Chioggia Beet Borani With Feta And Toasted Sesame Seeds Recipes

CHIOGGIA BEET BORANI WITH FETA AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub beets with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast on a baking sheet until tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool, then peel. Cut the beets into medium chunks and set aside.
• Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, then grind into a powder, preferably with a mortal and pestle.
• In a small sauté pan over medium low heat, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and sweat garlic and shallot until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• In a blender or a food processor, combine the beets, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, garlic, shallot, yogurt, and lime. Continue pulsing until very smooth. This recipe yields about 2 cups.
• Spoon borani into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with feta, sesame seeds, and finishing sea salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with baguette or crackers.

ROASTED CHIOGGIA BEETS WITH FETA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the raspberry vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the honey, the shallot, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
• Whisk in the grapeseed oil until emulsified.
• Arrange the beets so they fit snugly in a single layer in a deep baking dish. Add enough water to barely cover the beets, then add the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey and the butter.
• Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife.
• Let cool slightly.
• Drain and peel the beets and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Add them to the honey dressing and let cool for up to 4 hours.
• To serve, arrange half of the beet slices on 8 small plates and cover with the feta. Top with the remaining beet slices and drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of the dressing.
• Garnish with the greens and serve.

FRIED FETA WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Cut feta cheese into squares or rectangles about 1/2 inch thick.
• Crack eggs into a bowl wide enough to fit the feta and beat lightly with a fork. Place flour on a plate. Place sesame seeds on a second plate.
• Coat each piece of feta in flour, then eggs, and then sesame seeds. Be sure to coat well with each step, so all sides are covered.
• Heat enough olive oil to shallow fry in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, carefully add the feta and fry until nicely golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and fry on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Drain on paper towels to remove any excess oil. Drizzle honey on top and serve warm.

ROASTED CHIOGGIA BEETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; wash beets and trim stems to within 1 inch.
• Place beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil, toss with 3 tablespoons oil, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, and salt.
• Wrap in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast until tender, 25 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of the beets).
• Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub each with a paper towel to remove skin; trim off stems and roots.
• Place beets ina bag, season with half the olive oil, half the sherry vinegar, and a pinch of salt; vacuum seal.
• Refrigerate beets and allow to marinate 8 to 12 hours.
• Just before serving, season with remaining olive oil and sherry vinegar.

BAKED FETA WITH SESAME & HONEY

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the sesame seeds in a shallow dish and brush the block of feta all over with the honey. Carefully press the honey-coated feta into the sesame seeds, turning so that it's well crusted with seeds.
• Put the feta in a baking dish (it should fit snugly), then sprinkle over the oregano and a pinch of sea salt. Drizzle with some olive oil. Bake for 15-20 mins until the feta is soft, then drizzle with a little extra honey and serve with the pitta breads on the side.