Beets for Breakfast

First off, for those of you who celebrate it, happy Easter!  Second, this is not an April Fool’s joke.  You read that title right, beets for breakfast.  Now before you gag and think I must have lived in California too long, hear me out!  I tend to prefer a savory breakfast over a sweet one and am always looking for creative and tasty ways to eat more vegetables.  We all know yogurt is a staple of the breakfast table, but most people top it with all sorts of sweet things and forget that plain yogurt is used around the world in savory dishes.  I find beets to be the perfect pairing with yogurt, because while they do have natural sweetness, I think they taste best when they have something creamy and acidic to balance them out.

Today’s post is technically a bonus post for our subscribers, but since it was also time for a regular post we decided to make this available to everyone so you can see what you get when you subscribe.  The beginning of each month we send out a link to our subscribers to an extra recipe for the month.  It is usually a quick and easy recipe and sometimes features the attachments.  We have done everything from cocktails to cupcakes to cheesy corn dip.

This recipe was a spur of the moment breakfast about a month ago when I cut into my last avocado and found that it had gone bad.  After I cried bitter tears about not having avocado toast for breakfast, I started rummaging around my fridge to figure out what to eat.  I always grab a bunch of beets when I make it to the farmers market and there they were, waiting to be used.  I shredded them up, dolloped with yogurt and sprinkled with za’atar, one of my favorite spice blends.  I piled it on some toast and was pretty happy.  So I decided to share it!  I nixed the za’tar and only used ingredients that most people have access to.

Yogurt, beets, lemon juice, sesame seeds and some spices come together quickly for a different take on breakfast

 

Now don’t skip toasting the sesame seeds.  Just put them in a small skillet over medium heat and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.  Do not walk away, because once they start to toast, they toast quickly and can easily burn.

Maximum flavor with minimum effort

 

Side note: If your bunch of beets comes with greens, don’t toss them out.  Just trim off the stems, wash, chop up and use as you would spinach or chard.  I like them sautéed with a little fresh minced garlic and hot sauce.  An easy way to peel beets is to trim off the ends and then use those flat surfaces to grip the beet with one hand while you peel with the other.

Peeling made easy

 

This dish is certainly not limited to breakfast or brunch.  It would make a lovely side dish for lunch or dinner, or even an appetizer or snack.  Hope you enjoy a different take on beets and breakfast!

Beet Yogurt Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

 

2 large beets, washed, trimmed and peeled (12 ounces by weight after peeled and trimmed or 2 3/4 cup shredded)

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (full fat or 2%)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

 

Set up the Ankarsrum base with the slicer/shredder attachment and the larger grating drum.  Place a medium bowl underneath to catch the beets.  Cut the beets if necessary so they fit into the attachment.  Shred on medium-high speed (4 o’clock), using the plunger to push them through.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Thoroughly mix together.

Serve on toast, bread or crackers or eat as is.

 

Yield:  4-6 servings

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Carmi Adams

Carmi Adams has loved cooking from a very early age; requesting fondue pots and cookbooks for birthdays as a child. She further pursued her passion for food at the Art Institute of Atlanta and obtained a degree in Culinary Arts. Carmi landed a job on the show Good Eats, which aired on the Food Network. For seven years she did everything from food research, recipe development and testing, product testing to feeding a hungry film crew. Now living in the central coast of California, Carmi enjoys the bounty of agriculture, vineyards and farmers markets at her culinary disposal. She has been using the Ankarsrum mixer for over 15 years and feels that it is hands-down the best on the market for home cooks.