Praise the paleo gods for this red velvet cupcake recipe, which takes the grain, gluten, refined sugar, and low-quality oil out of the mix while keeping the cupcakes moist, fluffy texture and delicious in taste.

You can enjoy more of what you like – sweet anything – without the intense sugar rush or pounds-packing ingredients. You can even get a vegetable serving (hello, beets) out of these cupcakes!

Paleo Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Makes 24

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 2 medium beets
• 3 organic pasture-raised eggs
• 1 cup melted coconut oil1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the frosting

• 2 (BPA-free) cans coconut milk, refrigerated
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Dash of sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them into the oven. Cook for one hour. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and remove the beets from the oven.

Let the beets cool at room temperature. Once cool, use clean hands to peel/rub off the beet skins. Chop the roasted beets and puree them in a food processor or high-speed blender. To the beet puree, add eggs, coconut oil, applesauce, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the remaining cupcake ingredients. Fold the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture until evenly combined.

Fit 24 muffin tin cups with paper or silicon liners and fill each evenly with the red velvet cake batter. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Scoop only the firm part of the canned coconut milk into a food processor or blender. (Save the liquid for a smoothie or soup.) Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. Pour the mixture into a tin bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator to set and thicken further.

Once the cupcake have cooked and cooled to room temperature, lather each with the frosting. Serve and enjoy!

Related on EcoSalon
21 Most Ridiculous Cupcakes
Vegan This: Vanilla Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery
Vegan Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe

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This beetroot and barley burger recipe is a sight for sore eyes and a delicious version of plant-based alternatives to a fast-food classic.

The color is vibrant, the texture meaty, and the taste indulgent. This vegan burger uses the bulk of barley to give the patties shape. The beetroot adds a tender consistency, while the nuts and seeds add an element of earthiness to each bite. Spiced with paprika, cumin, and black pepper, the resulting burger patty is reminiscent of the original, only without the cow flesh.

There’s plenty of room for variation in this burger recipe, particularly in how you dress it up in the bun. I personally like to serve the beetroot and barley patty on a layer of whole-grain bun and then top it with a layer each of avocado, tomato, red onion, and mustard. Have fun with presentation, especially if guests are over.

Beetroot and Barley Burger Recipe

Makes 6 patties

Ingredients

• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup flaxseeds
• 2 cups grated fresh beetroot
• 1 ½ cups cooked barley
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grate the beetroot and place it into a nut milk bag or some kind of sieve to squeeze out the excess liquid. Beware: your nut milk bag may get stained!

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir and cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the paprika, cumin, and pepper. Stir and cook for another two to three minutes.

Toss the almonds, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds into a food processor and pulse a few times. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Into the food processor, add the cooked barley, half of the grated beetroot, and salt. Blend until the mixture resembles a thick purée. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the seed and nut mixture as well as the remaining beetroot. Fold the mixture together until evenly combined.

Form six patties and place them on a greased baking sheet. Pop the sheet into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the patties are cooked throughout and lightly browned.

Serve each patty in between a bun and garnish with your favorite burger add-ins. Enjoy!

Related on EcoSalon
Make, Eat, Repeat: Vegan Grilled Veggie Burger Recipe
White Bean and Sweet Potato Grilled Veggie Burger Recipe
Zucchini Patties Recipe with Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

The post Spiced Vegan Beetroot and Barley Burger Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Indulge in root vegetables with this vegan beet and turnip gratin recipe.

Beetroot and turnips deserve more credit than they often get. Tough when raw, but once cooked, each offer tender, and comforting textures reminiscent of the white potato. Meanwhile, their natural sugars emerge and provide an overtone of sweetness that delights the senses, even when the dish is overall savory. Turnips have a definitive peppery taste and beets, an earthy one. Together, they balance one another and make for both a delicious and eye-catching gratin without the heavy creams and cheeses of traditional gratins. Enjoy!

Beet and Turnip Gratin Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound beets
• 1 ½ pounds turnips
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, separated from stem
• 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel the root vegetables. Cut them into thin slices and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange the beet and turnip slices in a cast iron skillet. Arrange slices in a side-by-side pattern with slight overlapping that rotates with the shape of the skillet and creates layers.

In a separate skillet over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil, onion, and thyme. Cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the orange juice, salt, and peppers. Stir for another few minutes and then pour the mixture over the beet and turnip gratin.

Cover the gratin and bake for one hour. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let the beet and turnip gratin cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, extra fresh thyme, and a squeeze of orange juice for extra flavor.

Related on EcoSalon

Vegan Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe
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Heirloom Tomato And Summer Squash Gratin

Beet and Turnip Gratin Image from Shutterstock

The post Vegan Beet and Turnip Gratin with Thyme and Extra Pepper appeared first on EcoSalon.

