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Beet Chocolate Cake

Beet Chocolate Cake

Chef Leah Hays
Make your true love's heart skip a beat with this luscious beetroot chocolate cake. The depth flavor comes through with an easy beet puree. Eat your colors with a little chocolatey goodness.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling/Decorating Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Eastern European, German

Ingredients
  

Cake Batter

  • 200 g beet root medium, washed about 2 (or 3 small)
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup local honey
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 each eggs lightly whisked
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups self-raising flour sifted

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 1 cup icing sugar sifted
  • 5 oz cream cheese

Chocolate ganache

  • 1½ cup chocolate chopped or chips, your choice of dark or milk
  • 9 oz cream

Instructions
 

Cake Batter

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 8" round spring form cake pan with the melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick parchment paper.
  • Cut the top and bottoms off of the beet roots, lightly oil, wrap in foil and bake until an inserted knife comes out of the roots easily. Let cool slightly and the peels should come right off with your hand, no peeler required.
  • Place cooked beets, hot water and cocoa powder in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Add the sugar, honey and eggs, and mix until smooth.
  • Combine the milk, oil and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup and reserve.
  • Place your beet mixture in a mixing bowl and fold in half the flour and then half the milk mixture until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and then the remaining milk mixture.
  • Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
  • For a little valentine's flair, consider using a 4 inch round pan and a 4 in square pan. Split the batter in two even amounts. Once baked and cooled, cut the round cake in half to create two half circles. Place these on a cake pan with the square positioned like a diamond, on the top two edges, creating a heart shape!

Cream Cheese Icing

  • Whip the room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. On low gradually add the powdered sugar and whip until fluffy and stiff peaks form.
  • This is a great place to add a bit of raspberry extract, cherry liqueur, brandy, or whatever you fancy. Use as a filling or topping.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Pour the cream into a medium pot and heat on low it until it is not quite boiling, take care not to scald. You’ll know it’s ready when bubbles start to form around the edge of the pot.
  • Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate in a heat proof mixing bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted into the cream, this should be smooth and shiny. Don't fret if it doesn't come together right away, once the chocolate emulsifies with the fat of the cream it will become smooth melty and delicious.
  • Use as a filling or topping.

Notes

Consider using fresh fruits like raspberries or strawberries on top. Get a bit more festive with honey roasted beets cut out in heart shapes!
Keyword beetroot, beets, eat the rainbow, secret veggies, valentine’s day menu
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Zero Waste Greens Pesto

Pesto
Pesto

Zero Waste Greens Pesto

Chef Leah Hays
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, condiment, garnish, sauce
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 1 quart

Equipment

  • blender or mortar and pestle

Ingredients
  

  • 2 gallon bags of cleaned destemmed Carrot Tops Kale, Broccoli Greens (Any combination)
  • 4 cups Arugula
  • 2 cups Basil leaves
  • 1 cup Parsley leaves
  • ¾ cup Sunflower butter or 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2-3 T Garlic cloves smashed
  • 2 T Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 T Honey or agave
  • 2 cups Olive oil
  • to taste Salt and black pepper
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Optional:

Instructions
 

  • Tougher greens (carrot tops, kale, broccoli…) need to be placed in a strainer and boiled in salted water for 3-5 minutes and chilled in an ice water bath immediately. Remove once cool directly into a blender or food processor.
  • Add all other ingredients except Olive oil (and cheese if adding). For pesto with a chunky texture, pulse mixture while gradually adding oil ¼ cup at a time until combined. For a smooth texture add ½ cup of oil and turn on blender or immersion blender and drizzle remaining oil slowly to emulsify.
  • If adding, fold in shredded cheese and pulse to desired consistency. Add 1 T salt and pepper and allow to meld for 5 minutes.
  • Taste check and add salt and pepper as needed. Also check the balance of sweetness, acidity, and mouthfeel of the oil with the texture.
  • Store up to 3 weeks in refrigerator or water bath can and seal for 10 minutes for shelf stable storage up to 1 year(without dairy products or nut oils)

Notes

Swirl with mascarpone cheese and serve with toasted baguette as an appetizer.
Toss with fresh cooked pasta and add a small amount of pasta cooking water.
Use as a pizza sauce with fresh cherry tomatoes and a fresh mozzarella.
Toss salad greens for a lovely salad.
Marinade chicken or steak before grilling.
Keyword 30 minute recipe, aromatic, dips for chips, fresh herbs, garlic, greens, pasta sauce, penny saving, salad greens, zero waste
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Green Goddess Dressing

