Beetroot

Hi fellow food fanatics!

Before the inception of this great site, I had spoken with Kate about emailing out to the group, info about obscure veggies and offering recipes relevant to our mystery boxes each week. I will use this blog format instead and hope you find it useful in some way! Please let me know if you have any requests for info. You can email me on kristine@kristinemiles.com

Beetroot is one of my favourite veggies. I love it raw and cooked, and not so much pickled from a can which is how most people know it. Beetroot is packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.   They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. The iron in the leaves are higher than that in spinach.

Plant often mimic the thing they assist e.g walnuts look like little brains and they are rich in omega 3 oils which are essential brain food. The colour of beetroot is reminiscent of blood and as such, is great as a blood cleanser and purifier with its rich iron content. It is suggested that beetroot can normalise blood pressure and dissolve calcium build ups on artery walls. The fibre content aids digestion and beetroot helps to cleanse the liver, both of which assist with healthy blood.

Cooking beetroot will see the loss of some of the vitamin content however the minerals remain largely the same.

When we get those gorgeous baby beets in our veggie box I love to roast them. Trim the stalk leaving a couple of cm and all the skin and straggly bits intact. Toss beets in a little olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Line the base of a small baking dish with baking paper and place the coated beets on top, add about 50 ml of water and put the lid on. Roast on 200 degrees for about an hour. Let the beets cool and the skins will just rub off.

Add the roasted beets to salads, accompanied with roasted pumpkin, rocket and feta is delicious! I add some of the roasted beets to hummus making the most stunning pink dip ever! Beetroot and mayonnaise I reckon is a match made in heaven!

Grate raw beets into salad, use the greens if they aren't too manky, baby leaves are great in salad and larger leaves can be sliced into salad or cooked like silver beet.

The best salad ever is 400g raw beetroot, 100g raw carrot, a little red onion, an apple, some coriander and seasoned with salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. In a thermomix it takes 5 secs to chop, in a normal food processor I am not sure.

This is what I love to do with beetroot, I would love to hear what you do too  :)

Cheers Kristine Miles