Week 6: Beets-High brow and low brow

Brian took over this week with beets, as Becky wasn't moved by the concept of cooking with beets.  I treated beets two ways-a warm arugula salad and deep fried beet chips.  The beet arugula salad worked pretty well, though I would add a lightly breaded chicken sliced to it if I did it again.  The beet chips have two recipes: the one we did and the one I should have done.

Beet Arugula Salad

1 beet (with stems), sliced and coarsely chopped
2 radishes, sliced and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 c red pepper, chopped
1/4 c carrot, chopped
1 oz olive oil
1 oz vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
3 oz arugula

Sautee beet, radish, 1 green onion, and red pepper in olive oil over medium heat until beet is tender.
Add vinegar and sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add remaining ingredients over low heat.  Heat until arugula is warm, but not wilted.

Serve warm, with breaded chicken or other protein of choice.

Beet Chips (aka, everything's better deep fried)

2 beets
Powdered sugar
Cinnamon

Slice beets thin with a mandolin slicer
Dredge lightly in powdered sugar.
Deep fry for 5-6 minutes in 350 degree oil.
Dust with cinnamon

While the flavor was right, the crispness never happened on the beets, primarily because the sugar carmelized around it in the oil.  If they were allowed to cool, this basically created a beet brittle, which was near impossible to eat due to the stickiness.

Beet Chips (aka, what I should have done)

2 beets
Flour
Cinnamon
Powdered sugar

Slice beets thin with a mandolin slicer
Mix 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts flour
Dredge beets in cinnamon mixture
Deep fry for 5-6 minutes in 350 degree oil

Dust with powdered sugar