Be prepared for a pair of beautifully stained magenta lips after eating this! This Russian-inspired ice pop recipe is also full of health benefits. It’s easiest to use fresh store-bought beet juice but you can make your own, of course. If you do, be sure to keep the skins on when you run them through the juicer, since that is where most of the nutrients are stored.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups fresh beet juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
generous 1 cup sour cream

Directions

Mix together the beet and lemon juices and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the sour cream until well blended.

Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving 1/4.-inch at the top to let the mixture expand when it freezes. Insert the ice pop sticks and freeze.

Reprinted with permission from “Ice Pops” published in 2015 by Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. © Cesar and Nadia Roden. Photography by Adam Slama

Related on EcoSalon

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The post Beet and Sour Cream Ice Pop Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

This spicy stew recipe is packed with protein from black beans and amaranth grain.

Red peppers, beets and cilantro add color and flavor.  This special grain (technically a seed) was famously cultivated by the Aztecs and the nutritional benefits of amaranth are outstanding. Similar to quinoa, these tiny beads of protein fluff up when simmered in water in with a short cooking time. Amaranth is gluten-free and can have up to 8 grams of protein per serving.

Like quinoa, amaranth can be bitter if not rinsed properly so make sure to soak the amaranth grain in a bowl of water for a minute before cooking. When cooked the consistency can be more gelatinous than quinoa and takes some getting used to. To get all the nutritional benefits without sacrificing flavor, throw some amaranth into a spicy black bean stew. Don’t forget to pre-soak the black beans overnight!

Amaranth is available in most health food stores and or online, but quinoa makes a suitable substitute for this recipe.

Mexican Black Bean Stew Recipe with Amaranth Grain

Serves 8 

Ingredients 

4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups dried black beans (soak overnight in 4 cups of water)
2 large tomatoes
1 cup amaranth
1/2 + 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow beet, peeled and chopped (red is fine in a pinch)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 dried ancho chili (or New Mexican red chili)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 shishito peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoon smoky hot sauce (like Buffalo or Tabasco)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Directions 

First, soak the black beans overnight in a large pot covered by 2 inches of water. Rinse the beans a few times in cold water just before use and place the pot with the beans, 1 teaspoon salt and 4 cups of fresh water on the stove. Cover, cook over high heat until the water boils, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, then drain beans and set aside.

Roughly chop the tomatoes on a dinner plate and slide all of the pieces, juices and seeds into a bowl. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, smash the mixture until you have only small 1-inch pieces floating in tomato juice.

Rinse the amaranth in a small bowl under cold water. Add 1 cup amaranth to 3 cups water in a saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Set aside.

In a large pot with a lid or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chopped beets, shishito and red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 5 minutes then add the cumin and crumble the chili into the pot, discarding the stem. Add the tomatoes and juice to the pot and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the black beans and vegetable broth to the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Then add the amaranth, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Add the hot sauce just before serving and place a few slices of avocado and a sprinkle of cilantro in each bowl.

Related on Eco Salon

Easy Mexican Turkey Soup

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Amaranth Fruit Cereal

Photos by Ally-Jane 

The post Vegan Mexican Black Bean Stew Recipe with Amaranth appeared first on EcoSalon.

Beets are one of my favorite root vegetables to work with. They also taste quite unlike anything else, a mixture of sugary and earthy, making them ideal for both sweet and savory dishes. 

Beets are blood cleansers, packed with vitamins and minerals and actually considered a natural aphrodisiac [PDF]. Flavor and health benefits aside, beets give the most incredible color to any dish they are in. This beets recipe for a savory dip is infused with the deep flavor of roasted garlic and softened with the cooling, creamy backdrop of thick coconut milk. 

You can pair this beets recipe with roasted pita bread (whole-wheat or whole-grain, preferably), crackers or vegetable crudités. You could also use it as a condiment in sandwiches or just do as I do and eat by the spoonful as a snack to curb hunger. Enjoy!

DIY Dip: Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch (about 5 individual) beets
• 1 head garlic
• 1 cup thick coconut milk (or unsweetened coconut milk yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scrub beets until clean (they can sometimes be quite dirty). Cut off the stems so only stubs remain (don’t throw beet greens away, they’re delicious too!). Cut 1 centimeter off the top of a head of garlic. Place beets and garlic on a cooking tray lined with parchment paper. Pop into the oven for about 1 hour. The garlic will cook more quickly, so you can remove that after about 30 minutes – keep an eye on the garlic head so that it doesn’t burn.

