We’re so happy with these grab-and-go
infused beet snacks and easy salad or side
ingredients. Photo courtesy LoveBeets.com.

Americans don’t eat enough beets. Love Beets, a packager of cooked beets in several enticing formats, wants to change that.

Growing up in a beet-centric household of Russian descent, we know beets as a truly versatile vegetable that can be enjoyed hot or cold in just about everything—from sandwiches to soup (borscht!) to red velvet cake and ice cream (our beet ice cream was the hit of our 2000 “millennium dinner” on New Year’s Eve).

So our heart fluttered when we discovered Love Beets’ fresh-cooked, ready-to-eat, conveniently designed clamshell packages of beets, with a fork included.

There are also plain cooked beets (conventional or organic) that can be used as a salad or sandwich topper, side dish or healthful snack. There‘s beet juice (delicious!) that can be enjoyed plain, in a smoothie or in a Beet Martini. The line is all natural, gluten free, non GMO and certified kosher by OU.

We enjoy the flavor-infused beets straight from the package, or with a side of plain nonfat yogurt—it’s the healthier version of the Russian beets and sour cream.

MORE WAYS TO ENJOY BEETS

Ruby red baby beets add a delicious kick to just about anything.

Add beets to side salads or luncheon salads: here, with hard-cooked eggs and crumbled bacon. Photo courtesy LoveBeets.com.

 
THE HISTORY OF BEETS

Beets, or Beta vulgaris, evolved from wild sea beet, which grew wild in places as wide-ranging as Britain and India to Britain. The wild sea beet was first cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East—although only the leaves were eaten! (Even today, beet greens are delicious. Don’t throw them away: Sauté them.) In early times, the medicinal properties of the root (the red bulb) led that portion to be used to treat a range of ailments from constipation, fevers, skin problems and wounds.

The Romans cultivated beets; early recipes included cooking beets with honey and wine (that’s still a good recipe today). Apicius, the renowned Roman gourmet, included a beet broth recipe in his cookbook as well as beet salad with a dressing of mustard, oil and vinegar.

The original beet roots were long and thin like carrots. The rounded root shape of today was developedin the 16th century and by the 18th century was widely cultivated in Central and Eastern Europe. Many classic beet dishes originated in this region, including borscht.

In 19th century England, beets’ dramatic color was popular to brighten up salads and soups. The high sugar content made it a popular ingredient in cakes and puddings.

Today there are many varieties of beets sizes large and small, including candy-striped (with red and white concentric circles), orange, white and yellow. Look for these specialty beets in farmers markets.

Carb watchers tend to avoid potatoes, along with rice, bread and pasta. But if you leave off the butter, cheese and sour cream, baked, roasted or steamed potatoes can fit into any eating plan.

Potatoes are a source of complex carbohydrates, which provide sustained energy and a feeling of satiety for a longer period of time.

Simple carbohydrates—in refined foods such as table sugar, white flour and white rice—lack important nutrients (unless they are “enriched”). These are the carbs to be avoided; instead, go for the nutrient-rich whole versions—honey, whole wheat flour and brown rice.

Back to potatoes: Potatoes are moderate in calories, high in fiber and rich in potassium and vitamins B6, C, and folate (B9), among others nutrients.

If you pair potatoes with healthful ingredients, you can enjoy them more often without guilt. So today‘s tip is: Investigate how to convert your favorite potato recipes into healthier versions.

Substitute flavored olive oil for butter and add fresh herbs. If you like sour cream, substitute nonfat Greek yogurt. Photo courtesy Idaho Potato Commission.

The healthful ingredients are a simple set:

 
LOWER-CALORIE WAYS TO ENJOY POTATOES

Baked Potatoes

Lay off the butter and cheese sauce;
instead, substitute olive oil and a
teaspoon of grated Parmesan. Photo
courtesy Idaho Potato Commission.

Boiled Or Roasted Potatoes

 
Mashed Potatoes

 
Potato Salad

 
French Fries

Nutritionists don’t like deep frying: The potato loses much of its nutrient value, and the cooking oil sinks into the food to add on calories. They suggest oven-baked chips and wedges instead. But if you must deep fry, use a better oil.

Or if you’ll use it often enough, get a T-Fal Actifry. It makes fries with just one tablespoon of oil; and cooks many other foods, too.

