A Beet 2 for 1 and Healthy Chicken Patties
A good friend of mine is on a strict eating plan with restrictions that are not at all how I normally cook. It is probably my biggest challenge to date; creating a few dishes that taste good but fit within the dietary requirements. I had quite a few beets from my most recent FarmLink delivery; I love them roasted but since I had enough for two methods, I decided to roast them all and pickle half of them.
Here's the pickling brine cast. I replaced sugar with granular Swerve and used half the salt the recipe required.
Here's the star of the show. I gave them a good scrub and left them untrimmed so they wouldn't leak red juice all over the place. I did cut the largest one in half though.
I decided to treat them like potatoes so I pricked each beet with a fork to let the steam out and then bundled them into a foil package. I punched a few holes to let steam escape the package as well.
In the meantime I got the brine started. Equal parts water to apple cider vinegar.
Swerve is a one to one replacement so a full 1/3 cup.
The recipe called for ground mustard, which I put in, but since I also had mustard seeds, I put in about 1/4 of a teaspoon.
I brought the brine to a boil (Tom did not appreciate the sharp vinegar smell that permeated the kitchen) and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then I added some black peppercorns. I put it aside to cool.
The beets took about 70 minutes to cook. I let them cool out of their foil wrapping for a few minutes and then peeled them under cold running water. I still had to use a paring knife to get some of the stuck-on bits.
That color! When I was a kid, "beets" meant the canned stuff. I didn't have fresh beets till I was an adult. What a difference!
I sliced about half of them and layered the slices into a pint-sized Mason jar. Half the brine was sufficient to cover it. Because this is a refrigerator pickle, it's important to cover the beets in brine completely. I put a top on and let it stand for a bit before I put it in the fridge.
I didn't want to waste the other half of the brine so I added more sweetener in it to make it a sweet-tart liquid, then I added Japanese chili powder and minced garlic. I sliced up the cucumber and placed them in a colander with about a teaspoon of Kosher salt and lots of ice. I put a heavy bowl on them and let them sit for about 15 minutes to get some of the extra liquid out. I rinsed the cucumbers thoroughly and when I finished draining them, they were very mildly salted. I layered them into a jar and covered them with the rest of the brine.
I cut the rest of the beets into chunks. I may have eaten a couple.
I made a paste of avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, coarsely ground black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and turmeric. I tossed the beet chunks with the mixture until the pieces were coated and popped that into the fridge.
The chicken patties are so easy! Here's the cast.
It's one of those dump-all-the-ingredients-into-a-bowl-and-combine recipes. I used 1/3 the amount of salt the recipe called for and added dried cumin and coriander as well.
I formed the mixture into four patties and cooked them in a nonstick pan with very little avocado oil. Cook about 5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 4-5 minutes more.
And there they are!
So far my friend said he ate a chicken patty with some of the roasted and pickled beets and really enjoyed them. Looking forward to having a rotation of dishes that I can cook for him from time to time! The coolest thing though is Eric and I got to witness my friend's proposal to his longtime sweetheart and one of my best friends! Truly the best of 2020 so far!
Since I didn't taste the chicken patty, I can't rate the flavor but for ease and versatility, it's a 5!
I did taste the pickle brine a few times to adjust sweetening and spice. It was ok but I think it needs a few tweaks.
Here are the promised links:
Easy Refrigerator Beets
Healthy Chicken Burgers
Here's the pickling brine cast. I replaced sugar with granular Swerve and used half the salt the recipe required.
Here's the star of the show. I gave them a good scrub and left them untrimmed so they wouldn't leak red juice all over the place. I did cut the largest one in half though.
I decided to treat them like potatoes so I pricked each beet with a fork to let the steam out and then bundled them into a foil package. I punched a few holes to let steam escape the package as well.
In the meantime I got the brine started. Equal parts water to apple cider vinegar.
Swerve is a one to one replacement so a full 1/3 cup.
The recipe called for ground mustard, which I put in, but since I also had mustard seeds, I put in about 1/4 of a teaspoon.
I brought the brine to a boil (Tom did not appreciate the sharp vinegar smell that permeated the kitchen) and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then I added some black peppercorns. I put it aside to cool.
The beets took about 70 minutes to cook. I let them cool out of their foil wrapping for a few minutes and then peeled them under cold running water. I still had to use a paring knife to get some of the stuck-on bits.
That color! When I was a kid, "beets" meant the canned stuff. I didn't have fresh beets till I was an adult. What a difference!
I sliced about half of them and layered the slices into a pint-sized Mason jar. Half the brine was sufficient to cover it. Because this is a refrigerator pickle, it's important to cover the beets in brine completely. I put a top on and let it stand for a bit before I put it in the fridge.
I didn't want to waste the other half of the brine so I added more sweetener in it to make it a sweet-tart liquid, then I added Japanese chili powder and minced garlic. I sliced up the cucumber and placed them in a colander with about a teaspoon of Kosher salt and lots of ice. I put a heavy bowl on them and let them sit for about 15 minutes to get some of the extra liquid out. I rinsed the cucumbers thoroughly and when I finished draining them, they were very mildly salted. I layered them into a jar and covered them with the rest of the brine.
I cut the rest of the beets into chunks. I may have eaten a couple.
I made a paste of avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, coarsely ground black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and turmeric. I tossed the beet chunks with the mixture until the pieces were coated and popped that into the fridge.
The chicken patties are so easy! Here's the cast.
It's one of those dump-all-the-ingredients-into-a-bowl-and-combine recipes. I used 1/3 the amount of salt the recipe called for and added dried cumin and coriander as well.
I formed the mixture into four patties and cooked them in a nonstick pan with very little avocado oil. Cook about 5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 4-5 minutes more.
And there they are!
So far my friend said he ate a chicken patty with some of the roasted and pickled beets and really enjoyed them. Looking forward to having a rotation of dishes that I can cook for him from time to time! The coolest thing though is Eric and I got to witness my friend's proposal to his longtime sweetheart and one of my best friends! Truly the best of 2020 so far!
Since I didn't taste the chicken patty, I can't rate the flavor but for ease and versatility, it's a 5!
Easy Refrigerator Beets
Healthy Chicken Burgers
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