Beets Spiced Quinoa And Yogurt Recipes

BEETS, SPICED QUINOA AND YOGURT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. In a medium saucepan or a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and add the spices. When they begin to sizzle, add the cooked quinoa. Stir together for one minute, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish, and spread in an even layer.
• Arrange the sliced beets over the quinoa. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil, cover and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until hot. Meanwhile, place the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a generous pinch of salt, and mash to a paste. Whisk or stir into the drained yogurt.
• Remove the quinoa and beets from the oven, and top with dollops of yogurt. Sprinkle with the walnuts, and serve.

QUINOA AND BEET PILAF

Steps:

• Scrub and roast the beets. Once they are cooled, remove the skins and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.
• Blanch the greens in a large pot of generously salted water or steam them above an inch of boiling water until wilted, one to two minutes. Refresh with cold water, squeeze dry and chop.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the caraway, beet greens, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir over medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute until the greens are nicely infused with the garlic and oil. Add the beets and quinoa. Toss together until the ingredients are well combined and the quinoa is heated through and colored with beet juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Transfer to a wide serving bowl or platter, and sprinkle the goat cheese over the top. Serve hot.

ROASTED BEETS WITH CHILES, GINGER, YOGURT AND INDIAN SPICES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the beets and cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss with the oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, then sprinkle with mustard seeds, coriander and cumin and roast until the beets are tender, about 15 minutes more.
• While the beets roast, prepare the dressing: using the side of a knife or mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Place yogurt in a bowl; whisk in garlic paste, jalapeño, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lime juice. Whisk in the cilantro.
• Scrape the warm beets into a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and pomegranate seeds, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

ROASTED BEETS WITH YOGURT, PISTACHIOS AND CORIANDER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the beets, halve them, then cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the beets with 2 tablespoons oil and the ground coriander on a rimmed baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper and spread out in an even layer. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until almost fully tender, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium, shaking the skillet, until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Season the yogurt with salt and pepper and spread it on a platter. Add the remaining olive oil and the balsamic to the roasted beets and toss to coat; season. Arrange the beets and their juices over the yogurt. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and toasted coriander seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CARAMELIZED BEETS WITH ORANGE-SAFFRON YOGURT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400. Put the beets into a high-sided baking pan, so that they fit together relatively snugly. Cut off the top of the head of garlic and place it, cut side up, in one corner of the pan. Mix together 1 cup oil and the butter and drizzle it over the beets and garlic. Cover the tray tightly with aluminum foil and roast for approximately 1 hour, or until the beets are soft when pierced with a knife and the garlic is soft and caramelized.
• Remove the beets and garlic from the oven and allow to sit until the beets are cool enough to handle, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Lift them out of the oil, peel and discard the skin and place them in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil from the baking pan. Mix well and set aside.
• Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin and into a small bowl. Roughly mash with the back of a fork before adding the yogurt, saffron threads and water, the lemon juice, orange zest and a pinch of salt. Stir well and place in the refrigerator until needed.
• Place a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When it shimmers, add the almonds and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring and tossing frequently, until they begin to turn golden. Add the red pepper flakes and the orange juice and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated, approximately 30 seconds. Spoon the nuts onto a wide plate and set aside to cool.
• When you are ready to serve, spoon the yogurt onto a large serving plate and spread it out slightly. Top with the beets, making sure that you can still see yogurt at the edges. Sprinkle the almonds over the top, then the basil, and serve.