I have recently discovered my love/obsession for beets. I am not sure why I have always steered clear of them. Maybe because I never had them as a child? Did I eat a pickled beet once before & hate it?? The answers are unknown & don’t seem to matter anymore. I’m just upset that I’ve been missing out all these years!
Here’s a little list of why you should be eating beets regularly {at least when they’re in season}:
Beets contain folate which is necessary for the production of new cells & the building of DNA.
They contain fiber which can lower cholesterol, & fight against certain cancers & heart disease.
They also provide vitamins A and C, niacin, pantothenic acid & vitamin K along with
folate, although in lesser amounts. Beet minerals include sodium,
calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, zinc, copper & selenium.
Beets have the most amazing colors! That will stain, no less, your
fingers, counters, cutting boards… But easily cleaned up & worth
it.
And last but not least, the taste is ah~mazing!
Did you catch all that?! There are tons of articles out there on beets. I found this one to provide you all of that info above without boring you to death…
I am also giving you a recipe that is so wonderful! I love it with this beet salad, a pear salad with blue {Stinton} cheese or just any plain ol’ salad will do. As always, you can change this anyway you fancy. More spice, less oil… it’s all up to you!
Now let’s get to that amazing salad that’s great for your health, taste buds & future leftovers!
Beet Salad w/ Walnut Vinaigrette
{pleasant day dreams}
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
garlic clove, crushed with back of chef’s knife
S&P
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3c walnut oil
a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil {enough to make a total of 1/2c oil}
arugula
beets, any color & as many as you desire
goat cheese*
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400º.
Beets: Make sure to clean them well & cut off the stems {place stems aside for future use if desired}. Wrap each beet in tin foil. Place on baking sheet & leave in oven for an hour, or until easily pierced with knife. If you want a firmer beet, check them around 30/45 minutes.
Once they have finished cooking, remove from the oven & let cool slightly. Take off the foil & peel. I find it best to peel beets using the side of a fork so my fingers don’t turn a beautiful fushia color for the night! Slice beets anyway you like.
Dressing: In a jar with tight fitting lid, or small bowl, add the vinegar & garlic. Give a sea salt grinder a few turns. Let that sit for 10 minutes, or so.
Discard the garlic. Now add the mustard, oils & pepper. Put the lid on & give the dressing a good shake. Mix well each time before adding to the salad.
Salad: Place arugula, beets, & crumbled cheese on a plate. Sprinkle with a bit of S&P. Add your dressing & enjoy!
I like to conserve energy as much as possible, so I roast as many beets as I can in either my large oven or counter top convection oven. Plus, having multiple beets in the fridge is really nice! You can add them to toasted sandwiches, alone sprinkled with a little salt, or in more salads with maybe pears, oranges &/or olives…. You’d be amazed at how great they are alone though!
*For the cheese, I had a goat~brie blend on hand that worked really well with this salad. So I’d choose a mild goat cheese as to not over power the flavor of the beet!
Let me know what you think & what you like to use beets for!
I am still hard at work putting together a sweet little photo backdrop for Valentine’s Day. I cannot wait to get some darling photos of my boys & their daddy {ie the most wonderful, sweetest hubs a girl could ask for!}. I have a few props already made that I cannot wait to share as well!
XOXO
