All Pink Verrine For a Better Life — Verrine toute rose pour une vie meilleure

verrine pink beet mousse siphon salmon quinoa

Quinoa Beet Verrine

When I read about the chaîne rose (pink chain) event launched by Requia, in order to introduce the French blog Femmes avant tout, I knew I had to participate. Femmes avant tout is a blog featuring discussions about women unfortunately affected by breast cancer. Like me, I am sure you all know one, two, or maybe more people who suffered or still suffers from this nasty disease. My grand-mother was one, friends of mine were others. A few weeks ago, generous blogger Barbara — deeply touched by cancer herself — created a similar cancer-supporting event. As I unfortunately missed to participate to that event, I was not going to let the second one go by. This contribution of mine is obviously small, but if it can only make a tiny little difference to bring more awareness about cancer, then it matters a lot to me.

verrine pink beet mousse siphon salmon quinoa

I thought of making an All Pink Verrine, using ingredients that I love and eat often: quinoa, beets and smoked salmon. The recipe comprises three layers: a quinoa/beet salad with a lemon vinaigrette, smoked salmon flavored with horseradish and an all pink beet whipped cream, just for the fun, and the pink color, of course. Whether served in glasses, or simply in a plate, you have all good things in one. And, if you are not a big fan of cream, you can simply skip it. I personally liked it for its color — and to test my new toy — but could easily do without.

So finally and more importantly, I would like to dedicate this post to all the persons who suffer from breast cancer, or any other type of cancer. I hope that one day, research will be advanced enough so that we can make sure everyone can have the chance to free themselves from this disease.

PS: And a big thank you to Chantal for posting such a detailed summary on how to use a siphon. After purchasing mine a few weeks ago, even emailing Rob who kindly tried to help too, I finally got a grip of that thing! Relief! Much easier than I initially thought, at least for now!

verrine pink beet mousse siphon salmon quinoa

Quinoa and Beet Verrine

(For about 6 small verrines as amuse-bouche, or 4 as a small lunch)

You need:

  • 7 oz cooked red beets
  • 4 slices smoked salmon
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 7 oz (1/2 cup) quinoa
  • 2 Tbsp chives, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 spring onion
  • 1/2 tsp horseradish, grated
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Start by preparing the beet whipped cream. Purée 3.5 oz cooked beets with 1 Tbsp chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and strain to obtain a smooth texture. Pour in your siphon (if using) and place in the fridge for 2 hours minimum, lying horizontally. If you do not use a siphon, whip the cold cream firm and fold into the beet purée.
  • Cook the quinoa in salted boiling water until all liquid is absorbed (1 volume quinoa for 2 volume water). Let cool.
  • Dice 3.5 oz red beets and mix with the quinoa.
  • Add 1 chopped spring onion and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley adn 1 Tbsp chopped chives.
  • Prepare the dressing by mixing together 2 Tbsp olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon. Add to the quinoa and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, then place in the fridge until ready to assemble your dish.
  • Slice the smoked salmon thinly. Add the horseradish and the rest of the chives.
  • Divide the quinoa between the glasses.
  • Top with smoked salmon and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • When serving, top with the beet whipped cream. Decorate with chives and serve.
Le coin français
Verrine de quinoa and betterave rouge

(Pour 6 petites verrines en amuse-bouche, ou 4 pour déjeuner léger)

Ingrédients :

  • 200 g de betteraves rouges cuites
  • 4 tranches de saumon fumé
  • 15 cl de crème liquide, froide
  • 200 g de quinoa
  • 2,5 càs de ciboulette, hachée
  • 2 càs de persil, haché
  • 1 oignon tige
  • 1 càc de raifort râpé
  • Jus d’1 citron (4 càs)
  • 2 càs d’huile d’olive
  • Sel et poivre

Étapes :

