ARF / 5-A-Day: Mark Bittman and Beets, Roesti-Style

Ah, though the days of Fall bring horticultural and culinary delights of their own, the sweet deliciousness of Summer tomatoes, peppers and corn still beg to be remembered. One of the "transition" foods I've been gathering from our garden lately are beets, which I began to like when they were baked into a cake, followed by salads, sauces and stir-fries. I even have a coffee cake that I will eventually post featuring these earthy gems. Beets are rich in nutrients and are a worthy inclusion in any diet. According to WHFoods, beets are an excellent source of vitamin B, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. They also contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer because of their purple pigment known as betacyanin.

That being said, I give you this recipe for Sweetnick's weekly blogging healthfest known and loved (by me at least) as ARF / 5-A-Day Tuesdays that I borrowed from Mark Bittman's book that I borrowed from our local library: How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian Cooking.

Beet Roesti (From How To Cook Everything: Vegetarian Cooking)
2 pounds beets

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

SpiceDepot GrindFresh Garlic Pepper seasoning

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Non-Stick Spray

1. Trim and peel the beets.
2. Grate them in a food processor or by hand.
3. Begin preheating a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.
4. Toss the grated beets in a mixing bowl with the rosemary and Garlic Pepper.
5. Add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
6. Scrape the beet mixture into the sprayed, hot skillet, and press it down with a spatula to form a round. The pancake should be gently sizzling.
7. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Flip by sliding the roesti out onto a plate, top with another plate, and inverting.
9. Continue to cook until the second side is browned, another 10 minutes or so.
10. Cut into wedges and serve. Invert it onto a serving platter to cool completely.

As if that isn't enough veggie goodness for everyone, I made an amazing pumpkin pie today, one of the THREE Thanksgiving desserts I'll be preparing for the next two weekends! Here's the recipe for my creation:

Spicy Pumpkin Pie
12 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup shortening
4 tablespoons cold water
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tablespoon cornstarch
½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ (12 fluid ounce) can Evaporated Fat Free Milk

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Mix flour, salt, ginger and spices in a large bowl.
3. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until a coarse-meal texture forms.
4. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Add only enough water to form mixture into a ball.
6. Roll out into a circle to fit a 9” pie plate, set in pie pan.
7. Combine sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and salt in small bowl.
8. Beat egg whites until foamy in large bowl.
9. Stir in pumpkin alternately with the sugar mixture.
10. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
11. Pour into pie shell.
12. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F.
13. Bake for additional 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
14. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Refrigerate1 hour before serving.
15. Do not freeze as this will cause filling to separate from crust.