Sunday, March 14, 2010

Eureka! Beet Salad: Spicy, Tangy, Hot & Sweet


Confession: I haven't been very inspired lately when it comes to cooking.  I go to the market - something I normally love to do - and I just wander around the produce aisles, mentally shrugging my shoulders and seeing  nothing that excites me. Being stuck in a rut is no fun, and I realize I've let several things drag me down into the doldrums:

1. Culinary school. It's not that I don't love it, it's just that all that baking and kitchen time and reading and constantly thinking about emulsifiers, solidifiers, tenderizers, flours, yeast, starters, sponges,  and things like how too much or too little mixing is going to affect the batter ... well, lately my poor brain hasn't had a lot of energy to travel in its usual circles of savory ingredients and cuisines, and after a day of making peanut butter cookies, madeleines, and biscotti (future post!), I don't even want to think about making any more sweets.

2. I've started a new part time job assisting a chef. Among other things, she runs corporate team building events - kind of like Iron Chef challenges - and I answer questions (when I can) and help the contestants and do some prep and get to taste and help judge the dishes and then, when it's all over, I clean  ...  and I clean. And clean, and clean, and clean. It's fun (okay, not the cleaning part) but boy oh boy is it exhausting.  The last thing I feel like doing when I get home is making dinner.

3. I'm starting yet another part time job as an assistant baker in April. I'm excited because I think I'll learn a ton, but  I'm also a little nervous and freaked out  that I'll be getting up at the unthinkable hour of 4:30.  That's A.M. people.  Is there enough coffee in the world to wake me up that early? We'll see.

I'm not complaining! I feel incredibly lucky to have the work and to be going to school and still getting to write, but sometimes it all gets a bit overwhelming and the creative side of my brain just shuts down and wants a nap.

But I think my slump is finally broken, and I have beets to thank for it.  Well, beets and my impending trip. You see, Mother-in-Law Trix is Austrian, and she has graciously allowed Poppa Trix and I the use of her apartment in Vienna while she's in New York. If the thought of two weeks in Vienna with a side trip to Budapest doesn't get your culinary creative juices flowing, I don't know what will! (More on the trip in my next post - wait until you see the banner Poppa Trix has come up with for my Vienna dispatches!)

So, to back up to these beets. After a loooong shift at an Iron Chef challenge the other day I decided to check out a new (well, new to me) produce market and see if inspiration would finally strike. Right away these babies caught my eye:

I know, I know - this is not produce, nor is it homemade food! I don't normally go for frozen pre-made things, but in my defense I was exhausted and these were just too cute to resist. Plus, can you see how short the ingredient list is? It's just flour, eggs, farmer cheese, water, sugar, and salt.  It's practically a whole food. But clearly these pierogis alone do not a healthy dinner make. I needed a vegetable.

I saw a lot of things I didn't want: cabbage, leeks, greens. Just not feeling it. Then I saw the beets. Now, I'm not going to lie  for dramatic effect and say that the clouds parted and I was struck by thunderbolts and rays of light shimmered down from the sky, illuminating the  lowly root vegetable and sending me into a life changing epiphany. But definitely, the beets were talking to me. At long last, I felt the faint stirrings of an Idea.

I let the Budapest portion of my upcoming holiday influence the dish and I took it in a vaguely Eastern European-ish direction. This salad is simple, yet it's got a great balance and layers of flavors that play off of one another - earthy, tangy, sweet, and hot.

Eureka Beet Salad

4 medium beets
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 T raspberry vinegar
1 T raw honey
5 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 tsp hot paprika
1 T chopped flat leaf parsley, fresh or dried
salt & pepper, to taste
Individually wrap the beets in foil and roast them in a 400 degree oven until tender, about an hour. Meanwhile, whisk all of the other ingredients together, except for the parsley. When the beets are cool, remove the skins, cube,  and toss with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.  Simple, flavorful, and satisfying.

