Saturday, October 22, 2011

Weekend Cooking

Beets - those beautiful deep fushia red vegetables full of potassium, manganese, iodine, folate and more. Beets are available year round but the best time to buy them is July to October when they are their tenderest. The leaves are even more healthy than the root bulb! Check out 100 beet recipes at the Food Network
 
I found a great Borscht recipe in the Sunday paper's Parade section. It is definitely something we would not usually eat in this household but I am always trying something new so why not? I made it last Sunday and it was amazing! The gorgeous red color and the richness of the broth were spectacular. My husband sat down to eat and took one look at his bowl and said 'yuk!' I was heartbroken. I was so excited with this recipe and he loves everything, so I was shocked. After one bowl he said he didn't like it, get me a tissue somebody! BUT he got a second bowl...then he took leftovers to work for his meal and came home and said 'that stuff is pretty good!' Yea! I get to make it again! This recipe makes a huge pot full so if you aren't feeding a crowd you might want to half it. Not sure how it would freeze. All my neighbors ate Borscht this week :)   Here's the recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Borscht

3 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
4 bay leaves
2 Qt. beef stock
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium size fresh beets, boiled, (20min till tender) skinned, and shredded
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 small can tomato paste
juice of 1 or 2 lemons
1 handful fresh dill, minced
1 handful fresh parsley, minced
salt and pepper 
sour cream (optional)
1.  In a large pot, heat the oil on high for 30 sec. Add the beef and bay leaves. Saute until golden brown. Pour in the stock and reduce the heat.
2.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Simmer on low for 2 hrs. (I left it on for 4) or until the meat is meltingly tender, making sure the soup never boils. Add the beets and cabbage during the last half hour of cooking.
3.  Spoon in the tomato paste and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add a little hot water if the soup is too thick. Stir in the dill and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Maybe a few perogies would go good with this too :)


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9 comments:

Beth F said...

My grandfather was born in (pre-Communist) Russia and borscht was his favorite soup. My grandmother made it often when beets were in season. Yummm. Instead of lemon she used sour salt.

Lena M. said...

My whole family loves borscht, we make it quite often! Your recipe sounds very good and authentic. In my country, we also often add cabbage to borscht.

Uniflame said...

I actually had cooked beets in my vegetable bag this week. I will make beet soup of it later. I never had beets since I was a child, so lets see if I like it :)

TheBookGirl said...

I love beets, but for some reason that I can't identify, the thought of borscht never appealed to me. I may have to try it - maybe I'll have an epiphany like your husband :)

Little Nell said...

I love beets (or beetroot as we call them) so thanks for the link to the 100 recipes. I’ve never had borscht, but I may give it a try now.

Vicki said...

Beets and radishes are the only veggie I don't like, but I may like beets in Borscht, which I've never had!
Here's My WC

JoAnn said...

I've never cooked with beets, but this recipe tempts me.

Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...

My grandma used to make borscht and at the time all I loved about it was the color. I enjoy it now, yours sounds delicious!

bermudaonion said...

My mother loves beets, but I'm not a fan - they taste like dirt to me. Maybe I've never had them prepared well.