Valentine’s Day Recipes
A Taste of Life on Quadra Island’s Blog is a treasury of recipes not included due to space restrictions; and with new discoveries, including gardening and foraging tips that speak to our fresh, local and made-from-scratch theme.
This special day is associated with romantic dining and sumptuous, seductive dishes. Beets offer the possibility of food in many shades of red, the colour of love.
Try out these recipes to treat your favourite Valentine.
BEET WAFFLES
YIELD 12 WAFFLES
OVEN 200°
CONTRIBUTOR KATHRYN MANRY
These pretty pink waffles are a perfect meal for Valentine’s Day. Serve them either as breakfast, with yogurt, berries and syrup, or as a savoury meal with a light buttering of tahini, a poached egg and a scattering of fresh herbs. They are delectable either way.
Ingredients
1 ¼ cup milk
(dairy or non-dairy)
1 cup chopped cooked beets
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp almond extract
(for the sweet version)
1 ½ cups flour
(GF flour is an option)
2 Tablespoons sugar
(for the sweet version)
1 - 2 teaspoons dried herbs
(for the savoury version – tarragon or basil)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Method
Start heating a waffle iron and turn the oven on to 200°.
Combine the milk, beets, eggs, oil and almond extract in the blender and process until smooth.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, herbs, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the beet mixture and combine just until smooth.
Oil the surface of the waffle iron and ladle in a scoop of batter. Bake until cooked through – the trick is to cook these until they have just achieved crispy, but not yet started to brown and lose the nice pink colour. Transfer cooked waffles into the oven to stay warm and crispy until serving.
FUDGY CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE
YIELD ONE DOUBLE-LAYERED CAKE
OVEN 400° / 350°
CONTRIBUTOR: KARILYNN OVERTON
I was asked by Barb Mindell years ago to bake a gluten free vegan cake for a birthday party and came up with this recipe and was so pleased with the results I have continued to make for years... It is arguably one of the best cakes I have ever made!
Ingredients
2 medium beets
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 ½ cups raw turbinado sugar
(or substitute cane sugar)
½ cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups oat flour
¾ cup almond meal
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
Method
Prepare beets:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Chop the stems and roots off beets. Scrub clean. Wrap in foil and roast until a fork slides easily into the center of the beet, about 60 to 75 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, peel beets by pushing the skins off with the back of a knife. They should slide off easily. Cut the beets into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Puree, scraping down the sides as necessary. You may have to add a bit of water. Measure out 1 cup of puree for this recipe - the rest is extra.
Make the cake:
Lower oven temp to 350°. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
Whisk together almond milk and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Let sit about 5 minutes to curdle.
To the almond milk mixture, add 1 cup of beet puree, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. With a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), beat until foamy, about 30 seconds. (This is important so that the coconut oil does not separate and solidify.)
Sift in remaining dry ingredients. Beat again to incorporate.
Divide between the cake pans. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove and cool completely in pans on wire racks. Be sure you allow the cakes to cool completely before removing, or they will not hold together! If time allows, transfer pans to the fridge to cool further. Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan before inverting the cake and peeling off the parchment paper. Assemble the cake with your favourite icing.
