Gourmet Memoirs

BEETS.

Not the favorite veggie of many folk.

Roasted Beets

I debated about sharing this dish.

Why?

• I can count on one hand the number of people I know who like beets (and not use all 5 fingers).
• I normally share recipes I think a number of folk I personally know would enjoy actually trying (and this ain’t one of them).
• It will probably turn a few heads, and not in an, “I must try that!” kind of way.

Why, then, am I sharing it?

• I love beets (when I began researching digestive problems, it seems everywhere I turned I read about the benefits of beets).
• I love eggs. (That’s right, beets and eggs).
• This was the best post-run-recovery breakfast I’ve ever eaten.

It also gives me a chance to mention both:

• Johnson’s Backyard Garden
• Sprout & Pea

I am a Facebook follower of Johnson’s Backyard Garden. Yesterday, they posted a link to this recipe for Almond & Beet Pancakes by Sprout & Pea. I had just roasted 4 beets purchased from Johnson’s Backyard Garden at Saturday’s farmers market, and hadn’t yet decided what I was going to make with them. They posted a link, my dilemma was solved.

My pancakes turned out thicker than those made by Sprout & Pea. I substituted a few ingredients because I didn’t have almond flour, almond milk, or agave on hand. Instead, I used whole wheat pastry flour, light vanilla soy milk, and brown sugar. Instead of pureeing the beets in a food processor, I pureed them with additional soy milk in a blender until smooth and thick.

I taste-tested two for lunch yesterday, drizzling them with butter pecan syrup.

• Impression #1:  you can really taste the beets! (That’s a good thing.)
• Impression #2:  syrupy toppings are too sweet. (That’s a bad thing.)

I tucked the remaining pancakes into a storage dish and stowed in the refrigerator, happy I liked the pancakes but bummed I didn’t like the topping. Another dilemma.

Fast forward to this morning. Just as I was about to come to the finish of my morning jog, I boldly turned around and started jogging it again, reversing my route and therefore, doubling my normal jog. Longest distance I’ve jogged in 5 years! (That’s a good thing.)

Not long after, I was starving! (That’s a bad thing.)

I instinctively reached for my favorite post-run food, dreaming of a golden pool of rich yummy goodness . . .
On top of a beet pancake?
That could work.
And it did!
Sometimes, I think I could eat anything so long as it’s smothered with a river of egg yolk.

Rich and savory, I was in heaven!

Since I’m not a nutritionist, I won’t begin to tout the health benefits because, well, I’m not really qualified to. But for me, I know when I feel physically weak (like after an intense workout), nothing makes my body feel stronger than an egg. I know it’s easier for my weakened digestive system to process an egg than a host of other protein sources. I know when I eat an egg combined with a source of whole grain, my body feels stable and nourished instead of jarringly shocked like it does if I eat carbs without balancing them with enough protein. I know when I eat beets as well as items with whole wheat flour, I’m happier because my dysfunctional digestive system is suddenly functioning like a normal person’s.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For folks with malfunctioning digestive systems like me, it can be the most debilitating meal of the day. If I eat the wrong thing that upsets the balance of my ultra-sensitive digestive system, it can take the rest of the day to heal from the crazy-painful, debilitating backlash my body reaps.

This meal was the perfect combination of . . . something . . . that made me feel amazingly WELL (and that’s a good thing).

BEET PANCAKES WITH EGG OVER EASY
adapted from this recipe posted by Mardi at Sprout & Pea
Downloadable PDF of Beet Pancakes with Egg Over Easy

• In a 400 degree oven, roast:
• 4 small or 3 medium red beets
• I scrub the beets, place them on a sheet of foil, spritz with a tad of olive oil, and wrap the foil into a packet, enclosing the beets, then place the foil packet in a baking dish
• Roast for 30 – 40 minutes, or until beets are tender
• Set aside to let cool
• Peel beets and roughly chop into large pieces
• Place chopped beets in a blender and puree, adding soy milk (or milk of choice) as needed, until a smooth, thick puree forms
• In a large mixing bowl, add:
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup soy milk (or milk of choice)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Mix well, then add beet puree
• If batter is too thick to pour, add additional soy milk to thin
• Heat a skillet or griddle over medium to medium-low heat
• Once heated, pour batter by 1/4 to 1/3 – cups-full and cook for just a minute or two
• Once bubbles begin to form on top, flip pancake and cook for another minute or two, until cooked through
• Remove and keep warm
• Repeat with remaining batter
• Heat another skillet coated lightly with cooking spray over medium-low heat
• Add one egg to skillet, cover, and let cook until white is cooked through but yolk is still soft
• Top one beet pancake with egg, season with fresh cracked black pepper, and serve
• Other topping choices: syrup, honey, fruit, nuts

I promise, the next post will involve something normal, like chicken.

~Ingredients to nourish the body put together in ways to nourish the soul to share with family and friends to nourish the heart~

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