Beet Recipes

This is my first time making beets and I LOVED them. They have such an earthy, sweet flavor and are so good for you. The leaves are packed with potassium and vitamin C. I bought beets that had great stems and leaves and used them for one recipe then the next night I made the beets. It was great not to waste any parts of vegetable. I was surprised how much I loved the recipe with the leaves. Give both the recipes below a try.

Recipe: Beet stem and leaves:

Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1/2 of dish

Ingredients:

• 2 bundles of beet greens – cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion – diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse beet greens well, dry leaves. Cut steams/leaves into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil – add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
3. Add water and sugar, bring to boil. Add beet greens and mix well. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar and serve.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: Calories: 148; Total Fat: 7g;  Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 153mg; Total Carbohydrates: 18g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugars: 6g; Protein: 6g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 1039mg; Vitamin A: 0%; Vitamin C: 498%; Calcium: 57%; Iron: 19%

Recipe: Roasted Beets

Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1/2 of dish

Ingredients:

• 6 to 7 beets peeled & diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.
2. Toss diced beets with olive oil and salt and spread onto baking dish in an even layer.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until beets feel soft to the touch. Remove beets from the oven; mix balsamic vinegar, honey and maple syrup together. Evenly coat beets with balsamic vinegar mixture.
4. Return beet/vinegar mixture to oven for 10 minutes, stirring half way through.
5. Remove from oven and serve warm or store and serve later over your favorite salads.
6. Notes: I kept red beets separate from yellow beets to maintain color, but you can combine, yellow beets with turn more of pink color. Red beet juice use to be used a dye, be sure to clean all surfaces soon after use to avoid staining (including hands).

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: Calories: 297; Total Fat: 7g;  Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 591mg; Total Carbohydrates: 55g; Dietary Fiber: 14g; Sugars: 9g; Protein: 7g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 3mg; Vitamin A: 0%; Vitamin C: 0%; Calcium: 1%; Iron: 1%