Are you a beet lover? If you’ve never tried roasted beets before, you don’t know what you are missing! Beets were never my favorite veggie. If they were added to a dish, I would eat them but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make them. But then…one night I had dinner at this very charming Italian restaurant and my friend had ordered the salad special which was arugula with roasted beets, sliced red onion and goat cheese! Needless to say, I sampled those roasted beets and have been a fan ever since! Beets are chock full of nutrition…they are rich in iron, folate, vitamin C, antioxidants and they can help give your liver some lovin’ by providing detox support. You can steam them, roast them or juice them too. The beet greens can be sauteed or juiced also. Beet juice can be very powerful… so when juicing, only use a small amount of beets (1/4 – 1/2 small beet) in combination with other vegetables. I will typically add 1-2 leaves of beet greens to my homemade mixed vegetable juice. Here is a recipe that showcases the deliciousness of roasted beets:
Sauteed Collard Greens with Roasted Beets
Ingredients:
2 bunches of collard greens, stems removed (washed well (put through salad spinner to remove excess water) and chopped into bitesize pieces) (save the stems for juicing)
1 bunch beets, washed well (and wrap in foil) (remove beet greens and save for juicing)
1 entire bulb of garlic, minced
1-2 cups cooked white beans (optional)
olive oil
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Procedure:
Wrap the beets in foil, place them on a cookie sheet and put them into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or so (or until they are tender). In the meantime, coat a large saute pan with olive oil and gently heat. Over a low heat, toss in minced garlic and stir. Next, add in chopped collard greens and saute until tender. Once the beets are cooked, remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes or so. Open the beets and remove the skin with your fingers (it should come off easily). Cut the roasted beets into bite sized chunks and add to the collard green saute mixture and stir. Lastly, add cooked beans if desired, warm saute mixture and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Enjoy!
To Your Health!