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Green Goddess Dressing

Chef Leah Burback
Try this fresh herby dressing with your favorite veggies or chips for an appetizer. A great compliment to little hors-d'Å“uvres like bean burgers, crab cakes, hush puppies, and so much more!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course condiment, sauce, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup green onions, chopped white and green parts down to just above roots
  • 1 cup basil, chopped try combinations like tarragon, oregano, parsley chervil as well
  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice or try tarragon shrub
  • 2 tsp garlic, chopped
  • 2 each anchovies, oil-packed
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp white pepper, fresh ground
  • 1 cup sour cream or whole greek yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Place all but sour cream(or yogurt) in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add the last ingredient and mix just until smooth. over mixing will seperate the cream and liquify your dressing.
  • This will keep for a week in the fridge. Enjoy with your favorite veggies as a dip, as a dipping sauce on your favorite chicken recipe, or as a dressing for a grain salad.
Keyword 30 minute recipe, appetizer, chopped salad, dips for chips, dressing, fresh herbs, herbs
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Honey Roasted Beets and Carrots

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Honey Roasted Beets and Carrots

Chef Leah Burback
Simple sweet preparation for a side dish that goes with almost anything. Use bright color combinations with colorful carrots and varied types of beets.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, garnish, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, tasting dinner
Cuisine American, French, Mediterranean
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb beets try a combination of candystripe(chiogga), golden, and dark red detroits
  • 1 lb carrots smaller multi colored stem on
  • ¼ cup local honey warm or room temperature
  • ¼ cup sunflower or olive oil high temp/smoke point
  • to taste salt and black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Wash, and lightly scrub beets and carrots. Take care to scrape around the crown (stem point), and trim fibrous roots off.
  • Leave carrots whole about the size of your index finger, or cut down to similar size. Sort on a foil lined sheet tray by color to keep the lighter colors light.
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  • Cut beets in wedges from stem to root until about ½" thick. Place on baking tray with purple carrots if using.
  • Drizzle oil, honey salt and pepper over veggies and massage slightly to even coat veggies and avoid globs of honey.
  • Place in oven and roast until just start to see brown color on darker veggies and significantly browned lighter colors. Shake every so often to distribute oil and honey over the veggies.
  • Once cooked toss everything together and serve with your favorite main course.

Notes

Serve with your valentine’s day feast! Great with seared steaks, grilled chicken, smoked mushrooms, or serve as a breakfast with a fried egg on top. Pairs well with goat cheese and sweeter red wines.
Keyword appetizer, beetroot, beets, carrots, chopped salad, eat the rainbow, roasted
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Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin

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Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin

Leah Burback
a simple method to infuse more flavor and fat into a lean but delicious piece of meat.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Sear and Rest Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, French, sous vide
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • immersion circulator(sous vide setup)
  • Cooking bag (vacuum, silicone, or otherwise sous vide approved bag.)
  • saute pan or grill pan for searing
  • tongs
  • basting spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ea beef tenderloin
  • 6 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, beef fat, or bacon fat
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 sprigs fresh herbs try rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, oregano
  • salt and peppercorn medley try an applewood smoked sea salt for a smoky indoor flavor without the grill.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the sous vide (immersion circulator) waterbath to 125°F for Rare- Medium Rare. 133°F for Medium. 140°F Medium Well. 149°F for Well Done.
  • Portion clean, trimmed beef tenderloin into 3 inch tall portions. Tie with cotton butchers twine to hold the round medallion shape while cooking.
  • Season Beef with salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Place tenderloin and all other ingredients in a vacuum bag of your choice, remove most of the air from the bag.
  • Place sealed bag in waterbath, double checking for water leaks, and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  • Heat a cast iron saute pan or grill to a medium high heat. If doing so indoors on a stove, be sure to use a hood vent to not smoke out the house. Add a small amount of high heat oil to the pan, once heated just before searing.
  • Remove the tenderloin from the bag, careful to reserve the aromatics, butter and juices inside. Sear beef on two flat sides until deep golden brown and carmelized.
  • If searing in a sauté pan, add reserved juices and allow milk solids in the butter to brown. Baste meat by spooning buttery juices over the medallions until moistened.
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  • Remove meat and crispy garlic cloves from the pan, cut twine to remove from meat, and let rest for 15 minutes covered in foil.
  • Slice, sprinkle with salt, and serve with your favorite seasonal vegetable sides and include the carmelized garlic for sweet punch of flavor.

