
Ingredients
750 g cooked beetroot
20 g tarragon
150 g quinoa
150 g pancetta
300 g finely sliced kale
4 cloves garlic
150 g piece pecorino
Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Cut each beetroot into 6 or 8 wedges. Place 150 ml balsamic vinegar, 40 g brown sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in to a roasting tray. Add the beetroot, mixing the ingredients well, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Pick the tarragon leaves; add them to the beetroot once they have been roasted. Set aside.
Place the quinoa in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook gently for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain off through a sieve and set aside.
Cut the pancetta into lardons and finely chop the garlic. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add the pancetta to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until golden. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat; add the garlic and kale and fry for about 3 minutes until the kale has wilted.
Mix the kale, pancetta and quinoa together and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture onto a serving platter and top with the beetroot. Scatter with shaved pecorino and spoon over the beetroot juices.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
Guinea Fowl with Pumpkin Sauce and Roast Beetroot
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 guinea fowl breasts
olive oil,
salt and pepper
mixed cress to garnish
Beetroot
2kg mixed beetroot, washed
olive oil
garlic cloves, skin on
beriyani spices
coarse sea salt and black pepper
Pumpkin Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
500g guinea fowl trimmings or carcasses
1 shallot, finely chopped
300 g pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into cubes
50 ml Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
200 ml sweet white wine
1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf, celery)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
3 star anise
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
40 g butter
salt and pepper
Method
Peel the beetroot and lay in a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the beriyani spices and drizzle with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic cloves.
Place in a 180°C oven for at least and hour, depending on the size of the beetroot, until tender. Keep warm.
Peel the beetroot and lay in a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the beriyani spices and drizzle with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic cloves.
Place in a 180°C oven for at least and hour, depending on the size of the beetroot, until tender. Keep warm.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the guineafowl trimmings or carcasses and brown over a medium-high heat. Pour out any excess fat. Add the shallot and pumpkin and sweat over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and reduce by about half. Add the sweet white wine and reduce until only one-third of the liquid remains. Add the bouquet garni, vanilla pod, star anise and stock. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Work through a sieve into a clean plan, pushing the soft pumpkin through. Whisk the butter in over a low heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Season the guinea fowl with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fry the guinea fowl breasts, skin-side down, until golden brown. Turn over on to the meat side and fry for a further 1 minute. Transfer to an oven tray.
Place the guinea fowl in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just cooked. Remove from the oven and allow t rest, loosely covered with aluminium foil for 5 minutes.
Slice the guinea fowl breasts. Place a pool of sauce on each plate. Lay the sliced guineafowl on top and the beetroot to the side. Garnish with a few mixed cress.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours
