Beetroot mochi stuffed with beetroot and white chocolate ganache, beetroot crisps, candied beetroot and rosewater raindrop cake and a beetroot and berry sorbet

Before I move onto the food part, I would just like to give a big shout out to @progressivechef and all of the other entrants of the steemit iron chef contest…you’ve all given me the inspiration and the kick up the butt that I needed to get back into action in the kitchen. What I love most are the high standards that everyone has set for themselves, providing each week with an exciting challenge and a goal to work towards. And without you Steemians, it would probably at least be another 5 years before I started posting things online regarding food due to my inept inabilities to operate technology and all things online (my siblings refer to me as a dinosaur!). So thanks to you all and of course the iron chef!

So this week, we are working on

Project Beetroot!

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This fantastically flamboyant, traditionally fuschia-coloured rootie sure is a treat to eat. Admittedly, not so much a treat to cook in my opinion! Back in London I used to receive a seasonal fruit and vegetable box on a weekly basis- the most common critter encountered was the beetroot and my thoughts…”not f#@!*]g beetroot again”!

But since living in China, I haven’t once come across this stout, modest vegetable so I took it upon myself to search for it….well by search I mean ask a Chinese neighbour to check if and where it’s available! Fortunately, despite it not actually being sold locally, she has been able to order it online for me using the Chinese eBay AKA the amazing, limitless, where all things are possible ‘Taobao’.

Hopefully it will arrive in time for me to utilise it in this week’s cooking bonanza, we shall see.
So should it arrive on time, I intend on making something sweet for week 3. Living in China, it’s obvious to say that the cuisine here is significantly different to that of London, especially dessert. Whenever I make puddings, I do have a tendency to play it safe and usually stick to the western world’s style of sweet treats, but I want to step outside of my comfort zone and push the boat out a little (you only live once right!). It’s a comforting thought, developing a new creation as a result of living in this new continent far away from the old one. So what I would like to cook for you all…

Beetroot mochi stuffed with beetroot and white chocolate ganache, beetroot crisps, candied beetroot and rosewater raindrop cake and a beetroot and berry sorbet

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I cannot comprehend whatsoever at this moment what the mochi and ganache will taste like and I have never actually candied beetroots, but I am excited (hopefully not regretful!) to see what happens!

The mochi is actually a Japanese dessert, which surprisingly enough I never was exposed to in the multicultural city of London. I happened to go for dinner with friends here in Changde, and to my delight, they suggested we go somewhere special for dessert. We walked into a butchers shop and upon arrival I assumed that they were lost and that this dessert place no longer existed, but nope, I was wrong! This butchery was split in two; one side sold meat, the other mochi! A strange setting for such a softly spoken dessert, the surface texture even resembles delicate baby-bottom skin- in my opinion anyway! So it was here in this strangely unique meat establishment that I was no longer unfamiliar with mochi.

……...........................................So my beetroot still hasn’t arrived…..BUT, fortunately I stumbled across a new juice shop near to the university were I lecture (which happens to be in clinical nutrition) and some raw beetroot caught my eye, sitting comfortably on the cash counter. After plenty of negotiation and a Chinese friend translating the entire conversation, I luckily came away with just under 1 kilo of fresh beets- result!

WHOOP WHOOP!

Beetroot and White Chocolate Ganache

Steam 100g raw chopped beetroot. Once cooked and cooled, mash into a chunky puree and leave aside. In a saucepan heat 200ml double cream, but do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and into it, break 200g white chocolate and slowly stir, allowing the chocolate to fully melt. At this stage, slowly mix in the beetroot, leave aside to cool then finally refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When solid enough, transform the flamingo-pink ganache into little round balls and keep refrigerated.

Candied Beetroot and Rose Raindrop Cake

A word of warning, this ‘cake’ sure can twerk!
For the candied beetroot, heat 200ml water with 150g sugar and allow to boil until all of the sugar has dissolved. To this add some thinly sliced beetroot strips and leave to cook and absorb the sweet sugar syrup for around 25 minutes. Remove the beetroot from the syrup and leave to cool, but retain the coloured syrup for the mochi.

For the rose-infused raindrop cake, mix 1g agar powder, 1g sugar and 1tsp rose essence with 450ml water in a saucepan. Heat until the agar and sugar have both dissolved. Once cooled slightly, pour the agar solution into round moulds (I used hipster coffee cups!) and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The** candied beetroot** can be added in the post-solidification phase to avoid the jelly becoming red as we want to keep it raindrop-like. I made the mistake of adding it to the pre-solidified mix, but luckily I kept a clear experimental one aside which is the one I ended up using in this recipe!...

Beetroot Mochi

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I asked another Chinese friend to order me some glutinous rice flour on Taobao (he knows what he’s doing, unlike me!), of which I mixed 100g with 190ml water. Half of the water I used was that leftover from the candied beetroot which was a wonderfully rich, reddish-pink shade so there was no need to add any food colouring or sugar to these glorious glutinous rice balls. Once evenly mixed, this gooey dough went into the microwave for 2 minutes, ensuring a through stir was given after each minute. Once cooked, this hot, extremely sticky dough was rolled out with plenty of corn flour and cut into 8 pieces. These should be separated by sheets of clingfilm and refrigerated for 30 minutes. Once cooled, trap a ganache ball into the centre of each sheet and pinch the sides to ensure the ganache is fully covered. Wrap tightly in the clingfilm to retain the ball shape and refrigerate.

Beetroot and Berry Sorbet

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In a saucepan of 100ml water, add 100g finely chopped raw beetroot and allow to cook. Once softened, add 200g berries of your choice (fresh or frozen) and 75g sugar and leave to simmer until sugar has completely dissolved. I also added the juice of 1 lime for that extra zing. Strain the mixture before freezing and mix as firm as is possible to prevent large ice crystals from forming every 2 hours 3-4 times.

Beetroot Crisps

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I julienned a whole raw beetroot and coated the slices lightly in some oil on a baking tray and placed in a hot oven at 180C for 15 minutes, flipped them over and baked for an additional 5 minutes for that extra crispiness. Once removed, I left them to cool to room temperature and tried my best not to consume the entire tray before serving!
Once all components are completed, they are ready to be plated. Job done!

PS- @progressivechef, one the raindrop cake's burst on my paper with the name and date- the details are visible, but it's just a tad slimy!

Thanks again to the fellow Steemians who take the time to read my recipes and to @progressivechef for hosting this delightful weekly cookery challenge 