Deep frying requires an oil with a high smoke point. The choice includes canola, grapeseed, peanut, safflower and sunflower oils, plus the lesser-known avocado, rice bran and tea seed oils. Each type of oil has its own unique flavor characteristics, nutritional profile, and shelf life. Price is also a factor.

But of the high smoke point oils, the healthy oils are the monounsaturated avocado oil, canola oil and peanut oil. There’s never an easy decision, of course; avocado oil is pricier, canola oil (a trademarked cultivar of rapeseed) is often made from GMO canola, and peanut oil can’t be consumed by people with peanut allergies.

Don’t double-fry: The potatoes will absorb even more oil. Avoid saturated fats like Crisco and the darling of top chefs, duck fat. (O.K., try duck fat once, just to see how good it is.)
 

PICK YOUR POTATO

Check out all the types of potatoes and the history of potatoes in our calorie-free Potato Glossary.

A colorful and yummy beet dip. Photo
courtesy Dole.com.

We love beets in every form: baked, Harvard, pickled, beet ravioli, steamed beats, soup (borscht is Russian beet soup), in gourmet appetizer recipes, in green salads, with goat cheese and endive…even beet ice cream (substitute beets in a strawberry ice cream recipe) and beet cake (food trivia: the original—and best—red velvet cake recipes got their red hue from beets, not food color).

You can even enjoy beet juice in cocktails: a beet Martini or this beet Mojito, for example.

Now, here’s another way to enjoy beets: as a dip with crudités or a bread spread. The recipe is courtesy Dole Foods.

It’s a beautiful color for Easter or any other festive occasion.

BEET DIP & SPREAD

Ingredients

Beet dip with cucumber ribbons on skewers. Photo courtesy Dole.com.

Preparation

1. PULSE beets in bowl or food processor wuth scallion and spinach, until finely chopped.

2. ADD cream cheese, lemon juice and salt, and process until well-blended, leaving some texture in dip. Transfer to bowl and stir in chives.

3. SERVE as a dip with crudités or as a spread on toasted french bread.

Irresistible truffle fries. Photo courtesy Arch
Rock Fish Restaurant | Santa Barbara.

There’s a neighborhood restaurant in New York City where steamed mussels are served in 20 different types of broth. Much as we’d like to work our way down the menu, we can never stop ordering our favorite: Thai mussels in a curry coconut broth flavored with lemongrass, kaffir lime, coriander, lime, ginger and garlic.

But the feast doesn’t end there: The must-haves along with this bowl of heaven include a fine craft IPA beer and a cone of truffle fries.

Ah, the truffle fries: so simple, so divine. So today’s tip is: Turn your French fries into truffle fries. All you need is some truffle oil.

The regular hand-cut fries at that restaurant are $6; with a sprinkle of truffle oil and Parmesan cheese the price almost doubles, to $11. At home: less than $1 per serving.

The following recipe is courtesy of a restaurant on the opposite coast: Arch Rock Fish in Santa Barbara, California, and its chef, Scott Leibfried.

TRUFFLE FRIES RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT potatoes lengthwise into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide. Fry the potatoes in peanut oil until golden brown (see tips below).

2. SEASON with salt and truffle oil.

3. TOSS with parsley.

POTATO-FRYING TECHNIQUE

We actually used our Actifry for this recipe—it requires only one tablespoon of frying oil! But for making French fries the old-fashioned way:

1. SOAK the potatoes in ice water for an hour, drain, and pat completely dry between paper towels. You can skip this step, but it makes the fries crisper.

2. PREPARE surface for draining by lining two baking sheets or large plates with paper towels.

3. SELECT a large, deep pot and attach a candy thermometer with clip (the tip of the thermometer must not touch the bottom of the pot). Fill with 3 inches of peanut oil and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 325°F.

4. FRY potatoes (in batches) for 2-3 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove to paper towels to drain. and heat the oil to 375°F.

6. RE-FRY potatoes For extra crispiness. Raise the temperature of the oil to 365°F and refry potatoes for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on fresh paper towels.

Black truffle oil from La Tourangelle. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Now that you own a bottle, don’t let it languish on the shelf. Use it up while the truffle flavor and aroma are strong. But don’t heat it: Heat dissipates both flavor and aroma. Drizzle truffle oil on foods or otherwise add to:

 
ALL ABOUT TRUFFLES

Here’s everything you need to know about truffles: the types of truffles, how to buy, store and cook truffles, and much more.
 
