Katie's Beet Brownies

You may remember that a few weeks back, I was talking about beet burgers and Katie Drexler commented about a recipe for Beet Brownies.

Despite the horrified protestations of certain unnamed cafe hosts, Katie persevered. Earlier this week, she surprised me with an email about the brownies.

She was gracious enough to allow me to share her recipe and her thoughts.

First, here's a link to the recipe she used.

Don't these beet brownie stars look pretty?

Here's what Katie had to say:

Made them tonight and a couple things to note the texture isn't exactly like normal brownies, but it is still good. I also only used 1/3 of a cup chocolate chips instead of a half and didn't use the coffee. When they are warm the beet is more noticeable, but once they cool the chocolate takes over. This suggests to bake the beets and then remove the skin. It works, but the beets might need more time then she says to get soft. 

These are some photos of Katie's batter and brownies. 

Katie shared this photo because she thinks the batter looks pretty. I agree!

Her verdict: They are kind of like red velvet brownies. 

What do you think?

And if you looked at the recipe, did you see the link for Parsnip Cake? I have to admit, when she described it as similar to carrot cake, I was hooked. I'll get back to you on that one.

Thanks, Katie, for sharing your baking.


In other exciting news -

My new collection is LIVE and we've gotten some really nice reviews so far.

Faithful Women: Legacies of Grace

Hello Again ... Cooking for One

Hi Cafe folk,

Before I start today's post, I have to give a big ole shout out to my friends here at the Cafe for filling in for me for the past few months. These ladies have been so amazing and supportive, and I am forever grateful for their friendship and love. Thank you Jan, Mindy, Missy, and Ruthy!

For those of you who don't know, back in February, my husband suddenly took ill. After about 3 weeks of false starts, the diagnosis of a very aggressive cancer took our breath away. Just about two months after that - three months almost to the hour I first called the ambulance - on May 21st, my husband was called home.

I'm still reeling from the suddenness of the loss, but it's time to ease my way back into life. That means resuming my hostessing duties here at the Cafe.  The only problem is - cooking for one just hasn't been inspiring me much.

Unfortunately, our summer heat wave doesn't really inspire either.

But a woman does have to eat something other than pizza (though I could happily eat pizza every day!).

One thing I've begun to do is cook something that can be frozen for future meals. So, I thought I'd share a recipe today that my daughter and I made for 4th of July.

Way back in May of 2016, I shared my love of the Beet Burgers I'd first enjoyed at the Marriott during RWA 2015 in NYC.  You can read that post here.

So how ironic is it that I finally got around to sharing a really fabulous version that I loved as much as those burgers just as everyone is gathering for RWA 18 in Denver.

Okay, so what that really tells you is I'm a snail when it comes to trying out recipes.

But the real reason it took so long is that no matter how many beet burger recipes I looked at, none of them looked like they'd be right. They all had quinoa or brown rice and I just knew that wouldn't be the same consistency.

So this summer, when my vegan daughter decided to humor her mom and make beet burgers as the red in our red, white and blue meal, she found a recipe that looked promising.

To give credit where credit is due, I'll just post a link to the recipe. It's so simple and has only 4 main ingredients plus spices and water.

Power Hungry Beet Burgers

(Her pictures are much more appetizing than mine, too, so I encourage you to go check out the link even if you don't love beets as much as I do. Go ahead, I'll still be here when you come back.)

The recipe was FABULOUS (despite the fact that I broke the food processor as I started and had to do it in batches in the mini-Cuisinart).

Don't be put off by the coconut flour. It was PERFECT. The burgers were moist and juice and the spices made them pop with flavor.


So these are my photos. Don't you just have to admit that the beets look gorgeous? So jewel-like.

Blending the black beans and roasted mushrooms.

Mixing it all together.

Next time I'll make fewer patties and make each one larger.

These froze really well. In fact, I'm having one tonight as I type this. I added slices of avocado and served it on a Hawaiian roll which is appropriate since I first learned of them from Missy!

So yes, the one with the weird recipes is back. I've missed you all!

A Winter Salad

It's the dead of winter here, and I've been craving something green and healthy.

But when we went to the green market last weekend, there was not much to be had. Compare these images with the thriving market of last summer.

The hardy farmers get credit for coming each week. So far the only day they closed was when the wind chills were well below zero and ice and snow were in the forecast.



You might notice the wool market. I'll bet that's popular in the winter.


















I'd read somewhere recently that kale was helpful in boosting your immune system. Given that I work in a school, a strong immune system is a particularly good thing.

So I had this idea.

I had a bag of Glory kale which I boiled briefly - just enough to take off the raw edge and make it more chewable. The kale is also hardy enough to stand up to the rest of the ingredients -

A glorious beet

A pumello that I'd been waiting to eat

and some lentils for protein. And Voila! A beautiful winter salad.

What do you eat when you're craving something healthy and fresh when there's not much fresh available?

Differentiating Meals

There's this thing in education - one of the newer fads, if you will, called differentiating instruction.

In theory, it's great. It's basically grouping within a class, but not calling it grouping and actually creating the groups based on interests, learning styles, talents, etc.

I say in theory because every teacher I have ever spoken to about this says it is way too much work to have it happen on a regular basis in a self-contained class. Sort of like creating separate lesson plans for each lesson for each child in your class. Um, nice - in theory.

