Chocolate Beet Cake

Turkey Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
10 - 12 dried pasilla chile peppers
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Olive Oil Etcetera
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced and seeds removed
9 Garlic cloves, minced
2 small Red onions, diced
3 pounds coarsely ground Turkey
1/3 cup Tomato paste
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup low - sodium chicken broth
1 Tablespoon granulated onion
2 tsp granulated garlic
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
kosher salt and ground pepper
3 cups canned pinto beans, with liquid
3 cups canned kidney beans, with liquid
2 cups canned black beans, with liquid
shredded cheese for garnish
Directions:
Rehydrate the pasilla peppers in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, remove from stems and remove the seeds. Dice the peppers.
Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pasilla peppers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic and onion; cook until caramelized.
Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink.
Add the tomato paste and sauce, stir for 4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Add ALL of the seasonings. Stir in the beans and liquid, lower the heat and continue to cook uncovered for at least 1 hour.
*Recipe Adapted from Ryder's Turkey Chili from Food Network Magazine Aug/Sept 2009

This chocolate beet cake is made with a lemon cream cheese frosting. "This moist, old-fashioned cake offers more nutrition than a typical dessert." The red beets meld right into the chocolate cake; offering the cake a fruity, earthy flavor and a deep, rich color.

Ingredients:

4 medium beets, scrubbed. You will need 1 1/2 cups cooked, grated beets

1  cup Olive Oil plus 2 Tablespoons (Blood Orange Olive Oil) from Olive Oil Etcetera

2 cups unbleached all - purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt or vanilla salt from Olive Oil Etcetera

1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

3 Large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temp

1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temp

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of Kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Cut the greens and root end off of the beets, leaving 1 inch of the stem to prevent bleeding. Lightly rub blood orange olive oil all over the beets and put them in a roasting pan to cook for 45 - 60 minutes. Cover the roasting pan with a tight lid or foil. The beets are done when you can stick a fork through them. Let the beets cool and peel off the skin. Run the beets through a medium disk of a food processor to shred them. Measure out 1 1/2 cups.

Reduce the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla; beat on medium until well combined.

Slowly beat in dry ingredients, mixing only until just blended. Fold in the grated beets. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. You should bake until the batter bounces back when you touch it with your finger. Set the pan on a cooling rack to cool.

Making the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the mixer on slow, add the sugar. Increase the mixer speed and beat until light and fluffy and no lumps remain. Beat in the lemon juice, salt and vanilla.

*Recipe adapted from Farmstand fresh summer 2014