Remove beets from the oven and let cool so that you can comfortably touch them with your hands. Remove the skins from all beets. Then squeeze one end of the head of the garlic so that the individual cloves slip out from the cut end. Place both the beets and garlic into a food processor. Blend until smooth.

In a bowl, add the coconut milk and fold into the beet mixture, salt, pepper, and dill, reserving a teaspoon of the dill for presentation later. Fold the mixture together until evenly combined. Serve with the remaining dill as a garnish.

Related on EcoSalon:

A Spring Delight: Cumin Spiced Beet Salad Recipe

Recipe: Vegan White Cheese Party Dip

Recipe: French Lentil Dip

Photo Credit: Dag Endresen

The post DIY Dip: Vegan Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

The unmistakeable sweetness of beets, paired with the spice of cumin and red pepper, make this salad recipe one for all seasons.

In addition to the warm heat of cumin, I use crushed red pepper flakes to add a little fire to this colorful salad. The contrast between the sweet beets and hot pepper is addictive. I wear rubber gloves when handling beets to prevent my hands from staining; the ruby red spots can last for days!

Serves 6 to 8

 Ingredients

4 large beets, stem and roots removed, well scrubbed
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons cumin powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the unpeeled beets in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Drain and cool for 10 minutes.

Wearing gloves if you like, peel the skins from the beets (they should come off easily). Slice thinly. (I use a crinkle cutter knife that creates zigzag slices.) In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, cumin, and pepper flakes. Place the beets in a large bowl, pour the dressing over, and toss to coat thoroughly. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature. The salad can be refrigerated, covered tightly, up to 1 week.

This recipe appears courtesy of  The Modern Menu. Simple. Beautiful. Kosher. By Kim Kushner

Photograph by Andrew Zuckerman

The post A Spicy Spring Delight: Cumin-Spiced Beet Salad Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe joy of delving into a good cookbook.

When I was home earlier this summer, I asked my mother for a recipe. She pulled out her worn 3-ring binder. This binder is blue, has yellowed pages falling out of it and has sat in the same place on the bookshelf for as long as I can remember. In it are recipes scratched in her handwriting of her earlier years, additions by her sisters, and almost four decades’ worth of recipe inspiration ripped from magazines.

My natural instinct when I need a recipe is to go to that online thing that starts with G. For my mother, it’s to go to her recipe shelf. If it’s not in the blue book then there has to be a recipe that can be improvised on elsewhere among the culinary titles. In fact, it was only recently that she called to tell me that she was wondering about a specific recipe and went to her computer herself to search around the internet for it (normally she calls me and has me cull the pages and select a few links, her personal search engine so to say).

I am ashamed to say that I have not started such a recipe collection myself. Raised in the digital age, my own is a mish-mash of bookmarked links and emails that I always plan to organize but never get around to. But although I am quick to tap in a search query that combines a few ingredients that I have lying around and I don’t know what to do with (raspberry, kale, go…), I have an affinity for my small cookbook stash.

The collection is small because I have limited space, and it’s worth committing to the tried and true: The Essential New York Times Cookbook (Amanda Hesser what would I do without you?), Vår Kokbok (a Swedish essential) Swedish Cakes and Cookies, a few from Moosewood Collective, Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking, and Sheila Lutkins’ All Around the World Cookbook. There are a few others here and there, but that is the staple collection and it doesn’t shift very much. I have a favorite recipe in each, and they all have numerous dog eared pages.

In need of dinner inspiration? Sit on the couch with a few of the books and a pen and paper and good things are bound to happen.

There is something that happens with cookbooks that doesn’t happen with food blogs or obsessively looking at food porn on Pinterest. Away from the screen, you engage with a recipe in a different way. You take time to think about the preparation and the process. That is why I prefer predominantly text cookbooks; you are not seduced by photos the way you are int he digital world, your are swayed by words and culinary combinations. A good cookbook is the one you can put your trust in; let it guide you through the cooking process.

And that is what a cookbook should be: a guidebook, a resource. The kind of thing you can go to again and again and again. Not because you loved one recipe, but because no matter how many times you read it, you’ll always learn something new. That is what I discovered in Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes, which arrived at my doorstep just a couple of weeks ago.

Let me restate the fact that I am hesitant to add new cookbooks to the collection; my appetite for more food inspiration is countered by an acceptance of the reality of space, and the fact that too many cookbooks can be a bad thing. But Roots was meant to be added to that space, it hit all of my cookbook expectations. It’s a resource (and a good one at that), the photos are beautiful but the recipes aren’t over dominated by them, the story is personal, and in reading it, you get a lesson in food. For example, I had no idea that carrots are believed to have originated in Afghanistan.

