Doc V's Healthy Kitchen

Beetroot and leek combined in a starter seems rather unusual, but…

If I would have to choose the best Ottolenghi cookbook until so far, although I haven’t seen the recent one ‘Flavor’, my favorite is ‘Jerusalem’. It was my first meeting, ‘the first cut is the deepest’-sensation.

In search for a menu for friends (5p in total)this starter with beetroot and leek came in my attention. I changed a few little things, because I didn’t really know whether I would appreciate cold cooked leek.

For 5 p, buy 4 medium sized leeks and 3 beetroot. Wash the beetroot. Wrap up in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven until soft, approximately 1h. Cut the white of the leek in pieces of 7-8cm and boil in salted water for approximately 10 mins. Remove the skin of the beetroot and chop in wedges of 1,5cm. Store in a recipient in the fridge. Drain the leek. Store in a separate recipient in the fridge.

Roast 40 grams of skinless almonds. Grind.

For the dressing, press 1 garlic clove. Mix with 4 table spoons of white balsamic vinegar, 2 table spoons of lemon juice, 3 table spoons of peanut oil. Season with black pepper and salt.

Before dinner time. Put the leek and beetroot in separate oven dishes. Spread some olive oil. Bake in the oven at 180° for 20 mins. Stir halfway.

Spread some baby spinach on each plate. Spread the beetroot and the leek. Finish with the dressing, the grinded almonds and some seeds of a pomegranate.

Different, fabulous combination.