Some old friends, mamas themselves now, were discussing the Sneaky Chef and the Deceptive Chef–
or whatever Mrs. Seinfeld calls herself-on Facebook. They were
wondering which foods were the best, whether to disguise things at all, etc.
Somehow, Tribeca Yummy Mummy was very kindly mentioned.
Without evoking too much hoopla over food philosophy, my response
has always been
to add good things, both blatantly and sneakily to your family’s
food.
When we cook together, my daughter is almost always ready to help me make things, even if she
doesn’t immediately love the flavors involved. She knows exactly what we put into the recipes
because she’s right there making them with me. We have always talked about the fact
that you may
not like something separately, but you might like it IN something.
Witness the many permutations of veggie and fruit muffins that
Mira would normally give the stink-eye but instead
begs for.
Roasted beets are sweet, delicious, and look magical on the plate with
their crazy-bold colors. Putting them on the plate alongside creamy
yogurt panna cotta makes them a treat.
Beet Salad with Yogurt Panna Cotta
For the Panna Cotta:
*2 T. water
*1 1/2 t. gelatin
*2 c. heavy cream
*1 3/4 c. yogurt, whole milk preferably
*1 t. salt
*1 t. white pepper, freshly ground (optional)
*1 t. orange flower water (optional)
Measure the water out into a small liquid measuring cup with your mini-chef. Let
your mini-chef sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set it
aside. Be sure and discuss how liquidy-watery the water is
before adding the gelatin so that it’s a fun surprise to see
the change when it is suddenly so much more solid.
While the water is gelling, have your mini-chef pour the
yogurt, salt and white pepper into a large bowl,
preferably a large measuring cup or a bowl with a
pouring lip, and give it a stir. Then, have them pour the
cream into a medium saucepan.
Big Person: Place the cream over medium heat on your
stovetop. Stirring the whole time, bring the cream to a
simmer, and take it off of the heat.
Together: Take a look at the water/gelatin mixture now and
poke it with your finger. Doesn’t it feel different?
Ok, you can add that to the cream, and whisk,
being extremely careful since the saucepan is still hot (This
would be a step you would skip and do yourself if you have
a younger or, ahem, more rambunctious Yummy).
Whisk it for a good minute so that you fully integrate
the gelatin into the cream.
Pour the cream mixture into the yogurt mixture and stir some more till those
two things are completely combined. Stir in the orange flower water.
Pour the mixture into small ramekins, sake cups, or really
anything small bowl, cup, etc. Place all of your cups and
whatnot onto a tray or pan with a lip and keep them
uncovered till they come to room temperature. Once
they’ve cooled, cover them with plastic wrap and put
them in the fridge for at least 5 hours or, better yet,
overnight.
For the Beet Salad:
*one bunch of regular (red) beets, about a pound
*one bunch of golden beets, about a pound
*one sweet apple, such as Gala or Macoun
*1 t. fresh lemon juice
*one large orange or two small oranges, juiced
*1/4 c. mild olive oil
*1 t. apple cider vinegar
*2 T. honey
*salt and black pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash your beets with a vegetable brush. Place your red beets onto one
sheet with the apple, and place the golden beets onto another baking
sheet. Roast everything for about 40 minutes, or until the
beets feel slightly soft to the touch. Let them cool
completely.
Big Person: Cut off the skins of the red beets and the apple.
Core the apple.
Puree the red beets and the apple together.
Pour the puree into a small bowl.
Wash your cutting board, and cut the skins off of the golden
beets. Slice them as thinly as humanly possible with a knife
or, if you have one, a mandoline.
Together: Toss the golden beets with the teaspoon of lemon
juice, some salt and pepper, and a wee bit of the honey.
To the beet-apple puree, add the rest of the ingredients and
stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Adjust the sweetness to taste as well,
adding more honey if you need it. Chill it or keep it at room
temperature, as you like.
To Assemble Everything:
Spoon the beet puree onto a plate and stack the golden beets
on top. Drizzle the yogurt panna cotta with just a touch more
of the honey. Serve them side by side.
