Here’s another recipe that is delicious and nutritious year round. It’s not hard to find fresh beets in the produce section of most grocery stores or produce markets year round. They are much more tasty than canned beets and oh, soooo nutritious!
Beets are a “Super Food”. They are high in valuable vitamins and minerals and low in calories. They are jam packed with Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous, and Iron. They also contain inorganic nitrates and pigments with health benefits including the lowering of blood pressure and cancer prevention, and because they are very high in fiber, can improve digestive health.
The leafy greens that are attached to the beet when purchased fresh are even more nutritious than the beets themselves. These greens are chock full of carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin which have strong antioxidant and anticancer activities. Vitamins A, C, B6, as well as potassium, manganese, calcium, iron, and phosphorous are packed into these beautiful leafy greens!
Beet greens can be used in recipes in place of spinach or chard and have a similar taste.
Here is a simple recipe that uses fresh beets and allows for the full flavor of the beets to be appreciated.
Chose fresh beets that are small and firm. Make sure that the attached leaves are green and not wilted or yellowed. (The larger the beet, the harder it is to cut.) Beets do not have to be peeled, only washed thoroughly to remove any soil that may be remaining.
6-8 small beets with stems and leaves
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt to taste
1/4 cup of crumbled Feta Cheese.
Cut the leafy greens about one inch from the beet root.
Wash the beets well in warm water to remove all traces of remaining soil.
Trim the beets so that the small root is cut off the bottom, and the beet is flat and able to sit upright.
Place all beets in a small baking dish and drizzle with EVOO. ( If the beets are larger, they can be quartered and placed in the baking dish.)
Add Kosher salt to taste.
Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F. or until beets are tender.
Remove beets from the oven, and immediately sprinkle with the Feta Cheese.
Serve hot!
Don’t for get to save those beet greens that you just cut off! Use them in any recipe from soups to salads. They can be eaten raw, sauteed, or added to any recipe that calls for spinach or chard. Just wash them well and keep in the fridge. They will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Happy Beet Eating!