Notes

Consider adding other seasonal flavors or spice this up with chile flakes. A great south american alternative cooking marinade would be a chimichurri sauce. 
Try pairing with sides like roasted root vegetable medley, fresh seasonal salads, or your favorite warm grains. 
Keyword aromatic, beef, butter, fresh herbs, reverse sear, sous vide
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Artichokes with Hollandaise

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Artichokes with Hollandaise

Chef Leah Burback
Whole fresh artichokes steamed with rich zingy hollandaise sauce. Try this classic fun appetizer as a date night experience!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine American, French
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

Hollandaise

  • 10 Tbsp unsalted butter if using salted butter, skip the added salt
  • 3 each egg yolks see how to separate eggs
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • â…› tsp cayenne optional

Artichokes

  • 2 each Fresh artichokes look for bright colors and heavy feel
  • 2 slices Lemon
  • 2 each Bay leaf
  • 2 each Garlic cloves

Instructions
 

Hollandaise Sauce

  • Melt the butter on low in a small pot. Try not to let it boil—you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away.
  • Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds.
  • Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the hot melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to blend for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated. Take care not to blend too high or too long to over thicken.
  • Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If needed, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste.
  • If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.
  • Store until needed in a warm spot and use within an hour or so. Store any unused in an airtight container. Warm over a double boiler and blend on low until smooth once more.

Steamed Artichokes

  • With a pair of kitchen scissors, snip off the tips of the artichoke leaves, they're sharp. With a super-sharp, heavy-duty knife, lop off the top of the artichoke – about 3/4 of an inch worth and cut off the stem at just below the base of the artichoke so that it will sit flat. Remove the bottom row of leaves. Rinse well under cold water.
    cleaning artichokes
  • Fill a large pot with about two inches of water and set in the artichokes, bottom side down. Optional: add a bay leaf, a slice of lemon, and/or a garlic clove. Set on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature on the water to medium, reducing it to a simmer.
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  • Cover and steam the artichokes for about 30-40 minutes, until tender. You can check for doneness by inserting the tip of a knife into the bottom (if it goes in with only a little resistance they're done) or by pulling off a tester leaf (it should come off easily). Remove from water, allow to cool a bit, and serve with warm hollandaise or garlic herb butter.
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Keyword artichokes, date night, hollandaise, mother sauce, steamed, tasting dinner, valentine’s day menu
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Dublin Coddle

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Dublin Coddle

Chef Leah Burback
Slow cooked irish braise with potatoes, cabbage, bacon/sausage, and onions. A nice one pot recipe to warm you and your family on the coldest early spring nights.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Assembly 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup, Stew
Cuisine American, Celtic, Irish, Peasant
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • dutch oven or oven safe soup pot with lid

Ingredients
  

  • 10 strips Applewood smoked bacon cut into 1-inch pieces thick-cut about ½-¾ lb.
  • 1 ¾ pound about 5 quality pork sausages
  • 4 each small yellow onions sliced
  • 1 cup cabbage cut into 2" squares
  • 1 cup carrots large dice
  • 3 lb. russet potatoes roughly peeled and diced into large bite-size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley minced
  • to taste kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 cups chicken stock low-sodium

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  • Place bacon into a 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium to medium-low until cooked and crispy, about 18-20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
  • Sear sausages for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into thirds.
  • Remove the pot from the burner and layer, onions with a pinch of salt and parsley, bacon, sausages, more parsley, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and then a few pinches of both salt and pepper and the remaining minced parsley.
  • Pour stock over top, cover and place back onto burner. Bring liquid up to a boil before covering and transferring pot to preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Remove and ladle into bowls with a little of the broth and serve immediately with sourdough or brown bread.
Keyword bacon, braising, cabbage, Dublin, potato, Sausage, Slow Cooked, Stew
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Potato Latkes

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Potato Latkes with Carmelized Cabbage

Chef Leah Burback
Traditional potato pancakes with carmelized cabbage shreds as a rich hearty side dish or grazing item. Peasant foods that traveled with immigrants from Eastern Europe.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Eastern European, Peasant
Servings 3 dozen

Equipment

  • box grater or grater of your choice

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large potatoes about 1 pound, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
  • 1 large onion 8 ounces, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • high temp frying oil i.e. sunflower or safflower

Instructions
 

  • Grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
  • Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
  • In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Keyword appetizer, pancake, peasant dish, penny saving, thrifty
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Crispy Bean Cakes

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Crispy Bean Cakes

Chef Leah Burback
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
rest time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Eastern European, French, Latin American, Peasant
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • food processor
  • Spatula
  • Frying pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Black Beans cooked (or 1 can)
  • as needed bean pot liquor or veggie stock
  • 1 cup Oat Flour GF Harvest
  • 1 cup Rolled Oats GF Harvest or cooked quinoa
  • as needed Bread Crumbs or puffed quinoa cereal
  • as needed Oil or ghee optional, if you fry them
  • 1 ½ tbsp Flax Seeds ground
  • 1 ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Onion powder

