DECONSTRUCTED BEET STACK
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 9:15AM 
It was really only a handful of years ago when I learned beets don't come from a can in that lovely shade of neon purple. You've seen them at salad bars, shredded and soggy next to the baby corns and greasy croutons. I discovered that this rooted vegetable was easy to roast, and it felt so 'pioneer' of me to figure my way to the tender sweetness through the mass of tangled greens and nubby, hairy exterior. If you can bake a potato, you can roast a beet.
I know that people either love or hate beets. Same goes for horseradish, so I am not expecting this recipe to appeal to the masses. I find that with whole milk yogurt, the horseradish is not too strong amongst all the other vegetables. The layers are attractively bitter, spicy and there is the expected earthiness that beets bring. When I actually host the dinner parties that I dream of, this will be on the menu. I think colorful, fresh food plated vertically, looks beautiful. If my guests don't like it, please push your plate my way thank you very much. 
DECONSTRUCTED BEET STACK // Serves 4 as a side
I think this would make a wonderful complete meal with some thin slices of lox or smoked tofu between the layers, or maybe a poached egg on top. Note that our pictures show a regular navel orange, though I highly recommend the color contrast of a blood orange here. I didn't want to go back to the store.
3 Golden Beets (larger ones, as close to the same size possible)
1 Blood Orange
1 Cup Watercress
1/2 Cup Thin Slices of Red Onion
Dressing //
1 Cup Whole/Lowfat Plain Yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Prepared Horseradish*
2 Tbsp. Champagne/Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Agave Nectar
2 Tbsp. Fresh Chives
Pinch of Salt
*Prepared horseradish is different that 'horseradish cream' at the grocery store. If you don't like the taste of horseradish, an alternative suggestion would be to mince a shallot and add some extra white pepper for a bit of spice.
Oven to 425'
1. Cut off the beet greens close to the actual beet part. Give the beets a few pokes with a fork and wrap completely in foil. Bake for an hour, depending on the size of the beet. It feels similar to a baked potato when done.
2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, horseradish, vinegar, agave and pinch of salt. Add the chives and set aside.
3. Cut the skin and pith from the orange, and slice into max 1/4'' thick coins.
4. When the beets are done, set aside until they are cool enough to handle. With a paring knife, peel off the skin gently as they can get slippery. Slice the beets into max 1/4'' thick coins, just like the orange.
5. To assemble, put a dollop of sauce on the bottom of the plate, then a beet with another dollop of sauce, then a few leaves of watercress and a slice of orange and a dollop on top of that. Repeat: beet, dollop, watercress, orange, watercress, dollop to however high you'd like your stack to go. Scatter the slices of red onion and if you'd like, maybe some toasted walnuts around the plate. Top the stack with a dollop of sauce and a grind of fresh pepper. Note that the pretty presentation is quickly demolished once you start cutting into it :)
Reader Comments (49)
Do golden beets taste much different from red ones? I like the way they look, similar to citrus, and am developing high hopes...
I admit, I'm not the biggset beet person. Mainly because my husband doesn't eat them, so I never make them. But I think pairing them with horseradish would be awesome. I'm gonna try making this tonight, let you know how it goes.
oh my. what a lovely post...and a recipe that seemingly has all of my favorite foods in one. i'm swooning. :)
Wow! I love beets and I love horseradish! I am making this this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!
It's not that I like them or don't like them, I just don't THINK about beets, you know? Clearly I should--this combination sounds so lovely!
I've never tried either kind of beet because I really don't like veggies, but the stack you made looks wonderful!
I love beet salads, they have to be at the top of my list. I never thought to add horseradish with beets before. Will try it out, I'm sure it tastes great! Gorgeous sunshine colors on the plate!
oh my. not only is this beautiful, it sounds great as well!
Mmm, I love beets with oranges. And horseradish is just a brilliant bonus. I think I'll make this as soon as I set foot back home!
everyone's got beets on the mind! i love what you've done with these golden beets. i'd never thought to pair with horseradish. must try!
Um WOW - this looks amazing!! I am currently having a love affair with beets and this recipe is right up my alley!
I love golden beats! Last summer when I had dinner at the culinary institute I had a micro green salad with fresh and pickled golden beats....yum!
Oh the colors in these photographs are just perfect! I am a huge fan of beets, one of my favorite salads to throw together is a beet and warm goat cheese salad with a little balsamico!....mmmm im going to have to try your recipe next!
ooo i love this! i've always been a big fan of beets...the non-salad-bar ones ;) and i became even more of one when i moved to sweden. they're a big deal here. pickled and au natural. this stack is a flavor powerhouse. um, watercress...yes, please. i made a quinoa/lox salad last night for dinner and had a creme fraiche/honey/horseradish dressing on the side. we're on the same page, sister. grilled tofu would be delish in this one. you're awesome!
