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My Favorite Way to Eat Beets

meaghin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:29:54 +0000

When thinking about how to prepare beets, roasting them is a given. It’s not only the best way to bring out this root vegetable’s sweet flavor, it’s also the easiest way to avoid splattering magenta and purple-hued juices everywhere. We had a white linoleum counter in our last apartment, forcing me to prep beets on our stovetop, as it was the only surface that wouldn’t become irrecoverably stained.

Instead of discussing how to prepare beets, the more interesting question is: what do you do with the beets after they’re roasted? Inspired by a recipe from Bill Taibe, I’ve taken to roasting the beets with thyme before tossing them with honey and balsamic vinegar and sprinkling them with mint sprigs.

I first tried this concoction last Winter and I haven’t deviated since. The honey is a fitting companion to the earthy, sweet beets and the mint adds a breath of freshness to the salad. You can eat this hot or cold, making this preparation easy and versatile.

Roasted Beets with Mint

Serves 2 (this can easily be increased)
Adapted from a recipe in Harvest to Heat

Ingredients:
5 small-medium beets
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
4 sprigs of thyme
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of mint leaves

Directions:
1) Heat the oven to 400. Trim the beets (save the beet greens for another use) and put them in an oven-proof dish.

2) Drizzle the beets with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the thyme. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until a knife slides through the beets easily. (This will take anywhere between 25-45 minutes depending on the size and shape of the beets.)

3) Let the beets cool. Then, peel and cut into medium slices or wedges.

4) In a small mixing bowl, mix the honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper.

5) Place the beets in a serving bowl and pour the mixture over the beets. Toss to coat. Garnish with the mint. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

meaghin — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:33:07 +0000

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, Justin! Chocolate buttercream cake brought to you by One Girl Cookies.
(It tastes even better than it looks!)

Two Years Ago, Today

meaghin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:04:06 +0000

…Justin and I were married on a warm Fall day.

Yesterday, we celebrated our second anniversary with a trip to Storm King. We enjoyed crisp weather, the earliest hint of Fall foliage, and bike riding around the 500 acre property. I’m eager to start editing the pictures, but in the meantime, click through for several animated pictures of Justin and I running down a giant hill at the art center…and excuse the crazed look in my eyes!

(Here’s a preview!)

Two for Two

meaghin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:40:19 +0000

It would be amazing if Justin and I are able to maintain our tradition of visiting The Hendry House once a year. We’re two for two, so far!

We had our wedding reception at The Hendry House–after seeing the property, we knew there was no other place we could celebrate our marriage. A restored bungalow in a quiet park? We couldn’t have dreamed up a better place if we tried!

Here are some images from our latest visit.

One way to cool down

meaghin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:18:18 +0000

I had to share a picture of this beer bottle. Brewed by the small Belgian brewery, ‘t Goverhopke, it’s the perfect summer beer. In fact, the label says it all: zippy, spicy, and easy drinking!

Drinking a few of these on a muggy 100 degree night is the city equivalent to taking a dip in a cold, refreshing pool.

Along with the taste, I’m equally enthralled by the label. It’s designed by Max Kaplun to commemorate Belgian cyclist Briek Schott.

I’m not sure how many bars and restaurants carry this limited drink, but I had mine at Park Slope’s Beer Table, a cozy spot frequented by both the beer’s distributor and Max Kaplun himself!

Improved Recipe Page!

meaghin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:29:34 +0000

Behind the scenes, we’re slowly redesigning Cheery Observations. My office is full of sketches and screenshots, all in anticipation of what the site will eventually look like. Instead of waiting to unveil everything at once, I’ve decided to improve features incrementally. So, first up, check out the new and improved recipe page (click on the word ‘Recipe’ on the right side of your screen, under ‘Daily Reads’). It’s still a work in progress, but as a change, you’re now able to access recipes according to seasons or type of recipe.

When you click on an icon, you see a small icon, the recipe name, and the beginning of the post.

In the future (maybe even as soon as tonight), when you click on an icon, you’ll see a list of every single recipe in that specific category, allowing you to scroll through quickly to pick the recipe you want to try.

Cooking it Fresh: Carrots

meaghin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:14:52 +0000

On Thursday, I spent 45 minutes searching for a carrot recipe. About 40 minutes into the search I realized that nothing I found was going to please me. I was in that kind of mood and getting crankier by the second. It didn’t help that I was hunting for our dinner recipe around lunch time and I was already starving.

After flipping through a sizable number of our cookbooks and endlessly clicking around on Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart and Real Simple, I had found carrot risotto, carrot pancakes, carrot bread, carrot pudding, carrot pasta, carrot casseroles…but ultimately nothing that I wanted to make that night. We cooked a squash risotto a few days ago, I’ve been baking so much that my Kitchen Aid needs a break, and I didn’t want a casserole or soup.

Maybe it was the desire to get out of the apartment to get lunch but inspiration suddenly hit me. A little bit over a year ago, I made a butternut squash galette that has become monumental in my mind. It was my first galette and the results rendered me speechless. Maybe my low expectations led to great rewards? Whatever it was, I’ve become hooked on making galettes whenever I can. However, I’m reluctant to make the butternut squash galette again, mainly because I want to preserve the memory of that perfect taste. There’s the possibility that the galette could actually come out better if I made it again, but I couldn’t replicate that feeling of pure surprise and taste-bud happiness, and I don’t want to bother.

But back to the inspiration! Here’s how simple my thought process was: butternut squash = an orange vegetable; carrots = an orange vegetable.

The only change I made to this recipe, besides the main ingredient, was to reduce the roasting time of the carrots and to increase the baking time of the entire galette for the extra crispy texture. The result was a savory pie that Justin and I split down the middle and happily ate.

Roasted Carrot and Caramelized Onion Galette

Inspiration from THIS recipe
Serves 2-4 (depending on if it’s an appetizer or entree)

For the pastry:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup ice water

For the filling:

1 1/2 lbs of carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
¾ cup fontina cheese (about 2½ ounces), grated or cut into small bits. *You can also choose a similar tasting cheese. We went with Consider Bardwell‘s Pawlett
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions:

Make pastry:
a) In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour.
b) Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
c) Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well.
d) With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough.
e) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Prepare carrots:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel carrots and slice into half inch moons. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on a sheet for 20 minutes or until pieces are tender–keep an eye on the carrots as every oven is different. Set aside to cool slightly.

Caramelize onions:

While carrots are roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

Assemble galette:
a) Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix carrots, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.
b) On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread carrots, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the carrot, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

Bake galette:
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot or warm. Enjoy!

Images of Denver

meaghin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:04:43 +0000

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Denver, CO and its surrounding mountains and canyons. Denver’s public art scene is fantastic; highlights include the sculptures outside of the Denver Art Museum and inside of the Denver Botanic Gardens.

The natural beauty of the state was revealed when we left the city. We made the steep climb to the top of Mother Cabrini Shrine and wandered the wondrous Red Rocks Amphitheater.