  • Commencez par préparer la chantilly à la betterave et ciboulette. Mixez 100 g de betteraves en purée très fine avec 1 càs de ciboulette hachée. Salez et poivrez. Mélangez à la crème liquide et passez au tamis. Versez dans votre siphon et mettez au frigo pendant 2 heures minimum, position couchée. Si vous n’utilisez pas de siphon, montez la crème liquide froide en chantilly et incorporez-la délicatement à la purée de betterave.
  • Faites cuire le quinoa dans de l’eau bouillante salée à couvert (1 volume de quinoa pour 2 volumes d’eau) jusqu’à absorption du liquide (environ 15 min). Laissez refroidir.
  • Coupez 100 g de betterave rouge cuite en petits dés et mélangez-les au quinoa, pour obtenir une belle couleur rose. Ajoutez l’oignon tige haché, le persil et 1 càs de ciboulette hachées.
  • Préparez la vinaigrette en mélangeant 2 càs d’huile d’olive, du sel et du poivre et le jus du citron. Ajoutez au quinoa et mélangez. Mettez en attente au frigo.
  • Détaillez le saumon fumé en lanières et ajoutez le raifort râpé et un peu de ciboulette hachée.
  • Répartissez le quinoa aux betteraves dans des petits verres.
  • Recouvrez de saumon fumé. Mettez au frais jusqu’à dégustation.
  • Au moment de servir, finissez par la chantilly rose. Décorez avec de la ciboulette et servez sans attendre.
Posted in Appetizers, Fish, Gluten Free, Grains, Salad

53 comments

  1. Bea, this is sooo beautiful – such a lovely way to serve beetroot. I’m fond of all of your verrines, and plan to use that way of serving dishes a lot during the summer..

  2. Quelles belles photos, quelle belle recette, quelles belles couleurs comme à chaque fois.
    Merci !!!!!

  3. C’est tout simplement magnifique ! La chantilly me laisse sans voix de par sa couleur et sa texture… magnifique (je me répète ??!) !

  4. En me pâmant sur le première photo j’ai cru à un dessert…..et pis au fil de ma lecture non….trop original, trop bien, tu m’étonnes à chaque passage ! bravo !

  5. c’est extraordinairement beau!… je reste toujours sans voix quand je fais un petit passage par ici!

  6. lovely cause!

    moi aussi j’avais fait il y a quelques mois une charlotte toute rose pour la journée contre le cancer au sein…
    des toutes petites choses pour reflechir un peu…

    bisous

  7. Voilà ta 1ère mousse au siphon…une belle réussite, je suis sure qu’il y en aura plein d’autres! merci pour le clin d’oeil!

  8. How lovely Bea! Your verrine is stunningly beautiful in colour and presentation – and for such a worthy cause! Magnifique!

  9. Bea – your blog is so stunning it makes me want to give up blogging already! Thanks for highlighting this cause. I had a lump removed from my breast this year so I am grateful when people want to help. Very luckily for me, mine was benign, but for the other women who aren’t so lucky, we need to keep the problem in the fore so that there is awareness.

  10. J’aurai parié que c’était un dessert ! Mais en voyant les brins de ciboulette bien vert sur la verrine, j’ai compris 😉 Cette recette a quelque chose de féérique, de touchant, bref tu as relevé le défi haut la main, bravo !

  11. Bea, I am reminded by the pinks that I have been waiting for a recipe for the rose petals cake. Do you think you will publish it soon? I’d like to make it using my rosa rugosa petals that are at their peak now! But I always worry that autumn will be here soon enough and I will not manage it…
    Thank you.
    Andrea

  12. Oh my God! Those photos look great. Incredible… before reading the ingredients I would have never thought it was beetroot and salmon… Beautiful combination!
    Ciao.

  13. Ce que j’aime particulièrement dans cette recette est l’ajout des autres couleurs, qui s’harmonise parfaitement au rose sans lui faire du tout ombrage. Le rose et la douceur dominent ton plat, et pourtant, c’est extrêmement vivifiant et inspirant. Bravo!

  14. A most worthy cause, Béa! I can’t imagine a better way to support your friend and all the people that we know and love who have faced this disease.

  15. Your photography is beautiful, as is your food. I make quilts and had to let you know that I did a double take on your Verrine. It is so beautiful! To me it looks like bits of beautiful fabric layered in a glass. That may sound odd, but I mean it as a compliment. The wee garnish on the top is perfection!

  16. Tes réalisations sont toujours tellement jolies! On les découvre avec des yeux d’enfant !

  17. a beautiful creation and thoughtful way to support all those who suffer with this disease~bless you!

  18. Thank you Pille. I bet you are going to make something with beets. You and I share the same love for this vegetable.

    Requia, merci beaucoup à toi pour cette belle initiative.

