BEETS

It always fascinates me to see rough and ugly looking roots, bulbs or tubers transforming themselves into beautiful, buttery and delicate masterpieces with a gently touch and a little bit appreciation.

Beet is a good example of the foodie version of this famous “Ugly Duckling” story.

Most of the time, they are boiled or roasted and then consumed as a cooked vegetable or eaten cold as part of a salad. However, beets are a good example of the vegetables that we can definitely consume raw.

While you are shopping for beets, choose small or medium-sized ones with smooth skin and deep in color.  Avoid beets that have bruises, soft and wet areas. If you bought the beets with greens, cut the leaves and the stems from the beet to prevent them pulling the moisture away from the root. Do not wash beets before storing. Place in a plastic bag and wrap the bag tightly around the beets. Place them in refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 weeks.

While cooking, try to choose batches with the same sizes as this will help you to obtain a uniform cooking time and texture.

Boiled, roasted or raw it is an excellent source of folate, which is a water-soluble vitamin B that occurs naturally in food. It contains phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium, as well as fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, and biotin.

ROASTING the BEETS

·         Preheat the oven to 375°F.

·         Wrap each beet in aluminum foil, place them on a baking dish and roast them for about 1.5 hours.
·         The exact roasting time depends on the size of the beet. You can start checking doneness after 1 hour for small size beets.
·         To check, simply unwrap a piece of foil from a beet and pick with a bamboo skewer or a tooth pick. You should have no resistance from the beet while you pick

BOILING THE BEETS

For detailed instructions please check out the Pink Valentine’s Day  Pancake recipe at page 5.

A REFRESHING TOUCH of the RAW BEET: GRATED BEET AND CELERY SALAD

The crunchiness of the raw beets and the apple cider vinaigrette just convert this salad into a refreshing treat!

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 lb. beets, washed and peeled
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 Tbsp  apple juice

For the Vinaigrette
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, mint or basil (finely chopped)
To taste, salt and pepper

As the Garnish

Finely chopped fresh herbs: Parsley, mint or basil

Method

1.         First prepare the vinaigrette: Mix all the ingredients of the vinaigrette in a bowl and whisk them all until well blended.

2.         Grate the raw beets, and then mix it with finely chopped celery and apple juice. Stir half of the vinaigrette into the salad mixture.
3.         Place your salad into your serving plate and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top of your salad.
4.         Let your salad marinate at least 2 hours in the fridge before you serve.
5.         Serve it cold and garnish with fresh herbs.

Bon Appetite!!!

HINT! You can use golden or purple beets for this salad.  The color will definitely brighten up your table.

Make two batches, one with each. Plate them into a decorative partitioned plate and garnish with opposite colored beet chips.