Beet Cups Filled with Pistachios, Goat Cheese, and Prunes

Ingredients:  beets, pistachios, prunes, goat cheese

These beet cups came to fruition on a more creative day, and I must confess that it was also during a night when I felt the need to dispose of some of the ingredients that had accumulated in my fridge and pantry over the past few months.  Thus was born the beet cups stuffed with this interesting combination you see here, which fortunately came out to my satisfaction.

Please feel free to get creative with this dish and fill beets with whatever you'd like or whatever you have available in your kitchen.  Some other ideas I had were to stuff the beets with avocado, crabmeat, and lime juice, or with feta and avocado and some kind of nut, like walnuts or pine nuts.  I believe that many things would complement the sweet and almost tangy flavor of beets, and if you pair a nut, a fruit (dried or fresh), a cheese, and even some herbs like basil or mint you usually won't go wrong. 

Beet Cups Filled with Pistachios, Goat Cheese, and Prunes - serves 1

1 large beet

1 fistful pistachios (about 10-12), chopped

2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

2 prunes, pitted and chopped

optional: balsamic vinegar and olive oil to drizzle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

1.  If your beet is already cooked, move ahead to step 2.  If using a raw beet, wrap it in foil and roast it in the oven until soft and the skin easily peels off, about 1 1/4-hours.  Once cool enough to handle, peel of the skin.

2.  Cut off the stem and root, and cut the beet in half cross-wise.  Use a serrated knife or one of those handy grapefruit spoons cut a well in each beet half, making sure not to cut through to the bottom. 

3.  In a small bowl, combine the pistachios, prunes and goat cheese.  Chop up the scooped-out beet sections and add them as well.  Sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

4.  Spoon the mixture into each beet cup, and place on a baking tray.  Bake until goat cheese is slightly melted, about 5-7 minutes.

5.  Remove and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil if desired.