In reality, we modify it.

It occurred to me that differentiation is rather similar to cooking meals for my family. I start with a base and then change it up to meet preferences.

Just like education today is not the way it was when I was in school, my meal prep is nothing like my mother's.  She was of the I cooked it, you eat it mindset. I have too many horrific memories of struggling to swallow tongue. I just cannot inflict that on my family.

Today's recipe comes via just such a differentiated meal.

My husband was having flank steak. I really wanted a salad that had beets. So I improvised.


 I took some of the flank steak

and simmered it in horseradish sauce.

 I had some beets that I'd cooked and then frozen. I'd planned to use them in a smoothie, but I had the sudden inspiration that they would taste good in my salad.

You can still see the ice in this photo.

The icy beets were delicious.

I plated it with the greens in the middle with the horseradish steak on top. The horseradish acted as a dressing. Then I arranged the beets and slices of orange.

Really, all very delicious. This is definitely a salad I will make again. The flavors really blended together well.

So, the sad news around here is Fenway busted something in his other leg. I fear it's another ripped ACL. We're off to see the surgeon this afternoon.

He is such a sad pup tonight.

But earlier today, something he was dreaming had him happy!

So, what is dinner time like at your house? Do you "differentiate" or "make 'em eat tongue?"

A Tale of Two Daughters - and some lentils

I've been trying to eat more fresh foods, mostly plant-based, for a couple of reasons related to health and optimal weight. So last night I made a delicious recipe I'll share below.


I messaged a photo to one daughter and she said - Oh, that looks delicious.

I sent it to the other one and she said, "I can't say it photographs well." So I sent another photo and got back, "Still not my kind of meal. I had chicken."

I raised them both!

The one who ate chicken - she lived on blueberries and green peppers during one childhood stage. She's now the carnivore. She was bragging about the chili she made the other night that was beef, beans, and cheese. 3 proteins  - nothing extra - and she loved it.

The other one became a vegan in college. Her food is healthy and wholesome, but so low in calories that it can't put weight on a bird.

Did I mention I raised them both?

On to the recipe -

Last time I was in Whole Foods I noticed something new to me - black lentils. They're called the 'caviar of lentils' probably more for their color than anything else.  It certainly wasn't price - the whole bag was just $2.99.

I looked over some recipes, but then I had an idea -

I baked a sweet potato.

I cooked the lentils separately (boil for 20 minutes)

I roasted and shredded a beet.

Then I layered - the way all the finest restaurants do, right?

A squeeze of fresh orange over the top was the perfect moisture and unifying flavor. Oh, and I added some strips of Swiss Chard.

So tell me about your families. Do the family members share the same taste in foods?

Beets 101

Before we get to our regularly scheduled blog post....

Order here!

Congratulations to our own Ruthy! "Refuge of the Heart" has won the Maggie award in the inspirational category! Yay, Ruthy!


Now we get back to the beets. Why beets?

For one thing, I happen to love them. :)

Second, they're versatile. You can pickle them, fry them, make a casserole out of them...and the greens are the best part! Similar to spinach or swiss chard.

Third, they're very healthy. An "excellent" or "very good" source of manganese, folate, copper, and potassium. They're also high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Plus a whole slew of other great stuff. Remember that we've been taught to eat colorful vegetables? Beets are about as colorful as they get with their deep red color.

Fourth, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Katie, brought some home from her mother's garden last week. :)

The first step in any beet recipe is to cook them. I washed them, pricked holes in them with a fork, and then roasted them at 300° for about 2 1/2 hours.

Once they're roasted and cooled, you can peel and slice them.

Now that you've reached this point, you can use them in just about any recipe under the sun.

I decided to try them in a casserole, similar to something my grandmother might have made with beets out of her garden.


Beet Casserole

ingredients:

about 3 cups beets, cooked, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
pinch salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

more butter
plain bread crumbs

Make a white sauce with the butter, flour, milk and salt. If you aren't sure how to make a white sauce, go here: Basic White Sauce

Once the white sauce is made, add the brown sugar and stir in. Enjoy the light brown color - it will soon be pink!

Stir the white sauce into the sliced beets and place in a casserole dish. I used an 8" x 8" baking dish.

Top with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and dot with butter...

Then bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Serve this as a vegetable side dish for an autumn treat. :)

Speaking of autumn, we've been enjoying fabulous fall weather here in the Black Hills!

Beautiful blue skies, warm temperatures, and golden aspens!

Nothing like three years ago this weekend...

That's when winter storm Atlas decided to pay us a visit! You can read all about that storm here.

But there's a funny thing about living in the western plains - you get used to huge and quick weather changes.

We spent Saturday at Devils Tower in 80° weather.

Gorgeous. Even the climbers thought so.

Can't see them? Let's try a closer shot.

But in October there's a different feeling in the air than in the middle of the summer. We may have been in the 80's over the weekend, but by Tuesday our highs will be in the 50's and lows in the 30's.

Even the animals feel it. Have you ever seen such a fat prairie dog?

So we prepare, even on days like Saturday. The ranchers pull their cattle in to the winter pastures. I take the fall inventory of our pantry. We gather in, batten down, store away, and button up.

Because you never know when the temperatures will drop, the wind will howl, and you will glad of the fire in the stove!

Are you getting ready for winter yet?

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com