“Pepperoni” Beet Rice and Greens
Don’t you hate it when you lose your notes on a recipe?! And such is the case for this little flavorful gem. I had slightly altered Ricki’s “Pepperoni” Beet recipe to make a side dish for dinner one night. But having lost my notes, I can only vaguely remember some of the alterations. Since I know her recipe is awesome as is, I will include it as she created it (with her permissions of course), only adapting it where I am positive.
This is a very flavorful little rice dish that uses up not only the beets, but their leaves (get it – instead of rice and beans – rice and greens – I know I am so clever). I nibbled on the beet greens raw, and bleh. But, when briefly sauteed and added to this mix, they blend in just like baby spinach. Ah, nutrition at its finest …
“Pepperoni” Beet Rice and Greens
Recipe adapted from Diet, Dessert and Dogs. You will be amazed at how much the beets smell like pepperoni as you are preparing them! This recipe comes together quickly as you can cook the brown rice while the beets are in the oven and quickly saute the greens before they emerge. This recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Low Sugar, and optionally Gluten-Free.
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1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Olive Oil (I think you could get away with just 1/2 T)
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2 Tablespooons Soy Sauce or Wheat-Free Tamari (for gluten-free)
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1/2 Cup (120 ml) Vegetable Broth
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1 Teaspoon (5 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar
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1/4 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Sugar
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Garlic Powder
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Onion Powder
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Dry Mustard Powder
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Ground Fennel
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1/8 tsp (.5 ml) Sage (I omitted since I didn’t have any on hand)
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1/4 Teaspoon (1 ml) Smoked or Regular Paprika
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3-4 Small Fresh Beets, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (reserve the greens)
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Olive Oil
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Cooked Brown Rice (I used 1-1/2 cups)
Preheat your oven to 325ºF (170 C).
In a small dish, combine the olive oil through the paprika. Place the beets in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, pour the spice mixture over top and toss to evenly coat. Spread the beets out in the dish as best you can.
Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the beet slices. Continue to bake and stir them up every 10-15 minutes until they have absorbed most of the marinade, are very soft, and begin to curl and crisp at the edges. Mine were quite done after just 15 minutes (35 minutes total)
While the beets are cooking, chop up the beet greens and saute them over medium-low heat in just a bit of olive oil until they are nice and wilted. When the beets are done, add the greens and brown rice to the beet dish and stir to combine. The flavorings and any leftover marinade from the beets should nicely disperse onto the rice too.
Yields 2 servings (more if you opt to increase the rice)
Blog Events: I am submitting this post to the Blogger Secret Ingredient Event (this week is beets!) and to Ricki’s new Sweet or Savory Kitchen Challenge – right back at you with this recipe Ricki!
Giveaways: A copy of my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook, is being given away at Nourishing Meals along with a great recipe from it!
11 thoughts on ““Pepperoni” Beet Rice and Greens”
What a great way to make use of the greens in the recipe, Alisa! And I agree–they really do smell like pepperoni when baking. Love the look of the rice and GREENS–ha ha! 🙂
Wow! That looks so yummy. Imagining the wonderful aromas. =)
Yum this looks delicious! I’m about to make my beet recipe for BSI now too! I’m glad you participated this week! 🙂
Wow. Alisa! Great work and since I hate bacon and pepperoni, and this looks sooo authentic, I will remember to make this for Scott when he wants bacon 🙂
Seriously great work!
As for the emails this morning. I was literally in the midst of a deal imploding when you were emailing me. I felt bad that I couldnt chat, but day has involved cleaning up shrapnel from the fallout and starting over. So close. Yet not there. Yet. 🙂
Those beets look beautifully cooked! I can see the caramelization on them and I love it!
That’s a great recipe idea! Thank you. I adore using beets with their greens. These were red beets? I’m surprised the rice didn’t turn red in the photo above.
That looks wonderful, I bought some beets, but without their leaves at the weekend and I have lots of greens so I may make this.
Alisa, this looks so yummy!! And I have beets (with their greens) in my fridge now… perhaps that will be dinner tomorrow night. Thanks for sharing!
I was just thinking about her beet pepperoni today! I want to make it so badly! I am thinking for pizza night on Friday!!! Your eats look delicious…as always!
Ooo! I love how much they really do look pepperoni. They look like they’re packed with flavor too, very tasty 🙂
~Aubree Cherie
Made this recipe tonight with some beets I got from a local community supported agriculture group I subscribe to. I normally do not like beets but found this recipe to be quite palatable. My husband loved it (beet lover) and my kids were disgusted. Overall a success for the adult population!
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