Thursday, October 21, 2010

Wonder no longer--the recipe I made was roast beet and feta gratin.

Beets--I think they are a love them or hate them kind of vegetable.  I happen to love them.  Maybe it is my Scandinavian heritage--I do have a tendency to like hardy vegetables (turnips, parsnips, rutabegas).  Anyways, beets are incredibly healthy containing calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and folic acid.  Studies show they prevent heart diseases and colon cancer, and they also promote healing.  You can bake them, boil them, eat them right out of the can, put them in a salad or make roasted beet and feta gratin. The recipe is taken from Epicurious.

(3) medium sized beets
(3/4) cup Greek yogurt (the original recipe calls for heavy cream)
(2) fresh mint springs & 4 tbs chopped fresh mint
(1/2) cup feta cheese
salt & pepper to taste

1)  Trim the beets and roast them in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 50 minutes in a baking pan.  Fill the pan with about 1/4 inch of water and cover tightly with foil.  When they are done, peel them and slice them (wait for them to cool a bit!)
2) In a small saucepan, bring the yogurt and mint springs to a boil.  Let sit for 15 minutes.
3) Butter a 1.5 qt casserole dish and layer the beets.  Sprinkle a little salt on each layer. Drizzle the warm yogurt over the beets.  Cover in feta cheese and the chopped mint.
4)  Bake in the over for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  The beets are done when the feta cheese is golden brown.

Tips:
* I would use more yogurt next time and more cheese and spread the mixture between the layers of beets.
* I would use crumbled goat cheese instead of feta cheese.  
*If your beets are larger, bake them a bit longer. 

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