Beet it

I’ve been a long time fan of Michael Jackson.  Mostly his older stuff.  And of beets.  Since I always have song lyrics going through my head (does anyone else have this problem?!) you can guess what comes to mind every time I am roasting beets.
Why should you be eating beets anyway?


Well first of all, they taste good.  Beets have a sweet but earthy taste that is brought out by roasting.
Beets are also pretty amazing for you.  Intense color in produce is a sign of high levels of phytonutrients, and beets are no exception.  Some of the most studied phytonutrients in beets are betalains.  These have been shown to lessen tumor growth in human cells, which is pretty exciting.
Beets provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detox support and are high in folate. They also contain a good amount of vitamin C and copper, both excellent skin nutrients. The sweet taste and high fiber content also makes beets very satisfying.  Beets do contain more sugar than most veggies, but most of us aren’t eating them in huge quantities.
While we tend to think of beets as a deep crimson, they do come in other colors.  There are striped beets and yellow beets.  The yellow beets contain fewer betalains, but are high in lutein, another valuable antioxidant.
Beet greens are also amazing for you.  They can be used raw in your green drinks, or cooked like spinach.  But I have a confession to make…I just don’t like the taste of beet greens.  So I don’t bother.  There are plenty of greens that I do like.
I love to roast my beets…it really enhances the flavor and it’s super easy.  I just rinse them, spread on a baking sheet, and throw them in the oven.  You can really roast them at any temp.

For the red beets in the pic, I roasted at 375 degrees for about an hour, until they were easy to pierce with a fork.  The bigger they are, the longer they take.  The golden ones were close to an hour and a half!
I let them cool completely, then peel over the sink and cut into pieces. They make a total mess, but this will minimize it.  Sometimes I wear plastic gloves when I peel them, to avoid looking like a murder suspect.  Roasted, peeled beets store nicely in the fridge for at least three or four days.
And now that you’ve roasted these beets, and actually gone to the trouble to peel them, what should you do with them?
I love to use beets in a salad.  They are great on spring mix, with some walnuts for crunch.  A little drizzle of balsamic vinegar and Kasandrinos olive oil would be perfect.
I’ve been known to throw beets in a smoothie for a nutrient boost.  Here’s one I made last spring:  Pretty in Pink (part 2)
Sometimes I just serve them as a side dish, usually drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with pink Himalayan salt.  Soooo good.
In each case, the beets are paired with a healthy fat.  Fat helps our bodies to better absorb the nutrients in our produce.  It also makes everything taste better!
So can beets help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  Of course they can…go out and get some!
The gorgeous color and sweet taste just have to make you happy.  Beets are loaded with antioxidants and may even inhibit tumor growth, which certainly makes them healthy.  And the vitamin C and copper are supporting gorgeous skin…very hot!
SHOP THE POST:
Kasandrinos Olive Oil
Pink Himalayan Salt