This week for Plant based challenge we have the theme root vegetables.
I have chosen beets as the main root. It is something I haven't been crazy about in my younger days. I didn't dislike it though. Well there was the first memory of beets that I ever had and that was my 5th birthday which was the first time I remember a birthday cake. My mother was Thai so I guess conventional cakes weren't a thing at the time. I remember that she made a beautiful pink cake. I somehow found out that she colored the icing with beet juice and it turned me off. I will never forget that. However I don't remember that it tasted strange or anything. Since then I think that using beets for coloring is a great idea.
It's only been in the last five years or so that I have grown fond of beets. It could have been the beet hummus. I also had a raw beet slaw in a sandwich at a vegan place I used to work at. Oh and it's one of my favorite ingredients for a homemade veggie burger. I have been wanting to make beet ravioli for a while. This was the perfect time to give it a go.
Beet ravioli dough
1 cooked beet
2 cups all purpose four
1 or more cups semolina
2 tablespoons olive oil
A pinch of salt
Chop the beet roughly and boil until tender.
I mixed all purpose with semolina which I only tried for the first time a few months ago. I'm hooked. It has low gluten so mixed with the all purpose, it's easier to work with and makes a good pasta.
After the beets are cooked put them in a blender. Add this to the dough. knead the dough with the beets and add salt and olive oil adding water if needed. Add either more flour or water to make a nice soft doughy ball.
Cover and set aside while you make the filling.
Ravioli filling
1 cooked beet
1 cup walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dill
After rolling out the dough I cut circles filled them with the mixture and put a circle on top then sealed.
I used semolina flour to dust the dough instead of all purpose. I find it easier to work with. It's not so sticky. Don't get me wrong, I am no expert at things made with flour but it turned out the way I wanted.
For the sauce I combined celeriac (celery root) with carrots. I have never combined these before except in a soup broth.
After cutting the roots roughly into cubes I boiled them until they were tender.
I caramelized onion and garlic adding herbs and the seasoning. I also threw in a splash of white balsamic but I think white wine would have been good as well.
This was combined with the roots, the cashews, tahini and juice of a lemon. I put it in a blender and made it smooth then kept it warm while I boiled the ravioli.
Celeriac carrot sauce
2 carrots
1/2 a celeriac
3 cloves garlic
1 chopped onion
3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
Juice of a lemon
1/2 cup vegetable broth or 1 teaspoon powdered broth
1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)
The ravioli boiled until it was tender. I didn't time it but kept checking until it was nice and tender like any pasta.
Originally I intended to put parsley in the sauce but I didn't want to muddy the orange color. Instead I made a parsley puree with olive oil salt and garlic. This was just added to give an extra herb flavor.
For the garnish I sprinkled some salted crushed walnuts and added fresh zucchini slices that got warm from the hot sauce and ravioli. There was no need to cook it first. I like raw zucchini anyway.
Have a good day and thanks for stopping by.
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