I had never given root vegetables much thought, but after reading through numerous sections I soon wondered how I had gone without this book for so long. Sauteed beet greens with a little lemon juice will now certainly be a regular concoction.

Newly obsessed with root vegetables, I caught up with Roots author Diane Morgan to learn more about the cookbook, the most underrated root vegetable out there and her favorite recipe (hint: it might be the only time I am ever tempted to make a cupcake, because these look good).

This book is such a valuable resource. Why do you think something like it hasn’t been done before?

There are a couple of much older books focused on the “common” root vegetables (beets, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes), and there are encyclopedic books written on vegetables, but an encyclopedic book written on the large family of root vegetables along with a large selection of recipes hasn’t been written until now. I went looking for the book I wanted to own and realized it didn’t exist, so I decided to tackle the subject and write the book I wanted to own.

As a very comprehensive guide, this cookbook packs in a lot of information. How long did the research and writing process for it take? Any glitches along the way?

It took me two and a half years to develop the book proposal, and then research and write the entire book. I am not a botanist(!), so the research to make sure I found all the edible roots that exist was challenging. Even as I was turning in the manuscript I would double check some exotic root to make sure it was classified properly. With regard to glitches, there is a lot of confusion between malanga and taro and it took me time to resolve the distinctions. They are fascinating roots with interesting cooking properties. The high starch factor makes them delightful to mash and terrific as fritters.

I am assuming you ate a lot of root vegetable dishes while doing recipe development. Are you sick of them now? Or do you incorporate more roots into your diet than before?

I have never tired of eating roots. They are so varied and so seasonal that something that goes out of season, such as celery root, delivered a new-found excitement when I see it again the next season.

What was the most interesting thing you learned while writing the book?

There were many interesting discoveries, but I did love learning about all the edible tops – beet greens, radish tops, carrot tops, turnip tops – all are edible and highly nutritious.

Which is the most underrated root?

It would be a toss up between rutabagas and burdock root! Rutabagas take on many flavors – they are delicious when braised in beer and also paired with apples for a wonderful wintertime sweet galette. On the other hand, burdock root, used commonly in Japanese cuisine, is amazing when paired with mussels. If you love mussels then you must try my recipes for Steamed Mussels with Burdock Root, Shallots, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

If you had to pick one, what is your favorite root and why?

That’s like asking which is your favorite child. They all have such unique characteristics! However, since writing the book, I have incorporated the dark orange-fleshed sweet potatoes into my diet more often. They are an incredible superfood, packed with vitamins. I roast them or even grill-roast them and then rewarm them for breakfast. Skip your morning toast and eat a sweet potato!

Can you share one of your favorite recipes with us?

While I have many favorite recipes in the book, I am delighted with the Red Velvet Cupcakes because it is so unexpected and most folks think red velvet cake is made with food coloring, when, in fact, the gorgeous magenta color of the cupcakes comes from pureeing fresh-roasted beets.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream

These darling magenta-hued cupcakes are brilliantly colored all the way through. No food coloring is used here; the color comes from pureeing freshly roasted beets. I tested the recipe with canned beets and the color is drab and faded, but given how easy it is to roast beets this simple step can be done while you measure and prepare the ingredients for the cupcakes and buttercream. I finely chop the roasted beets and then puree them in a food processor. It is important to let the machine run for a couple of minutes, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice, until the puree is completely smooth.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 2 cups/200 g sifted cake/soft-wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups/342 g puréed red roasted beets
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp/225 g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup/180 ml canola oil
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Orange Buttercream

• 1 1/4 cups/280 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’/icing sugar
• 1 tbsp heavy (whipping)/double cream
• 1/2 tsp pure orange oil (see Cook’s Notes)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 tbsp fresh orange juice

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beets, sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, stir in one-third of the flour mixture, and continue stirring just until the flour disappears. Do not beat or overmix. Repeat, adding the remaining flour mixture in 2 batches.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing the batter evenly and filling each cup almost to the top of the liner. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes rest in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely, about an hour.

To make the buttercream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter on low speed. Add the sugar, cream, orange oil, and vanilla, and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice, a little at a time, until the buttercream is fluffy and smooth.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, spread a thick layer of buttercream over the tops, swirling the frosting to decorate the tops. Alternatively, the frosting can be transferred to a pastry bag and piped around the tops of the cupcakes. The cupcakes can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Cook’s Notes
Pure orange oil is an essential oil cold pressed from the rind of oranges. It is different from pure orange extract. Look for pure orange oil in the baking section of natural foods stores, at baking supply stores, or Middle Eastern grocers. Two brands I see often is Boyajian or Frontier.