Instructions
 

  • To fry: Fill cast iron skillet with about 1 inch of sunflower or avocado oil. Bring the temperature up to 350°F over medium heat.
    To pan fry: Heat a medium-sized cast iron skillet to medium-high heat
    To bake: Preheat your oven to 425° F
  • Place drained beans into a food processor and gradually add liquid and process until just smooth and pureed.
  • Combine your rolled oats, oat flour, ground flax seed, bean purée and seasonings till fully incorporated, let rest for 5 minutes for oats to absorb into the mixture.
  • Portion out into bite size (2 Tbsp.) or two bite size (¼ cup) and roll in bread crumbs for an even coat.
  • To fry: Test a small piece of the mixture, this should sizzle immediately and start to float within a couple of seconds. Fry each meatball about 2-3 minutes on each side, rotating/flipping till dark golden brown all over.
  • To pan fry: To hot cast iron skillet, add 2 Tbsp of oil to the pan per batch of cakes and cook 2-3 minutes per side, should be crispy and golden brown when flipped. Oil should only smoke slightly, if too smoky turn down the heat to medium, each batch added will cool off the heat of the pan slightly, try adjusting the batch size if temperature issues persist.
  • To bake: Spray a parchment lined sheet tray or cast iron pan with olive or avocado oil. Place cakes in neat rows and spray tops as well. Bake for 6-8 minutes until crispy, flipping half way through to ensure carmelization on both sides.
  • Cool cakes on a grate to drip off any excess oil, salt the outside, and serve with green goddess dressing, as a slider option with your favorite burger toppings, or as a meatball substitute in your favorite dishes!

Notes

To increase these crispy delights to a complete protein try substituting the rolled oats or rolling them in puffed quinoa cereal. 
Adjust flavorings to match each dish but stick to dried ingredients or reduce existing recipe liquid accordingly.
Keyword 30 minute recipe, appetizer, croquette, fiber, hearty vegetable, meat alternative, meatless, protein
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Wyoming Raspberries

SonHarvest Raspberries
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Raspberry Vinaigrette

Chef Leah Burback
Bring the brightness of Wyoming raspberries to sweet and savory dishes. Simple easy recipe with versatility for many dishes, deliciousness you can keep on hand for any occasion.
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, condiment, garnish, Main Course, Salad, sauce, Snack
Cuisine American, French
Servings 1 pint

Equipment

  • blender (smoothie or immersion)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh raspberries washed
  • 1/4 cup local honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tblsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tblsp fresh ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup olive oil or sunflower oil

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients except oil into a blender.
  • While blending gradually drizzle in oil until texture changes and dressing becomes emulsified.
  • Taste, to adjust seasoning or sourness. Adjust consistency with water.
  • Store in airtight container in the fridge. Shake well before using.

Video

Notes

Use on salad greens, as a fruit dip, grain pilafs, and much more!
Keyword broccoli salad, dressing, fruit, fruit dip, grain pilaf, greens, salad, slaw, vinaigrette

Raspberry Syrup

Chef Leah Hays
Preserve the flavor of Wyoming summer with a simple syrup. this easy recipe is a shelf stable option to bring fresh tart flavor to so many dishes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
cooling/canning time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course condiment, Dessert, Drinks, garnish, sauce
Cuisine American, French, Italian

Equipment

  • sauce pot
  • canning equipment
  • sieve or strainer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb raspberries fresh or frozen
  • 1 lb local raw honey

Instructions
 

  • Place ingredients in a sauce pot over medium low heat.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Strain and cool. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 weeks or water bath can for shelf stable storage.

Notes

Save pulp for raspberry shrubs or vinegars.
Keyword fruit syrup, honey, preserve, raspberries, sweet, tart

Raspberry Mint Spritzer

Try sipping on this tart effervescent refreshment while using our Raspberry Syrup recipe! See notes to adjust this for a mocktail!
Print Recipe
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 beverage

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sprig fresh mint
  • 2 oz vodka
  • 1 oz raspberry syrup
  • ice to fill
  • club soda to top
  • mint for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Slap or bruise mint to release oil.
  • Place in cup. Squeeze lime over and add lime to cup.
  • Fill cup with ice.
  • Top with club soda and stir.
  • Garnish with mint and enjoy.

Notes

Try with Backwards Ringleader Vodka, 307 Vodka, your favorite vodka, or as a mocktail by omitting the alcohol and adding 1 oz additional syrup.
Keyword bubbles, mint, mocktail, raspberry, raspberry syrup, vodka