smoked beet + macadamia nut brittle salad

Mmm…beets.   Golden, red & candy striped, they are all delicious.  I find that the smaller beets are sweeter.  For this salad, I wanted to try something different.  I usually roast my beets, but this time I decided to smoke them.  Wow.  The beets came out so tender.  The smokiness with the candied mac nuts and the tangy yogurt brought this salad together perfectly.

    

For the smoking process you will need a heavy bottomed pan with a lid.  I made these on my stove, but if you have a smoker that would be even better.  If you aren’t able to smoke the beets, you can definitely roast them in the oven, they will just taste a little different.  Sprinkle a little bit of smoked sea salt on top just before serving to add that smoky flavor.

    

The beets should be served at room temperature so while they are cooling, prepare your macadamia nut brittle and yogurt sauce.

 

smoked beet salad with macadamia nut brittle

makes 4 servings

ingredients:

brittle

1c raw macadamia nuts

1/2c organic sugar

beets

6-8 small beets, assorted variety

2c uncooked rice, discard after using

peel of 1 lemon, reserve lemon for the juice

4-6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2T water

2T maple syrup

4T olive oil

1t sea salt

1/2t pepper

everything else

1c plain greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

handful of fresh cilantro, leaves only

how to:

For the brittle…prepare a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.  On medium/low heat add the sugar evenly to a large heavy bottomed pot.  It should just coat the bottom of the pot.  Do not stir.  Keep a close eye on it, it will start to turn a golden color very quickly.  As soon as it does, carefully add the macadamia nuts and stir to coat with a wooden spoon.  This mixture is very hot, so be careful not to touch it with your hands.  Pour the nuts onto the lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer.  Let cool.  Once it’s completely cool, break it into pieces and chop.

For the beets…pre heat your oven to 450°.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Set aside.  Scrub the beets and trim of the tops and bottoms.  Leave the peel on.  Line a large heavy bottomed pan (don’t use your favorite pan) with heavy duty aluminum foil.  Leave enough hanging over the edges to fold over the lid.  Add the rice, lemon peel, bay leaf & thyme.  Add the 2T water.  Sit the beets on top of the rice and cover with a tight fitting lid.  Bring the foil over to cover the lid making sure that there aren’t any openings.  Place the pot on high heat and after about 5 minutes you will start to see some smoke seeping out.  Cook for another 6-8 minutes then remove from heat.  Carefully open the pot.  With a pair of tongs, transfer the beets to the lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 45 minutes until the skins are charred.  Remove from even and let cool.  Peel the beets and slice them into 1/2″ thick rounds.  Place sliced beets into a large bowl.  Add maple syrup, olive oil, salt & pepper.

Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, 1t salt and 1/2t pepper in a bowl.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Set aside.

Arrange the sliced beets onto a plate.  Drizzle some of the yogurt sauce on top and top with the mac nut brittle and fresh cilantro.

enjoy!

this salad is adapted from Yotam Ottelenghi