Unveiling beets' potential: The versatile roasted spread
This is one of my favourite autumn specialties. In the meantime, I often prepare the pink paste, and the result exceeds expectations. It's a splendid way to serve ordinary sandwiches in an extraordinary fashion.
We know beets are incredibly healthy, but we're not entirely aware of their culinary possibilities. Perhaps that's why we seldom choose them, often limited to using them in borscht. Beets are marvellous, as they retain their beneficial properties during heat processing. Thus, they can be baked or boiled and enjoyed in various ways. One such way is to bake the colourful bulbs and prepare a delicious and healthy sandwich spread (but not only for sandwiches).
Roasted beet spread - how to use it in the kitchen?
The roasted beet spread tastes delightful on its own—simply spread it on a crispy, toasted slice of bread. It also makes a superb addition to hard-boiled or fried eggs, various cold cuts, and bread. The pink beet spread complements egg paste beautifully—mix it with chopped eggs, mayonnaise, and horseradish for a colourful and tasty sandwich filling.
The roasted beet spread is a fantastic ingredient in vegetable (and not only) tortillas. It's also worth mixing it with yogurt and smoked fish (and a dash of mustard) for a healthy snack with bread or vegetable sticks. Moreover, roasted beet spread shares a few similarities with... pesto. By adding more sunflower seeds and a bit of feta or ricotta, you can create a divine accompaniment for pasta.
Roasted beet spread. Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-sized beets,
- 1 large head of garlic,
- half a cup of shelled sunflower seeds,
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
- 4-5 tablespoons olive oil,
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill,
- salt, pepper to taste.
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Scrub the beets, but do not peel them, then wrap them tightly in aluminium foil.
- Wrap the unpeeled head of garlic in foil as well.
- Place the prepared vegetables on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Remove the garlic after about 30 minutes and the beets after about 60 minutes (check earlier with a skewer to see if they are soft).
- Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan until they are golden, then set them aside to cool.
- Peel and cut the roasted beets. Add the roasted garlic, toasted sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped dill, and salt and pepper to them.
- Blend everything into a smooth, thick paste. Additionally, season to taste if necessary.
