Beets. If I said beets in the title, would you have clicked on the link? I bet you wouldn’t. We are still talking superfoods this week. Superfoods by definition are “calorie sparse and nutrient dense. They are sources of antioxidants and essential nutrients - nutrients we need but cannot make ourselves.” I talked last week about kale being one of the most popular veggies right now. Well beets are probably the least liked veggie! I will be honest, I don't love them. So why would I do a post on them you ask? Well I do like them and do think their health benefits are an important reason to eat them every once in awhile. I know some people who 'stomach them' just for the health reasons. My weird weird husband who I love dearly, actually really likes beets. He will even order them at a restaurant. So since he likes them, that's another reason for me to cook with them occasionally. A really easy way to eat beets is in a salad, but another way we enjoy them is roasted in the oven. Roasting any vegetable makes them better in my opinion.
Anyway, before we get started cooking, let's talk about beets a bit. My grocery store has three kinds: traditional red, gold and choiggia. The choiggia, also known as candy cane or bullseye beet, are a really fun looking spiral pink beet. Beets are from the same family as swiss chard. They are high in potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A / B / C, folic acid, and betaine.
Beets are high in antioxidants and phytonutrients, known for their anti-cancer benefits. They are also known for being anti-inflammatory, great for the liver and heart and your soul (have natural substances that are used to treat depression and also contains trytophan that can help relax you). Also, I bet you wouldn’t think of this...beets are known as being an aphrodisiac. They contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones. Interesting….
So if the health benefits are convincing you to give them a try, keep reading.
Simply Roasted Beets
Trim the ends and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off.
Better Bonus Tip: If working with traditional red beets, be very careful with the surface you choose to work with because the beets will stain. Also, consider wearing gloves or at a minimum wash your hands immediately. Also, if your beets came with greens - keep them and use them like you would any other greens in cooking.
Give them a good rinse, chop them into cubes and toss with salt, pepper and oil. I also added fresh minced garlic. Feel free to do this or add different seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.
You could also consider serving them with goat cheese. That is a traditional accompaniment at restaurants and in beet salads.
~Ashley
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