herbed beets and onion rarebit

believe it or not, this is the first beet dish i've made this season! like me, you may be sceptical of beets and cottage cheese, but this combo was awesome - i wish i had more left overs!

herbed beets:

bunch small beets, tops trimmed

bunch of fresh thyme

bunch each of fresh tarragon and basil, roughly chopped

swig of red wine vinegar

swig of olive oil

salt and pepper

clean and trim the beets. rub a little olive oil of the outside of each beet and tuck them alongside full sprigs of fresh thyme into an envelope of foil. place the foil on a baking sheet or pan, so that any juices don't spill out. roast beets at 400 for about 1 hour or until fork tender.

while the beets are roasting, chop up your tarragon and basil and mix in a medium size bowl with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. set aside. once the beets are finished, let cool completely and then peel each beet (i like to gently scrape off the skip with a knife, or use my fingers to peel it off). slice each beet thinly and toss into herbed vinegar... let the mixture chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

cottage cheese dressing:

4 large tablespoons small-curd cottage cheese

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

drizzle of olive oil

combine all ingredients in a small bowl, allowing the oil and lemon juice to create a marbled look in the cottage cheese. delicious on any type of salad, but absolutely stunning on roasted beets!

red onion rarebit:

2 thick slices of rustic, crunchy-crusted bread

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup creme fraiche (or a few tablespoons of sour cream could probably work too)

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

pinch of chili flakes

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (i have a vegan version in the fridge)

preheat your broiler. while it is warming, sautee onions on the stove top with a little bit of oil until nice and caramelized! set to the side to cool. mix yolk and creme fraiche together until smooth - then fold in cheddar, chili, worcestershire and finally the cooled sauteed onions. lightly toast each side of the bread slices... then smother one side with the cheese & onion mixture (spreading all the way to the edges of the bread, so that they don't burn). broil on a baking sheet for a few minutes until bubbling and brown. i found the under side to be a little too soggy so i threw it on a hot skillet for a minute like a grilled cheese until it was crisped!

this is the perfect treat to pare with a good brewski. you can credit welsh folks for this gourmet cheese toast.

... recipes from "jamie at home"

back to cookin'

it's been much too long since i've last been able to post! not that i haven't been cooking up a storm every week, but ever since moving into our new digs, i haven't been able to get any natural light to shoot my photography with. so i finally called on a photographer friend to help me solve some of my lighting problems. here is my first attempt at using white boards to bounce my flash off of and onto the food. tricky! hope to be posting more recipes and photos soon!

on another note... you may have noticed i've introduced sea food back into my diet! my reasons for being vegetarian were primarily based on environmentalist concerns. fish however, can becaught sustainably (woo!)... and luckily for me, seattle has an abundance of local sea food! additionally, i wanted to incorporate more protein, amino acids, and good fats into my diet to sustain me in my overly active lifestyle.

pacific black cod, crunchy veggie wraps & buttermilk avocado dressing

for the fish...

simply slice small portion sized fillets, brush with olive oil and top with thin slices of lemon & black pepper. bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes. black cod is incredibly moist, so if you prefer you fish a little more firm, first fry top side of fillet in pan with olive oil and then return to oven.

for the veggie wraps...

simple salad of:

1 bunch radishes

1 crisp apple

1 cucumber, seeds removed

1 yellow pepper

1 cup black beans

fresh basil or cilantro

lemon juice

mix thinly sliced vegetables & apple together with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and herbs. serve inside lettuce or endive wraps and secure with one long chive tied in a knot!

for the dressing...

in a blender or food processor, blend:

1 or 2 avocados (depending on how thick you want your dressing)

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, pepper

this was excellent inside the wraps and also for dipping home made pita chips into!