Beets, and more Beets!

Omg give this girl some beets! And just like that out of nowhere, I have developed a new love! When I hear about beets, I automatically find myself looking for a new recipe with them in the ingredients! It intrigues me how they can be used in so many  different recipes and with a great variety of appearances: sliced, diced, shredded, pureed, white, red, burgundy, orange, long, round etc...

As for their natural flavour overall and for the most part it is sweet, which makes it even more interesting to me to see how that sweetness adds to the variety of ways that they can be cooked. And although they have a rather strange and very distinctive scent, I would say it is neither appealing nor unpleasant.. It is actually kind of deceiving when I think about how delicious they are, but it is bearable enough to not be discouraged in using them in your food.

Beets are a great detox for the liver and not only! They are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds which hold medicinal properties.

Nutritional Facts:

Protein

Fibre

Vitamins C, B6

Iron

Folate

Magnesium

Potassium

Phosphorus

Manganese

Benefits:

Clean the blood

Cleanse the colon

Clear acne

Boost the immune system

Protect against heart disease

Great for the gall bladder

Recipes:

Beetroot smoothies

Ingredients:

1 large beet

1 stick of celery

1 apple

1 fair size piece of ginger

1 large carrot

Juice of an orange

1tsp coconut oil (optional)

Place everything in a blender and blend!!

Beet root salad

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped beets

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped dill

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black ground pepper

3 tbsp Greek virgin olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Place beets in pot and boil until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Make sure they are completely covered with water throughout the duration of their cooking time.

Let them cool on their own in the water they were boiled in.

Once cooled chop beets according to personal preference and place in large salad bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and gently toss altogether so that ingredients are evenly distributed.

Serve and enjoy with your meal!

Salad may be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Beet Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion diced

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 tbsp chopped ginger

3 large red beets chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 medium sized sweet potato chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2 - 3 sticks of chopped celery

5 cups vegetable stock divided

1 reg sized can of low fat coconut milk

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp dried dill (fresh is also a good option)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat and add cumin powder.

Then add onion, garlic and ginger and saute till softened not browned.

Add beets, sweet potato and toss around for approx 2 min.

Add 4 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil, add celery and dill and continue to boil on medium to low heat for approx 20 min or until veggies are tender.

Place everything in a blender and blend into a puree, while adding remaining stock accordingly.

Stir in milk, salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls

Drizzle olive oil,

Sprinkle with chopped fresh or dried parsley

Add pumpkin seeds

And serve with a slice of your choice bread

This soup is fabulous for a cold winter day as the ginger, garlic and pepper is sure to warm you up!