HOW MANY TYPES OF POTATOES HAVE YOU HAD?

Check out our Potato Glossary: the history of the potato and the different types of potatoes.

Roasted and caramelized cauliflower with
Indian spices. Photo courtesy
PaperChef.com.

We love cauliflower, and enjoy it at least once a week. Not to go all Bubba Gump on it, but we like:

Recently we discovered a delicious South Asian recipe for roasted and caramelized cauliflower, prepared with an aromatic blend of traditional Indian spices. It was created by By Joshna Maharaj for Paper Chef, makers of culinary parchment paper. This golden spiced beauty is a lively mouthwatering delight.

SOUTH ASIAN MASALA CAULIFLOWER RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. PLACE cauliflower in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with vegetable oil. In a small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne and stir to combine. Sprinkle the spice mixture over cauliflower and use your hands to gently toss, making sure to coat each piece with the oil and spices.

Look for specialty cauliflower—green, orange, violet and yellow—in farmers markets. Henckels chef’s knife available at Williams-Sonoma. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

3. ARRANGE cauliflower in an even layer on each baking sheet and season with salt. Roast for 25-35 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and the edges are nicely browned. It’s ready to enjoy!

CRUCIFEROUS SALAD RECIPE

You can use raw vegetables or steam them very lightly. Add color with carrots or red bell pepper. The recipe can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Serves 4.

Ingredients

 
*Mayonnaise makes a creamy dressing. You can omit the mayonnaise and make the dressing pure vinaigrette. Just replace the mayonnaise with two more tablespoons of olive oil.
 
Preparation

1. SLICE the onions. If the onions are too sharp to enjoy raw, shock the sliced onions in an ice water bath for 10 minutes and pat them dry. This tempers the sulfur-containing compounds that create the sharp flavor. You can substitute sweet onions, but red onions add needed color to the dish.

2. SLICE the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. If you prefer, cut the broccoli and cauliflower florets into smaller florets. Combine in a bowl with the onions.

3. WHISK together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Mix in the mayonnaise and celery seed. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss. You can prepare the salad up to this point and refrigerate for a day or two.

4. ADD the optional bacon, toss and serve.

Puréed cauliflower and peas topped with a
bouquet of colorful, lightly-steamed
vegetables. Photo courtesy Maison Kayser.

No matter what the whether is like in your neck of the woods, spring began this morning at 7:02. So, today’s tip is: Cook something that celebrates springtime.

We vote for something colorful. Doesn’t this dish just burst with springtime? You can make it with the ingredients in your fridge! The concept is by Chef Taleb Daher of Maison Kayser, Paris: Puréed cauliflower and peas (you can use any vegetable) topped with a bouquet of color: beets, broccoli florets, carrots, chives and baby radishes.

Or, prepare a recipe with spring vegetables: low in calories, high in nutrients. Most of this delectable group are fleeting, available only for a few months a year; so enjoy them while you can. One of the most memorable dishes in our lifetime of fancy eating was a simple spring sauté of asparagus, garlic scapes, morels and nettles.

Artichokes: Spring artichokes are larger, delivering more flesh on each leaf. It couldn’t be easier to steam them and dip the luscious leaves in a vinaigrette or melted butter; we actually enjoy them plain. Check out the different types of artichokes.

Cardoons: This specialty item, also called artichoke thistle, is part of the same species as the globe artichoke. Not surprisingly, it tastes a lot like artichokes, and was popular among the ancient Greeks, Persians and Romans. Try braising them in verjus as a side to grilled salmon.

Fava Beans: Fava beans, also known as broad beans and horse beans, are another sign of spring. They originated in ancient Egypt and were the only bean known to Europeans until the discovery of America. Unshelled, they look like lima beans, but have a more buttery texture and slightly bitter, appealingly nutty flavor. Enjoy them as a side, in soups or in stews. As you may recall, Hannibal Lechter enjoyed his with liver and a nice Chianti.

Fiddleheads: Also called fiddlehead ferns, these young wild ferns are not cultivated but foraged. The top unfurls as the fern matures, but when young it resembles the curled ornamentation (scroll) at the top of a violin or other stringed instrument. Fiddleheads have been popular in Northern France since the Middle Ages, and are found in Asian and Native American cuisines. They have an asparagus-like texture and flavor with a hint of nuttiness.

