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Beets, love them! I actually tried to grow my own beets in a container one year, and like the gardener that I am not, I did not harvest any beets! If you do manage to grow your own beets, the green leafy portions are also edible. They are so very nutritious and worth it, saute them just until wilted in some olive oil and garlic and serve with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.
There are many varieties of beets, some are called sunset beets and are a variegated colour which reflects that of a sunset with shades of orange to red, there are peppermint beets which are not flavoured with peppermint but mirror a peppermint candy with stripes of red and white as you cut through it. These are not available at our local markets but regular beets are. So don’t buy canned beets get them fresh at the market.
I prefer to roast my beets as opposed to boiling them. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap with foil, bake or roast for about 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size, let cool and peel.
Beets are also delicious grated raw into salads.
They are also extra special when added to chocolate cake batter, they add much needed moistness and deepen the colour of the chocolate, the juice can be reserved to colour the frosting too.
So go ahead, enjoy your beets this weekend, don’t let anyone "beet" you to it!
Side Bar:
Beets are very nutritious and can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for uses in a myriad of ways, In one cup of cooked beets, you'll obtain 12 per cent of your daily fibre, 7 per cent each of daily vitamin C, iron, and B6. You also will be taking in 34 per cent of your daily folate, 11 per cent daily potassium, and 9 per cent of your daily magnesium.
Roasted Beet and Onion Salad with Balsamic vinaigrette
4 medium-sized beets, washed
4 medium-sized onions
1 large sprig fresh French thyme
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp balsamic
Preheat oven to 350F
Peel onions, lightly score at top.
Place beets and onions onto some heavy duty aluminum foil.
Combine pepper, balsamic and olive oil, drizzle onto beets and onions, top with sprig of thyme and wrap securely.
Bake until tender about 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool.
Peel beets and slice, arrange on platter topped with onions.
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, and serve warm.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 oz balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
3 ozs olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine vinegar with garlic, whisk in olive oil, season with salt and black pepper.
Drizzle onto beets.
Makes about one third of a cup.
Salad of beets, greens and feta cheese
8 cups mixed salad greens, cleaned, washed, dried and broken into bite sized pieces
¼ cup olive oil
4 ozs feta cheese
2 tbs mixed chopped fresh herbs, parsley, basil, chives or cilantro
1 large ripe tomato, cut into segments
1 cucumber, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 beets, roasted and peeled
Dressing:
3 tbs red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place greens in a large salad bowl.
Sprinkle greens with cheese, and herbs.
Add tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, toss.
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Beet and chocolate cake
8 ozs cooked beets, cooled and peeled
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup non-sweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1½ cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350F
Puree the beets in a food processor, strain and reserve the juice and the beet puree separately.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda.
Beat the eggs until light and fluffy add sugar and vanilla and beat well.
Add the beets and add the oil and beat for a minute.
Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and fold all the ingredients together.
Pour mixture into a greased and lined a 9-inch cake tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool and frost with Red beet glaze.
Red beet glaze
Cream ¼ cup butter and add 4 cups icing sugar. Add a small amount of the beet juice to bring the mixture to a spreadable consistency. Frost cake.
Makes one 9-inch cake
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