Baxters Beetroot Challenge – Stir Fry and Chocolate Brownies.

Baxters sent a gorgeous hamper with a lovely Baxters apron and a selection of Beetroot from their range.  Baxters are reasonably local to us, and I’ve often bought their beetroot as it tends to be a nice sweet vinegary taste.

Their products have been in my life as far back as I can remember, so we’re regular customers in this house.

Baxters have been going in the UK for several generations and the make soups, preserves, condiments, beetroot and chutneys among other thing.   Baxters create their own recipes and showcase some of the them on their website.  They even have the opportunity for you to add your own recipe to their website, and if they like it, they might feature it online.

They have a visitors centre that is based around a highland village experience in Fochabers, Aberdeen.  I’ve driven past it several times, but have not stopped off as yet, but after this challenge, I may well give their Highland Village a visit in the near future.

They challenged me to come up with a recipe for their Beetroot so I used it as an alternative to rumpledethumps for leftovers in a Chicken, Bacon and Beetroot Stir Fry which went down a treat.

I opted for another recipe for one of the jars of beetroot in making the Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies from their website.  I had to tailor the recipe as I didn’t have quite enough beetroot for their version, and it went down well with the kids.

I can’t say that it was my favourite and I much preferred the savoury stir fry to the sweet versions, but the kids loved the brownies.  I think I just have more of a savoury tooth.

Here we go with my two recipes from the challenge.

Chicken, Bacon and Beetroot Stirfry

Print recipe

• Print with all photos
• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Serves	8
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	25 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Egg
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
By author	Lesley S Smith

Ingredients

• 10 Rashers Bacon
• 2 Chicken Breasts (Cut into strips.)
• 4 Eggs
• 600g Mixed Stir Fry Veg (Beansprouts, pumpkin strips, shredded carrot, green leaf salad, mange tout.)
• 1 Onion (Chopped.)
• 1 Jar Baxters Crinkle Cut Beetroot (Chopped into smaller pieces. Wash, drain and dry the beetroot before adding to a stir fry.)

Method

Step 1.	Use your pieces of meat, chicken or bacon and lightly fry in a wok or thick bottomed pan until fully cooked.
Step 2.	Add eggs to the pan and let them cook similar to scrambled eggs, stirring in with the meat as it cooks.
Step 3.	Add an onion to the pan and let the mixture slowly cook for a few minutes on low.
Step 4.	Stir in your stir fry vegetables and either spray cooking oil, or add a couple of tablespoons of oil to make the stir fry.
Step 5.	Add the beetroot towards the end of cooking if you are happy with the pinky shade that your meal till take on from cooking for a few minutes.
Step 6.	I had split my stir fry into two lots. For the kids, I gently folded the beetroot in with their finished stir fry to keep it sharp, bright and pleasant to the eye.
Step 7.	For my own, I stirred in the beetroot and let it cook with the stir fry for a few more minutes to take on the beetroot taste. I am happy to say this is one recipe that I am going to make several variations of.

Baxters Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies

Print recipe

• Print with all photos
• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Serves	24
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	55 minutes
Website	Baxters

Ingredients

• 1 x 340g Tin Baxters Baby Beetroot
• 150g Softened Butter
• 300g Milk Chocolate
• 375g Brown Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 150g Plain Flour
• 35g Cocoa Powder

Note

Baxters recommend that the beetroot is well drained.  You can also rinse them in some water.  The vinegary flavour will not be tasted when you eat the brownies.

 

Method

Step 1.	Preheat your oven before you start and set it to 180ºC, or reduce it to 160ºC for a fan oven.
Step 2.	Grease a medium to large baking try or roasting tin.
Step 3.	Soften the chocolate by putting it into a microwave for a few minutes, or on the hob as a plate on top of a pan with water in it, similar to a bain marie method of softening the chocolate.
Step 4.	Add all the ingredients into a mixer if you have one, or a large bowl. Mix them all together for several minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
Step 5.	Pour the smooth mixture into the baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes. The brownies should feel a little soft under he centre and might be a bit wobbly, but they'll harden up as they cool.

Related Posts:

• Baxters Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies
• Slow Cooked Traditional Scottish Stovies with Oatcakes and Beetroot (and the kids beans)
• Chocolate Brownie – Blind Bakeathon – Scottish Mum Style