Okay, you may like beets but be a little shy of actually cooking with them. Try this appetizer--it's one you can make ahead and assemble when you want to serve it. A couple of things raise this appetizer to a foodgasmic level. First, it's poaching the roasted beet slices in champagne wine vinegar and agave. Then, serving it on a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction just takes it over the top.
Give this a try and let me know what you think of it.
Mini Beet Napoleons
Makes
about 15 mini napoleons
INGREDIENTS
1 large red beet
1 large golden beet
½ cup agave
½ cup champagne vinegar
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped chives
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Dash kosher salt
1 ½ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beets
Cut off green tops of one large red beet and one large
orange beet. Wash. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and totally wrap each
beat in a sheet of foil. Place on baking pan and put in oven for 45-60 minutes.
Check beet for doneness by inserting a knife into heart of the beet. When beet
is tender, remove from oven, carefully unwrap and let cool for 10 or 15 minutes.
When beets are cool, peel them. Slice beets thin,
approximately ¼-inch slices.
Bring the agave and champagne vinegar to boil in small
saucepan. Lower to a simmer and poach beet slices for a minute. Remove with
slotted spoon and drain on baking tray. Cover and refrigerate till cool.
Balsamic
Reduction
In small saucepan heat balsamic vinegar over medium high
heat until reduced by half and moderately thick. Keep an eye on it so it
doesn’t boil over or burn. Set aside and let cool. The balsamic reduction will
thicken more as it cools.
Cheese
Filling
Mix together two cheeses either by hand or with a mixer. Mix
in the fresh herbs, dash salt and ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Using
a rubber spatula, spoon cheese mixture into a piping bag with a large holed tip.
(If you don’t have a piping bag, a plastic baggie can be used instead and just
cut off the tip after the bag has been filled.)
ASSEMBLY
Spread out the chilled slices of beets on a cutting board. Season
with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper. Using a small bite-sized round (or
other fun shape) cookie cutter and cut out rounds from both the red and golden
beets. Make sure to do the golden beets first as the red beets will bleed their
color onto the cutter. Make the napoleons by layering the beets in alternating
colors or all the same as you choose. Put on beet slice down, pipe a little
cheese mixture, put another beet slice on top and pipe some more cheese mixture
and put a final beet slice on top. Skewer from the top with a decorative
toothpick.
For the presentation, drizzle with a spoon a little of the
balsamic reduction in a decorative pattern on a plate. Place skewered beet napoleons
on the plate. Serve and enjoy.
Watch the recent segment on WCIU.
Watch the recent segment on WCIU.
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