That looks ALMOST too pretty to eat! Gorgeous presentation. Would make a fabulous appetizer for a holiday dinner party.
Beets, onions, horseradish and citrus? Oh man, I really can't wait to make this. Thanks for the inspiration and bright color on this chilly winter day in NYC.
AHH! Beets! I love them... so much so that I dedicated my blog to them...
gorgeous colors!
Beautiful!! A great new way to try beets...let me know when you host the dinner party ;)
I made a golden beet soup at home after trying it in a restaurant last year -- I was never a fan of beets before, but it opened up a new world of vegetable possibilities!
I really should add more beets to my diet, they look so much tastier when they're not from a can! This dish looks amazing too, love the colors.
This is a truly beautiful dish! I love the flavor combinations.
Wow Sara - this looks gorgeous! I saw a recipe for a beet stack in Bon Appetit a few months ago. I remember there being ginger and red beets, and I almost made it but then I didn't , for some reason. And I do like beets, I just never do enough with them :(, but this is surely inspiration!
I love it all....please push a plate my way! Beets are SO nourishing, just eating them makes me feel stronger.
I like cooking with golden beets better; less red staining.
Like you I didn't explore beets much until a few years ago. My initial exposure was the awful canned variety. Now, I grow them and am particularly fond of the golden variety. My favorite way to eat them is simply peeled and shredded raw in a salad, which also includes the beet greens. Your stack, however, is tempting with the horseradish.
I am a beet person. And I am drooling.
Completely a beet person, but you make it look so much more appealing. Enjoying the content and the look of your blog. The pics are gorgeous. Shulie
So funny -- I saw this headline and thought it said "deconstructed BEEF stack," which sounded gross and not at all Sprouted Kitchen.
But this is beautiful, and much more appetizing.
Beautiful! And so different!! Where do you come up with it? :)
love all your recipes and your photos... It takes a lot to make food photos look yummy and you've made it!
I am not a fan of beets but I find that oranges go really well with it. Interesting salad. I have never had golden beets, does it taste the same as the red kind?
Yellow beets? This is a first for me! Very interesting.
Every time I glanced at this blog post in my Reader I thought it said 'Deconstructed BEEF stack' and my mind always went 'Huh?' and skipped over it for another time, possibly when I wanted to read about that sort of thing. What I never understood was why you had a picture of BEETS there, when the post was about BEEF.
Well...apparently I need my eyes checked. Or something.
Beets. Gold. Love them and oh my do I adore the greens, gently sauteed with some garlic and a little butter. I made a beet green pesto last year and found it to be so amazing that I nearly shed a tear. One of my Farmers Markets favs was an organic farmer with the most amazing beets. *sigh* I need Spring. Lovely, lovely dish.
Make a quadruple batch for you and Hugh and me and Randy, then you and I can split Randy's portion. He doesn't like beets which is agony for me because I love them. I snuck some golden ones in a pasta salad and he said it was the best one I had ever made so maybe there is hope.
These are really gorgeous. Love the color and the flavors.
I love beets. It looks delicious.
Hello,
Happy Sunday. Hope you are having a great weekend.
Most important I wanted to tell you how much I adore your blog. Your a gem.
I have just started a new blog called Certified Organic Recipe and I would love if you might consider offering a organic sweets recipe post. Thanks so much.
http://certifiedorganicrecipe.blogspot.com/
BLessings,
Jamie
We've been getting gang-buster numbers of beets in our CSA share and my husband turns up his nose at them. In turn, I have made it my new project to learn to like beets. My current favorite is roasting and slicing them, then stacking the beet slices with tangy goat cheese. It's a start!
I have some leftover roasted beets in the refrigerator (red though) from a beet, goat cheese, and walnut pizza that I just made, and this recipe looks like a good place for them!
roasted beets + oranges are THE BEST combination. We're fond of them with feta or chevre -- will have to give the horseradish a go!
Beautiful and gorgeous colors!
I love seeing beets in their original form! Now I am going to be on the lookout when I am at the grocery store. This sounds delicious.
I have been craving beets with oranges for a couple of weeks. And fennel with oranges. But so far I've only made sweet potatoes with oranges -- delicious, by the way. I'll remember to stack my beets for this lovely presentation!
Wowwwww. Don't love beets, but do love horseradish and these pictures are pretty enough to make me want to give it a try!
i love beets! this looks terrific, the color of those golden beets is gorgeous.
looks soooo tasty sis....plz make again when i come home
This looks incredible! Can't wait to try it.
[...] Deconstructed Beet Stack by Sprouted Kitchen Fenke [...]
Hi! Just found your blog, it's lovely. This recipe looks amazing! I posted some of your pics on my blog with a link to your site if you dont mind.
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