Garlic Scapes: Garlic scapes, also known as green garlic, are the curling tops of immature garlic plants; they look similar to the tops of scallions (green onions). They were usually cut off of the plant and discarded, since leaving them on only limits the growth of the garlic bulb. But some garlic farmers have been convinced to bring the scapes to market. With a delicate garlic flavor, they are a must-try spring treat.

Morels: Morels have not yet been cultivated successfully, so they are foraged in the wild in the spring. While they can be a chore to clean, the flavor is intense and exciting. Here’s everything you need to know about morel mushrooms.

Nettles: Nettles, or stinging nettles, may not sound like culinary delight. They grow as garden weeds. But they are delicious, high in protein and lose their sting after 30 seconds of cooking. Sauté them as a side or add them to soups, stews and pasta dishes. Look for them at farmers markets, or ask where you can forage for them in your area.

Pea Greens: Pea greens are sold in big bunches of bright green vines with leaves, but don’t worry: That big bumch cooks down to about 10% of its raw volume. Look for pea greens in farmers markets or Asian markets. They wilt very quickly and need to be cooked within a day or two: simply sautéed in a olive oil. Add some browned garlic or shallots and finish with a splash of lemon juice. Add raw pea greens to soups or stir-fries.

Peas: As much as frozen peas are a good stand-in year round, there’s nothing like fresh spring peas, also known as garden peas and English peas. Steam them lightly for a real treat or purée them into a heavenly soup.

Ramps. Photo courtesy Cosby Ramp Festival.

Ramps: Ramps, also called wild leeks, are a wild onion native to North America. The bulb resembles that of a scallion, but the plant has beautiful broad leaves with burgundy color at the base. The flavor and aroma of are a combination of onions and garlic. As such, they have an almost universal utility: in casseroles, potato dishes (delicious with fried potatoes), rice dishes, scrambled eggs and soups. They can be used raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks.

Rhubarb: Rhubarb is often thought of as a fruit, since it’s made in sweet preparations. But the giveaway is that it looks like celery. Make a rhubarb or strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb ice cream, a rhubarb sauce for fish, pudding with rhubarb topping or our grandmother’s favorite, stewed rhubarb.

Sweet Onions: Sweet onion varieties are plentiful in the spring and beckon to onion lovers to enjoy them raw: in salads, on sandwiches, as a general garnish. What about spring onions? Spring onions are simply regular onions that farmers pull from the field in spring to thin the rows.

All of these lovely spring vegetables will add spark to your table from now until the end of spring. Be sure to enjoy them whileyou can.

There’s a lot of press about avoiding GMOs, genetically modified (GM) organisms. You may have been eating genetically modified food for years without knowing it. The Environmental Working Group conservatively estimates that each American consumes about 190 pounds of GM foods every year. The U.S. regulatory system is set up to deal with GM-related problems only after they occur.

GMOs refer to any living thing—animal or plant—that has had its genetic material altered in some way by science (it’s called biotechnology). This is different from selective breeding, a time-honored practice where crops or livestock are selectively bred by horticulturists to improve the variety (to withstand heat, for instance).

Instead, GMOs are the result of manipulation in a laboratory whereby segments of DNA are spliced, rearranged or removed altogether. It can create what are called “Franken-foods”: fish genes can be spliced into fruit, for example.

Some of this article is adapted from one written by Shelley Stonebrook for Care2.com. Here is the original article.

Chances are, your supermarket tomatoes have been genetically modified. Photo courtesy Domain-Image.com.

THE GMOs IN YOUR LIFE

From cereal and crackers to baking mixes, veggie burgers, milk and cheese, GMOs have been appearing, unannounced, in supermarkets—without much study into their long-term health effects on humans. Included on the list of top 20 genetically modified foods are bananas, corn, potatoes, rice, soy, squash, sugar beets and tomatoes.

The leading GMO crops in America: beets, canola, corn, papaya, soy and zucchini are likely to be GMO.(Olive and safflower oils are moist likely to be non-GMO.)

And now, the world’s first GMO animal—farmed salmon—is ready for market. It is now awaiting approval from the FDA, which concluded in December that the fish it would be as safe to eat as conventional salmon. Read the full article in the New York Times.

