My Favorite Recipes

My brother calls this recipe a time machine, as after one taste, it took him back to the time of our youth when pickled beets were a regular occurrence at out house.  The nice thing about pickled beets is many of our family members don’t like them, so that leaves more for my two brothers and myself.

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, cleaned with 1-inch stem remaining
• 2 large shallots, peeled
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, frenched
• 2 cups tarragon wine vinegar
• 1 Tbl Kosher salt1 cup sugar2 cups water
• Roast the Beets

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl toss first 4 of the ingredients.  Place into a foil pouch and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.  Remove the skin from the Roasted Beets and slice in 3/8 inch slices. Arrange in 1-quart jars alternating layers with the onion.  In a small pot boil the rest of the ingredients and pour over the beets. Tightly lid the jars and place in the refrigerator for 3 to 7 days before serving.

In my quest for more simple and healthy dinners, I ran across a recipe for a Ruben sandwich that replaces the pastrami with spinach. Combined with quality rye bread, good swiss cheese and some sauerkraut, this sandwich has so much flavor going on, that you don’t miss the fatty but tasty pastrami. The original recipe in Eating Well, calls for low fat cheese, and less of it, but this is a Ruben without pastrami, so live a little. I would double, triple or quadruple the dressing and save some for later.

Russian dressing

• 1/8 Cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons chopped capers
• 1 teaspoon chopped pickle or relish

Sandwiches

• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced or 3 shallots finely diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch spinach, cleaned and stemmed
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground
• 4 slices rye bread
• 4 thin slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut

1. To prepare Russian dressing: Whisk mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in capers and pickle (or relish).
2. To prepare sandwiches: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion or shallots and mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until it has wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
3. Coat the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and return to medium heat. Add the bread; divide cheese equally among the slices. Divide sauerkraut between 2 slices and divide the spinach mixture between the other 2 slices; cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer sandwich halves to a cutting board. Divide the dressing between the spinach halves. Carefully place the sauerkraut halves on top. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.