Valentine's Strawberry Basil Heart-Beet Sandwiches
Today I was inspired to make some healthy Valentine's snacks for tomorrow. I consulted my Flavor Bible briefly this morning because I was thinking about making a savory flavor combination (such as tarragon with orange zest or garlic and parsley) but decided to stick with the sweet kind. At a Valentine's Day party last year, a friend made some beet sandwiches but I couldn't remember the flavors used. This recipe features a walnut-honey-strawberry-basil filling, packed in-between heart-beet shapes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 medium beets, washed and trimmed (I recommend boiling them first for 20 minutes to soften)
- 1 cup walnuts (preferably soaked for at least 6 hours)
- 6 strawberries
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- Balsamic reduction for garnish (optional)
Preparation
- To make the filling: Add walnuts, strawberries, lemon, honey, and basil to a high-speed blender. I use a Vitamix. Blend on high until pureed.
- Using a mandolin slicer, slice beets to desired thickness and cut into heart shapes. I cut them in stacks to go faster.
- One by one, spoon the filling onto the hearts and create a sandwich. Garnish with strawberries, basil and balsamic reduction (optional).
You will have enough leftover filling to make sandwiches from 2 or 3 more beets but I just dipped the leftover beet scraps into the leftover filling and had a delightful snack. Tag me in your photos if you try out this recipe!