Now, I hear what you're saying: "Trix! I don't want to eat raw garlic! Isn't it going to be overpowering?" But trust me on this one. The sweetness of the honey and raspberry vinegar mitigates the bite of the garlic so that you just get this nice little pop! of flavor, and the heat of the paprika balances the whole thing out. This went perfectly with the pierogis (which I will make from scratch next time, I promise), which I served with browned onions and Middle Eastern style yogurt:
Stay tuned for my next post, which will be my last from the U.S. for awhile. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen!





24 comments:

  1. TRIX!! This looks awesome (and I'm not even a beet fan)!

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  2. Well here's one for me I am a beet lover the captain here hates them....so bonus for me....all for myself they look awesome`

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  3. Great match with perogis and beets... you are halfway to Budapest with that combination!

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  4. Too funny, 2nd beet recipe I see today and my dad is Austrian from Vienna. So jealous about your trip. Not a big beet fan but I would definitely give this a taste.

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  5. Fantastic beet salad and a great compliment to vareniki!

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  6. I love this salad especially the idea of the honey and raspberry vinegar!

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  7. I am impressed you are balancing all that you do!
    As a huge beet and spice fan, the two together are a winning combination to me. Raspberry vinegar is a great way to balance it out-yum!

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  8. The beets look like garnet! Gorgeous!! Oh wow, you didn't tell me you had so many things on your plate. You're amazing. With 3 cats and a dog too. I salute you back, girly! ;) Enjoy your trip, you both!

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  9. You know what? I normally hate beets...but this recipe sounds so good, I am going to try it! My husband will be thrilled cause he loves em! Thanks!

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  10. You have such an exciting life! You're in culinary school, have a fun job, and you're going to Vienna! Lucky girl!

    These beets look wonderful! I adore sweet roasted beets with a bright splash of vinegar. Looks great!

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  11. I love beets and just finished my 'birthing sheets' for them to be set out in the garden tomorrow. That recipe is to die for and I'm going to look for some hot paprika to make it just as you did. Thanks for sharing. You have a very full plate. Enjoy.

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  12. You make me envious with your part-time jobs! Especially the baking part... Lovely salad!

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  13. Wow, you lucky devil!! This looks so interesting!! I just know you will have an amazing time in Vienna. Can't wait for the posts!!

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  14. I have a problem in prepping beets but I love it so! I will try and attempt it again ;)

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  15. no wonder I don't hear from you often ... you're a busy bee - great inspiration, the looming trip led you to this awesome dish ... can't wait to hear of your ventures...

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  16. Beautiful salad. Looks very appetising.

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  17. gorgeous salad...awesome..and do i love that Parprika...yum yum yum

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  18. I love all the things you're up to. A real renaissance woman. Oh to be young and child-free... Have a great trip!

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  19. You've reached a fellow beet lover :-). You certainly have a lot on your plate right now. Don't burn yourself out. I love your blog and will be back often to see what you are cooking.

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  20. Yay for Beets! And kudos to you for doing it all! 2 jobs + school + writing/blogging. When you feel passionate about what you do, you'll always find more energy to keep you going (even if it's cleaning and cleaning and cleaning). Looking fwd to hearing more about your adventures!

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  21. I love this! I am currently on a beet kick - I've had beets 3 times in 5 days, today will be one more time! It's so easy to be uninspired at the grocery right now. Everything seems out of season, and it's too early for most of the yummy spring veggies yet (especially if you got snow like we did), and potatoes, greens, cabbage all seem old by now! Welcome, beets! Yay!

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  22. This looks great! I love beets and can't wait to try this flavor combination! I am glad you were inspired :)

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  23. I've eaten everything from deep-fried ants to broccoli rabe, but I never liked beets... the only food in the whole wide world I don't like. And yet, this looks pretty good. I might just try it and see...

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  24. i just found you and am SO enjoying reading your posts. i just made homemade pierogies and you can see the step by step on my blog. i just posted it yesterday!

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