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Beetloaf Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"This is the most requested lunch recipe that did *not* appear in our first cookbook. I forgot about including it then, but scores of customers were very eager to remind me this time around. Our lead baker, Kevin Powers, pulled it together when I asked him for a veggie option to serve at the bakery; we're both beet lovers and this is a winner (and if you don't like beets, you'll still enjoy these; there are many other flavors going on in the patties). The spread of goat cheese on the buns makes these sandwiches sing. We use our whole-wheat focaccia in keeping with the healthy veggie aspect of the beetloaf. Adding a pickle, or pickled red onions, would be a treat."

List of Ingredients

For the Beetloaf Patties:
â—¦ 3 medium red beets, peeled
â—¦ 1 medium sweet potato, peeled
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
â—¦ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
â—¦ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ ½ teaspoon soy sauce
â—¦ 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons white sesame seeds
â—¦ 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds
â—¦ 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
â—¦ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
â—¦ ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
â—¦ 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
â—¦ ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
â—¦ ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
â—¦ 2 cups cooked quinoa
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Sandwiches:
â—¦ 6 whole-wheat buns
â—¦ Goat cheese, at room temperature, for spreading
â—¦ Bibb lettuce leaves
â—¦ 1 cup pickled red onions (optional)


Recipe

Make the patties: In a food processor using the grating-disk attachment, shred the beets and the sweet potato (this could get messy, so wear an apron). Transfer to a large stainproof bowl. Replace the grating attachment with the regular blade and pulse the walnuts and onion until finely ground.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, white and black sesame seeds, and the egg and egg yolk and whisk with a fork until smooth. Add the rosemary, thyme, parsley, flour, and oats and stir until incorporated.

To the grated beets and sweet potato, add 1 ½ cups of the cooked quinoa, the walnut-onion mixture, and the vinegar-egg mixture. Stir in the salt and pepper until well combined. If the mixture seems too wet, add the remaining ½ cup cooked quinoa. Shape the mixture into six thick patties of equal size and flatten the patties on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned and firm. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

Assemble the sandwiches: Dress the top and bottom of each sandwich bun with a decent spread of goat cheese. Add the lettuce leaves and the pickled onions (if using). Use a metal spatula to transfer a beetloaf patty to each bottom bun; finish off with the top buns and serve.

Makes 6 sandwiches