Beets and lentils and ginger, oh my!

As those who have read my previous blog post know, I am kind of obsessed with beets. Today, I decided to expand this love into something new: golden beets. Golden beets, I have found are a bit more subtle and not as sweet, and as a bonus, they don't dye everything in their way a bright red.

I found the perfect recipe on Martha's recipe, Lentils with Ginger, Golden Beets and Herbs. It seemed like a great mixture of textures and flavors, so I gave it a whirl.

I started by baking the beets in water and salt, and made a packet around beets with aluminum foil. In the meantime, I cooked up the lentils on the stove with slices of ginger. After the lentils had softened, I drained the mix and removed the ginger slices. I made up the dressing, combining red onions, honey, red wine vinegar and grated ginger. After the mix sat for 15 minutes, I added in the coriander, mint and cilantro.

After around an hour, the beets were nice and soft and I removed them from the oven. After they cooled down a bit I mixed them with olive oil and I combined them with the lentils and the dressing.

The resulting meal was absolutely delicious and had very complex mix of flavors. Can't wait to eat this for lunch tomorrow!

Recipe (from Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com):

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 pound (about 6 medium) trimmed golden or red beets
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) dried lentils, such as French green or black beluga
• 6 thin slices fresh ginger plus 1 teaspoon finely grated
• 1/4 medium red onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds, toasted and ground, or 1 teaspoon ground
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a baking dish. Cover with parchment, then foil, and bake until beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and quarter beets, and place in a small bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil.
2. Combine lentils and sliced ginger in a medium saucepan, and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; discard ginger. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Combine remaining teaspoon salt and the grated ginger, onion, vinegar, and honey, and let stand for 15 minutes. Whisk in remaining tablespoon oil and the coriander. Pour over lentils, and toss to coat. Season with pepper. Stir in chopped mint and cilantro. Arrange beet wedges on top of lentils. Garnish with herbs, and serve immediately.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Lentils with Ginger, Golden Beets, and Herbs