    Leonine, merci!

    Aurélie, ahah, merci!

    Mercotte, ah bien merci. ravie que cela te plaise. C’est vrai que cela ferait une bonne idée de dessert, surtout que la betterave, c’est bien sucré.

    Mamina, merci.

    Mirabelle, très gentil!

    Kat, thank you.

    Lisanka, merci.

    Rosa, I will definitely look into it. I will have to start heading into the kitchen! 😉

    Marie, merci.

    Barbara, a big thanks to you to bring so much awareness around this issue, as involved in it as you are!

    Daniela, oh il faut que j’aille voir cela! Les charlottes et moi, c’est tout une histoire.

    Alhya, ah super! Je suis sûre que tu vas bien t’amuser, surtout quand tu le démontes et que tu t’en mets partout! 😉

    Cocotte, merci beaucoup de ces gentils mots.

    Lydia, thanks.

    Chantal, ah mais merci à toi. J’ai tout compris (enfin je crois) grâce à ton billet. Des petits détails qui ont fait la différence, et qui franchement, ne sont pas expliqués sur la notice.

    Gilly, thank you. Glad you like it.

    CuisinePlurielle , merci.

    Gracianne, ah oui, merci. MOi aussi j’aime le rose finalement, alors que je pensais pendant longtemps le contraire. En fait je l’aime dans la nourriture mais pas dans les vêtements, bizarre, non? Fushia par contre, c’est une autre histoire.

    Sam, oh no no! The food blogging community would be a different place without you! But thank you thank you! You flatter me and I take your compliment anyhow. As we say in French, ca fait du bien par où ça passe !
    And I am so glad that your lump was benign!

    Lilo, merci, très gentil à toi. Tes mots me touchent.

    Amy, thank you so much.

    Andrea, oh yes good point. Not sure when yet though I am afraid. But I will let everyone know!

    Orchidea, thank you.

    Christell, merci.

    Ninnie, ah mais merci beaucoup. Ta description me fait chaud au coeur. C’est marrant comme il est important d’entendre ce que les “autres ” voient. Parfois, je fais sans savoir. Je fais comme je “sens”.

    Ivonne, merci.

    KT, oh that is so nice of you. I would love to see your quilts. Your link did not work to your blog!

    Yoyo, thank you, once more. I will have to learn to speak chinese to read your blog. Or maybe with an oline machine translator!

    Ninisharp, thank you.

    Eva, merci beaucoup à toi, pour ce joli commentaire.

    Maninas, many thanks. I am pleased to hear you enjoy the visits.

    Joey, thank you!

    Jann, yes I am so thankful of this initiative by Requia and Barbara!

  19. Un festival de couleurs, dans une toute petite verrine. Je dis bravo, surtout que c’est destiné à faire connaitre un sujet très sensible.

  20. Beyond a lovely reason to make the dish, what a lovely dish in itself. Amazing colours, wonderful textures, pretty and feminine in all aspects. Reminds me of a summertime celebration.

  21. Wow! What a gorgeous dish and for such a good cause. Sadly, you are so correct, it’s the minority that hasn’t been touched by cancer one way or another. But the more people shout out, hopefully the sooner we come to solving this disease. Oh, and by the way, I love the looks of your new toy. I may have to grab one of those!

  22. Pingback: Food porn for breast cancer | Blog RSS

  23. je suis bouche bée devant cette photo … c’est sublime !

  24. Pingback: More Pink with Saveurs Nomades Rose -- Plus de Rose avec Saveurs Nomades Rose by La Tartine Gourmande

  25. Pingback: Todd McKimmey’s Website » Quinoa and Beet Verrine

  26. Pingback: Medical News » Food Porn for Breast Cancer

  27. Pingback: Apartment Therapy Food

  28. Pingback: A Q, a U, and Barbara Kafka’s Chocolate Pudding | Fine Furious Life

  29. Pingback: The Coco Målé blog – your daily dose of interior design inspiration! » Blog Archive » A good start…

  30. Merci pour cette recette testée hier soir et qui a fait l’unanimité!
    C’est beau et c’est délicieux.

  31. Pingback: Quinoa Beet Verrine with Smoked Salmon « afra cooking