Heart-Beet Rosti

Shredded beets and potato are molded into a heart-shape for Valentines Day and baked until tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Tip: To remove the skin from the beets, place them in a saucepan of boiling water for about 5 minutes then plunge them into cold water. This should loosen the skins enough to remove easily. This recipe is from Party Vegan: Fabulous, Fun Food for Every Occasion by Robin Robertson © 2010, published by John Wiley & Sons.

Serves: 2

• 1 large red beet, peeled
• 1 medium white potato, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Minced parsley or chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Generously grease a small heart-shaped cake pan or a large baking sheet. Grate the beet and potato in a food processor. (You can grate them by hand, but it will be messy.) Place the grated beets, potato, and onion in a bowl. Sprinkle with the flour, salt, and pepper, and toss well to coat.

If using the heart-shaped pan, spread the beet and potato mixture in the pan and press with a spatula to compress evenly. If you don’t have a heart-shaped pan, transfer the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and press it together into the shape of a heart. (You can divide the mixture in half and shape it into two smaller hearts, if you prefer.) Drizzle with the olive oil, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the rosti from the over and place a plate on top, invert, and slide the rosti (even if baked in the pan) onto the baking sheet. If you’ve made small hearts, flip them over carefully with a metal spatula. Return to the oven to brown the other side, about 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. If not serving right away, allow the rosti to come to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed, then reheat. Although the rosti can be made several hours ahead, they’re best if used on the same day they are made.

Robin Robertson is the author of numerous cookbooks, including  Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker and many other titles. Visit Robin at Global Vegan Kitchen.

• Here are lots of other recipes using beets.