We'll admit, we don't exactly jump for joy when we hear the words "celery root." Who would? Celery's never been our favorite food, despite the fact that it's insanely healthy and makes for a great snack. What can we say? We'd prefer cucumbers or fresh fruit to a crunchy stalk of celery. Hence, we've never cooked with celery root. That is, until we gave this recipe, courtesy of A House in the Hills, a try. Holy delicious! Featuring celery root puree topped with herbed roasted beets, it's a truely delicious treat that also happens to be good for you. Don't you love when that happens?
INGREDIENTS:
4 1/4 cups peeled, cubed celery root (one extra large celery root)
2 cups peeled, roasted cubed beets (about 2 medium beets)
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon earth balance vegan butter (substitute regular butter if preferred)
1/8 cup of almond milk
4 tablespoons high quality olive oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped sage
1/4 teaspoons sea salt (more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
(extra chopped herbs to garnish)
– Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash beets, pierce with fork, wrap in tinfoil and place on baking sheet.
METHOD:
To prepare beets:
– While beets are roasting combine olive oil, sage, rosemary, oregano, 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
– Roast beets for 30-60 minutes, they are done when easily pierced with a fork.
– Let cool until they can be handled and remove skins with hands.
– Chop into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a medium mixing bowl.
– Add herbed dressing to beets and mix well.
– Add cubed celery root and garlic and cook for 10-15 minutes or until celery root is tender.
To prepare celery root puree:
– Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
– Drain celery root and garlic and add to a food processor or blender (I used a Vitamix)
– Add almond milk, earth balance and 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt and blend until creamy (it should be really creamy!). Add more salt to taste.
To Serve:
Spoon beets over celery root puree, sprinkling with freshly chopped herbs for additional garnish and flavor. If additional olive oil sneaks into the bowl, don't worry it will just make it that much more delicious. Serve immediately!