Who knew that zucchini was a major GMO crop? To avoid GMOs, shop at natural foods markets like Whole Foods, where even the non-organic produce is non-GMO. Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market.

Here are four issues that can impact your family’s health:

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

 
Hopefully, soon we’ll see products stamped with the Non-GMO Project Verified logo.

Avocado potato salad. Photo courtesy
AvocadoCentral.com.

Like guacamole? Like potato salad?

Combine the two concepts in this Hass Avocado and Red Potato Salad Recipe from Avocado Central. The green accents are festive for St. Patrick’s Day, although this recipe rocks from Super Bowl Sunday through Christmas (when you can add sliced red cherry tomatoes for a red-and-green effect).

As we showed yesterday in the Corned Beef & Cabbage Potato Salad recipe, you can add a tantalizing twist to traditional potato salad by incorporating non-traditional ingredients. If you have a favorite unusual potato salad recipe, let us know!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients

 
*A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

 
Preparation

1. PLACE potatoes in a medium pan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for about 15 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well and transfer to a bowl.

2. COMBINE mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Add dressing and green onions to potatoes and gently toss. Stir in avocados.

3. REFRIGERATE for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Here’s a charming twist on corned beef and cabbage created by PotatoGoodness.com: Turn it into a potato salad!

You can serve it with anything from a sandwich at lunch, to dinner—whether your dinner is hot corned beef and cabbage, grilled fish, a burger or anything that goes well with potato salad.

For year-round feasting, leave out the corned beef and enjoy the recipe as a cabbage potato salad.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes. The recipe serves 6.

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE POTATO SALAD
RECIPE

Ingredients

A yummy twist on potato salad for St. Patrick’s Day. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.

 
Dressing Ingredients

Cocktail onions at piquancy to the dish. Photo by Michael Steele | THE NIBBLE.

Preparation

1. CUT potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add 1-inch of water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender; let cool slightly. While potatoes are cooking…

2. COMBINE remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.

3. PLACE all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.

4. ADD warm potatoes to bowl and drizzle with dressing; lightly stir to coat salad with dressing. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING

Calories: 220 Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 370mg Vitamin C: 50mg Carbohydrates: 22g Fiber: 2g Protein: 7g Potassium: 87mg

Last week we profiled the cara cara orange, a mutation from Venezuela with sweet, rosy flesh. Earlier we discussed their rosy-fleshed cousin: the blood orange, native to Sicily.

Before spring and summer fruits arrive, we harness the color and flavor these rosy oranges to bring pizzazz to a green salad. Pink grapefruit works, too.

The concept may seem unusual if one’s mind separates vegetable salads from fruit salads. But replace cherry tomatoes with oranges or pink grapefruit, and your salad will taste much brighter. Berries also add a lift to green salad, but the lively acidity of oranges and grapefruit do a better job.

We took a wonderfully refreshing summer salad from THE NIBBLE’s consulting chef Eric Dantis, and turned it into a something that brightens up a chilly March day.

The flesh of blood oranges ranges from pink to deep rose, above. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

The original recipe follows. “If you want to keep it simple,” says Chef Eric, “just dice up some tomatoes and an equal amount of watermelon and toss with some basil and good sea salt for a super refreshing, clean salad.”

This side salad contains blood oranges, onion
and strawberries. It’s a refreshing side to any
savory dish. Photo by Jerry Deutsch | THE
NIBBLE.

TOMATO & WATERMELON SALAD, WITH
SUBSTITUTIONS

As tomatoes and watermelon are not yet at their prime, we substituted blood oranges and strawberries in this recipe. That may seem like a lot of substituting, but the lesson is: Don’t be afraid to substitute any ingredients. You may well discover a favorite new combination.

Ingredients Per Serving

1. MIX halved cherry tomatoes with watermelon cubes in a medium-sized bowl.

2. STIR in basil and onion.

3. SEASON with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil to taste.

4. STIR in balsamic vinegar.

5. TOP with optional ham and/or cheese, for a sweet and savory bite (this can turn a side salad into a luncheon salad).

5. SERVE immediately.

NOTES

 
FIND MORE REFRESHING SALAD RECIPES IN OUR GOURMET VEGETABLES SECTION.