Recipes of the Week–July 20, 2015

Golden Beet and Beet-Greens Salad with Yogurt, Mint and Dill

From: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12545-golden-beet-and-beet-greens-salad-with-yogurt-mint-and-dill

• 2 pounds medium golden beets in skin, well washed (or red or other beets)
• 12 to 16 ounces beet greens (or chard or other greens)
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

For the vinaigrette

• ⅓ cup red onion or shallot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin-coriander mixture
• Pinch cayenne
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the yogurt sauce

• 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin-coriander mixture
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly snipped dill for garnish

Roast the beets: Put them in a baking dish in one layer (if some beets are larger, halve them so they will cook evenly). Add about 2 inches water to the pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for at least an hour, or up to one and a half hours, until fork tender. Remove the foil, pour off the liquid and let cool for a few minutes, then peel while still slightly warm. Cut into wedges and set aside.

Cut beet greens into 1-inch ribbons, then wash well 3 times in abundant cold water to remove any sand or grit. Bring a large pot salted water to boil. Add the greens and cook briefly till wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool under running water, then squeeze out excess water.

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant and just lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice mill.

Make the vinaigrette: Put the onion, garlic and vinegar in a small bowl and leave for 5 minutes or so, then whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Make the yogurt sauce: Put the yogurt in small bowl. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, cayenne, cumin-coriander mixture, mint and olive oil.

Season the beet wedges lightly with salt and dress with half the vinaigrette. In a separate bowl, lightly salt the greens and dress with remaining vinaigrette. Arrange dressed beets and greens on a platter and top with a little smear of the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with dill, and pass the rest of the yogurt sauce at the table.

Spicy Skillet Turnip Greens  from: http://addapinch.com/cooking/spicy-skillet-turnip-greens-recipe/

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1 pound turnip greens, cleaned and chopped
• ¼ cup water
• pinch brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to preference)

1. Drizzle olive oil into skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Then add ½ of turnip greens. Allow to cook down and add the remainder of the greens.
3. Add water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Adjust the amount of red pepper to your personal taste.

 

Tokyo Bekana, - great to eat as you can use both the leaf and the stem. It is Japanese in origin, similar to a small Chinese cabbage. The stalks add a nice crunch to any salad. You can use them cooked or raw. Make a wrap. For a stir-fry add turnip greens, beet greens or chard. It is great in soups as well. You can substitute Tokyo Bekana in any recipes that calls for Pak Choi.

Pickled Tokyo Bekana from: http://growingjapanese.blogpost.com

1 small bunch Tokyo Bekana cabbage
1 small red chili (sliced with seeds removed)
100 ml rice vinegar
100 ml water
60 ml sugar
Black pepper (coarsely ground)

Steam the cabbage for about 5 minutes. Strain and, when cool, squeeze as much moisture out as possible and cut into bite size pieces.

Heat water, rice vinegar and sugar together. When sugar is dissolved, add the chili, then let the syrup cool. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with a pinch of coarsely ground black pepper and chill for at least 4 hours. Serve as a side dish with grilled or fired Japanese dishes.