The cupcakes freeze well and are handy to have on hand for a party. Freeze the cupcakes unwrapped on a baking sheet/tray. Once frozen, wrap them individually, first with plastic wrap/cling film and then with aluminum foil. The cupcakes can be frozen up to 1 month. Unwrap the cupcakes and thaw at room temperature.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

The post Foodie Underground: For the Love of Roots and Cookbooks appeared first on EcoSalon.

Move over basil.

My mother is known for always having a couple of homemade spreads on hand. In fact, if we’re out of pesto to put on open faced sandwiches in the morning (we’re Swedish after all) she has been known to make a fresh batch at 6 a.m. Completely normal in a food appreciating household.

Which is why I was in no way surprised when I recently came home and in the midst of trying to come up with an appropriate crust recipe for a gluten free appeltaart, she exclaimed, “oh! you have to try the beet pesto!”

Of course.

What’s fun about beets is that you get an intense color, and a taste that blends well with the olive oil and feta in the recipe. And it’s perfect served with Five Seed Crackers. And although I had nothing to do with coming up with this recipe, my mother is nice enough to let me publish it here.

Beet Pesto

Ingredients:

• 4-5 small beets
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese or chèvre
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• dash of pepper

Directions:

Rinse and cut off the tops of the beets and put them in a saucepan. Add enough enough water to cover the beets. Bring water to a boil and then simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until soft enough to poke with a fork.

Place in food processor and mix until a smooth consistency. Add in rest of ingredients.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Beet Pesto appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnCan a bowl of comfort food really be called a “craze?”

I was walking down the street with a friend in Brooklyn, ogling the multitude of good-looking restaurants and resisting the urge to take a photo of every single one of them.

“Do you guys have the ramen trend, too?” my friend asked.

I paused and thought for a second. Had I not just been invited to dinner at a ramen shop a few weeks ago? It was all coming back to me.

“Yeah,” I said, putting out of my mind for the time being the absurdity of the phrase “ramen trend.” At least I could appreciate the fact that Brooklyn wasn’t many steps in front of Portland; they were serving our coffee, after all.

And then a mere 24 hours later, after a cold winter walk, ramen seemed like just the thing we needed, which is how I found myself at Chuko ordering a bowl of miso with a poached egg, scallions and pork, feeding right into what has also been deemed “ramen fever” and the “ramen craze.”

“That is not ramen,” said my colleague when I texted her a photo of what I was eating along with the words, “Look, ramen is trendy now!”

“Would be better with some fennel,” responded another colleague, to which we both smirked.

For the record, the ramen was delicious, on par with a mean bowl of pho I once ate on the streets of Hanoi, sold of course at one tenth of the price and consumed while sitting on a pink plastic children’s chair. But was I really sitting at a corner restaurant in Brooklyn, watching young couples in well fitting, dark colored jeans and waxed canvas coats out for a walk on a Saturday afternoon eating a dish once reserved for cheap college students? A dish that was now deemed a “craze?” As much as I hate to admit it, yes. And I loved it.

As it turns out, the basics are back. Gussied up burgers are everywhere, upscale food markets sell syrups for homemade soda and even five star restaurants offer fries. But as a smart woman once indicated, even if you call a scarf “fabulous” it’s still a piece of fabric wrapped around your neck, just as a bowl of macaroni and cheese is still a bowl of macaroni and cheese, no matter how much imported aged cheddar and truffle oil you add.

If recent reports are true, even burgers are for rich people. And so are doughnuts – if they’re covered in a blood orange glaze, that is.

Comfort food will always be comfort food. Some of us just don’t want to talk about the fact that we actually like it. So we spruce it up to feel good about eating it. Call it a guilty food complex, but plenty of us refuse to admit to stooping to the levels of fast food – horrors! – yet we’re more than happy to eat a burger made with long-haired oxen meat and doused in a generous dollop of handmade mayonnaise. It’s artisanal, after all.

And when we’re feeling down, even the smartest, healthiest food lover might be tempted by a bowl of cookie dough.

The fact that people of all manner of socioeconomic status like the same foods is nothing extraordinary. A burger is still a burger, a quesadilla is still a quesadilla, a grilled cheese sandwich is still a grilled cheese sandwich and a fry is still a deep fried potato; they all hit a spot that a beet salad sprinkled with goat cheese just can’t.

So, when you’re feeling your winter funk, reach for that bowl of ramen and feel good about the fact that you’re helping to bring basics back. Just make sure to add fennel.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Images: Anna Brones, Nona Brooklyn, Anna Brones, Week of Menus

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