How to Hasselbeck Anything
Braised Beets
4-6 medium-sized beets, tops and tails removed
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Place the beets in a roasting dish and fill with water 1/3 of the way up the beets. Add a generous 3-4 glugs of oil, and 2-3 generous pinches of salt and pepper. Roll the beets around, so that they’ve been coated on all sides, then cover with parchment paper and tinfoil.
Cook for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven, carefully pull back the tinfoil and roll the beets so that the side that was submerged in the liquid is above the surface. Recover and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, until a chef’s knife can easily slide through the center of the beets. (Adjust cook time based on the size of the beets.)
Carefully peel back foil and parchment and use tongs to transfer the beets to a plate or dish to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins with your hands, wearing gloves to prevent your hands from staining, if you wish.
Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Cooked Amaranth
1 cup dry amaranth
In a small pot, combine the amaranth with 3 cups liquid over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender and have a glossy sheen (somewhat gelatinous), about 25 - 30 minutes.
Amaranth Crackers
Makes 18 crackers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 batch cooked amaranth (see above)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional spices, nuts, seeds
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. With a silicon, rubber or small offsetspatula, evenly distribute 1 tablespoon of the olive oil onto the parchment paper. Drop 9tablespoons amaranth evenly spaced and use the spatula, coated with olive oil, to spread the amaranth in a very thin layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other spices, nuts, seeds.
Bake until the crackers lift up from the parchment paper and are golden brown, around 35 minutes, then flip over and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to crisp up the middles.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Almond Crusted Maple Dijon Salmon
4 portions salmon
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons darkest maple syrup
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together all of the liquid ingredients in a baking dish. Add the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then spoon some sauce evenly on top. Top with an even layer of the nuts.
Bake until fish bounces back when pressed with your finger. For extra browning, finish under the broiler.
Apple Cider Reduction
Adapted from Katherine Deumling, Cook With What You Have
Add to salad dressings, yogurt, smoothies – wherever you’d like a tangy sweetener.
Makes 2 cups
1 gallon apple cider or unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice
In a large pot or saucepan bring the cider to a boil. Boil rapidly, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced to approximately two cups of syrup and the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This can take 40 to 90 minutes depending on the size of your cooking vessel, the power of your stove, etc.
When slightly cooled, pour into jars (I use half-pint jam jars) and refrigerate or freeze when cool. Keeps for six months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.
We roasted maitake mushrooms, whole carrots, kabocha squash, delicata squash, Asian pear and we braised beets.
Roasted Radicchio + Radish with Pomegranate and Balsamic Reduction (or this brand Balsamic Vinegar)
1 large head radicchio, sliced through the core into wedges
2 medium watermelon radishes or 5 breakfast radishes, sliced into thin rounds or wedges
3 - 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons balsamic reduction
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Fresh herbs like mint, dill, parsley roughly chopped to garnish (optional_
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the radicchio on a rimmed baking sheet and use your hands to gently coat the radicchio with an even layer of olive oil . Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Cook for 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of the wedges, removing from the oven and flipping once when you see the leaves starting to wilt and turn brown.
Use another rimmed baking sheet and do the same with the radish.
Transfer the vegetables to a platter or plates and drizzle with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with pomegranate and herbs if you are using.