A Spiritual Steward

Christ is born!

Being on the Old Calendar, we had just celebrated Christmas, the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ! Born in the solitude and darkness of the cave, Christ is the Light.

For a lot of us that means the fasting period has ended and we can enjoy eating again. For some of us, like me, meat and dairy doesn’t have an impact of craving for me. This recipe I am about to share with you is so delicious. It is perfect for fasting and non fasting periods. For Great Lent, this would feel like a very indulgent meal to me but the nutrition that comes from the beets and walnuts would support my health in regards to iron levels. If you struggle with anemia or ferritin levels, I have been told that beets are a great source. Without further ado, let’s dive into beets!

Personally, I think that beets are another type of vegetable that is easily overlooked and underestimated… but that is probably the Slavic side of me speaking since it is a very popular vegetable in our cuisine. The earthiness of the beet goes well with naturally sweet vegetable and fruits like apples.

I like to roast them and add them to salads with apples, butternut squash, Brie cheese or feta cheese, arugula, and pecans or walnuts with a walnut oil vinaigrette. Or chop them into small cubes making it into beet tartar that’s topped with dill. Beets also pair well with what is served on Thanksgiving; they add a beauty of color and a natural sweetness that would go with butternut squash or Brussels sprouts, and turkey if it is served. Or… beet muhammara which is simply roasted, shredded and blended with walnuts, oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice garnished with hemp seeds… This dish has been a hit at my book club meetings in September when we were hosting before our big move. It was well praised so much that I have made it twice in less than a week!

When I trim the leaves off the beets, I like to save them for a later use such as juicing, and for sautéing with garlic and spices. I don’t trim off the tail since this will be shredded before processing but I do clean it thoroughly. If you wish to trim the tail, you can use the tail of the beet into juices. If you are someone who is struggling with anemia or iron, don’t let any of the beets go to waste! Make full use of the entire beet plant.

If you are short on time, you could microwave the beets but in shredded form. Simply clean the beets making sure there isn’t any dirt on it, trim the leaves off, and then shred them. Microwave in a covered bowl until tender, about 5 minutes and add to the blender along with the other ingredients.

One more tip: clean your beets well. Sometimes you’ll be lucky to find very clean beets. Living up in the country, the beets I find in the markets here have the dirt on them; it’s as if they were plucked from the ground that morning! How lovely and a tedious step to do! If you don’t remove the dirt well you’ll taste grittiness and it’s not pleasant. It’s like having the beach in your mouth.

Enjoy!

peace and love,

Anastasia

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Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups 

5 medium red beets, trimmed, remove the dirt thoroughly, baked, shredded (baking directions below)

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry

1 cup walnuts, toasted

3 scallions, sliced thin

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling  (for fasting periods, use avocado oil. It has a very mild taste and won’t alter the taste of the muhammara. Avoid seed oils.)

2 – 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt, according to taste

1 tsp ground cumin, optional

1 – 2 T minced fresh parsley, optional

Hemp seeds, sprinkle on top as a garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Wrap each beet with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Since beets are hardy, you don’t need to wait for the oven to be preheated to place them into the oven.
2. Toasting walnuts: This is my lazy method of toasting the walnuts. I laid the walnuts on a prepared parchment or aluminum foil baking sheet and placed them in the oven with the beets. The walnuts will toast quickly, about 5 minutes more or less depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the walnuts– do not walk away from the oven. Stir them around to ensure that they are baked evenly.
3. In a food processor or blender, place beets, peppers, walnuts, scallion, oil, molasses, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and cumin in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. 
4. Transfer mixture to serving bowl and season with salt to taste. Allow the muhammara to cool for 1 hour or overnight.
5. Drizzle with extra oil to taste, and sprinkle with hemp seeds and parsley before serving.
6. Enjoy!

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