Its True Colors.

Let's not be biased here.  I know you're thinking it's all fine and relevant to have color in frozen treats like rainbow Popsicles, but that when it comes to dinner, the staples of a dollop of white, slice of red,  earthen green and crust of brown need to remain intact.  Yet the safety of a strict color palate is tired and trite.  What I'm offering here is a chance to infuse some liveliness onto your plate via the proud, saucy, high kick of magenta.  

I know the above picture looks like a raspberry bled all over my pretty ceramic plate, or worse, that John sliced his thumb and bleeds hot pink, but it's merely our usual staple: beets.  I suspect it must be hard to imagine that girlish coloured sauce was infused with lemony tang from sidling next to fresh sorrel, or buttered to a dense perfection from swimming around with sauteed shiitake mushrooms.  Or even laden with the enticing undertones of sauteed garlic and onion.   Is it hard to imagine it would taste as unexpectedly non-magenta as it looks?  If this dish showed its true colors I believe it would un-blush itself into a creamy, earthy ecru.  

Remember that post, the one where we ate with so little shame I didn't get a chance to take a photo for you?  This is that sauce, except disguised in its hot pink alias.  Some of the fellow enhancers are different too, (we used sorrel instead of spinach, and added the beet's leaves), but any greens that become limp and faint when exposed to the heat of the saucepan will do.  I recommend the beet leaves (as you will be trusting me and using beets), and adding lemon juice if you have no sorrel.    Also, my former recipe calls for creme fraiche, which would be just the thing to knock this dish out of the ball park, but whole milk is a nice substitute and a winner too.

You deserve a better explanation of this dish than I can give so late in the evening, but humor me as I try my best:  This dish is slowly-sauteed onion and garlic (in olive oil), the addition of chopped beet leaves, sorrel, shiitake mushrooms and about 1/4 cup of milk.  After milk is added, the dish is brought to high heat for approximately 5-7 minutes and stirred well, then it rests on low for about 45 minutes.  The beets are steamed to tenderness beforehand, and then when ready to serve, rinsed, stripped out of their skins, diced and added to color the pot with their bright juices.  To tone the dish down with a dose of modesty, everything is then spooned on a homemade tortilla, wrapped up like a snug burrito and devoured.  The only thing you have to do is make sure you aren't wearing any white prior to or during the colorful feast.

Now that you've tolerated me through the explanation of a photograph that merits the reaction of Munch's The Scream, I will reward you with a more edible looking, less frightening photograph:

Well, I tried.  I never said the dish was a beauty, only that it was colorful.  And tasty.  And healthy.  Except for the homemade canola-fried tortillas that I ate too many of which made me queasy.  Lucky for me, the heat of a laptop on my belly is the perfect remedy for nausea.

Pink Beet Tortillas with Sorrel

3 large beets, steamed for 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife

1 large bunch sorrel or spinach (if using spinach add juice of 1 lemon)

3 tbsp. garlic, diced

4 tbsp. onion, diced

large handful of beet leaves (greens only, no stems)

1 cup whole milk

4 tbsp olive oil

salt, (to taste)

pepper, (to taste)

shitakee mushrooms (any amount you desire)

Heat olive oil in a large 9 inch saucepan on medium heat.  When warmed, add garlic and onion until golden brown and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add milk, sorrel, beet leaves, salt and pepper, stir, cover and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.   Lower heat, cover to slowly simmer for 30 minutes.  Add beets (they should be steamed, diced and peeled), stir and mix for 2 more minutes.  Add salt and/or pepper to taste.  Spoon over a tortilla and serve immediately.  

*Hint:  this dish serves two.  Bear in mind that greens shrink a lot when cooked, so add more if you feel your supply is diminishing.

The delicious tortilla recipe is here, courtesy of my favorite gal, Molly Wizenberg.