Best of Pure Green | Beet Cakes

TEXT by Jonathan MacKay | PHOTOGRAPHS by We recently made this dish again for a dinner party and I was reminded at how good it was! The beetcakes are literally exploding with flavour. The slight bitterness of the beets pairs delightfully with blue cheese and is pleasantly finished with the jalepeno cream. (Recipe download available.)

Blue Cheese Beet Cakes with Hot Pepper Cream

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We recently made this dish again for a dinner party and I was reminded at how good it was! The beetcakes are literally exploding with flavour. The slight bitterness of the beets pairs delightfully with blue cheese and is pleasantly finished with the jalepeno cream. This recipe was originally seen in Pure Green Magazine, Online Edition, Issue 6.

INGREDIENTS

Beet Cakes

4 medium-large red beets
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2/3 tsp. organic sea salt
1-1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 large sprig rosemary, finely chopped
80 grams (2.8 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup (approx.) cornmeal for crust

Hot Pepper Cream

1/4 cup organic, Mediterranean-style yogurt
1/4 cup organic mayonnaise
/2 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. organic sea salt

METHOD

Trim, wash, and finely shred beets with a grater or food processor. Combine all cake ingredients—except the cheese and the cornmeal—in a bowl and let marinate for a minimum of half an hour, stirring regularly.

Mix together the ingredients for the hot pepper cream in a small bowl. Strain the excess liquid from the beet mixture and discard. Combine mixture with the cheese.

Form a golf-ball sized portion of mixture into a cylindrical shape approximately 1 ½ inches high and 1 ½ inches in diameter. Be sure to compress the cake tightly so that it keeps its shape and removes any excess liquid.

Pour the cornmeal into a shallow dish; press the top and bottom of each cake into cornmeal and place aside. Once cakes are completed, preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and heat a small amount oil in an oven-proof frying pan. Sear one side of the cake until brown, carefully turn the cakes over, and place entire pan in the oven. Bake until cheese oozes from the sides and cakes are hot to the touch. Place them on a plate and drizzle the pepper cream on top.

Eat ‘em while they’re hot!

*Tip: When flipping anything in hot oil, make sure you flip the item, carefully, away from you so that any splash is directed toward the back of the pan. Some of the worst burns I have seen (and had) are from hot grease splashing when putting something in a pan.

RECIPE by Jonathan MacKay, PGM Food Editor

PHOTOS by Erin Monett of Ever Images Photography

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