By now most people know that beets are a superfood. They can be eaten raw or cooked, pickled or pureed. I've used it to naturally colour icing and Watermelon Pudding. Since beets are quite hardy, they can often be found at locally grown year round, too. I've seen adorable baby beets and large ones at our local market the past few weeks.
Studies suggest that beets can reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow, and it is high in folate and manganese. Personally, I think beets are delicious, but I know not everyone else likes their sweet, earthy flavour.
The 25 recipes and ways to use beets in this post provide a multitude of ways to get yer beets, and many of them don't taste like beets at all. After all, beets and chocolate are an amazing combination!!
The best way to cook beets:
Some people
boil beets, or even microwave them. Personally I prefer to bake them, as it
retains their beautiful bright colour, moisture and flavour the best.
I've found the best way to bake them is to
slice off the stems, leaving about ½” of the leaf stems on top, and trim the
root, leaving about ½” of root at the end. This keeps the beet juices locked inside while baking. Scrub under running water. In a casserole dish with a lid, bake the
beets at 375F for 45min – 1hr, until a fork or sharp knife can be inserted with
little resistance. Remove from oven and
cool. The skins should slide off fairly
easily while still warm.
When I get a bunch from the farmers market, I bake them all up right away, and use them throughout the week in a variety of different ways, many of which I've included in the slideshows below!
11 Beet Based Appetizers,
Snacks, and Desserts
11 Beet Based Salads
and
Main Dishes
Ever considered smothering a salad in a sweet red pear-flavoured dressing?
Well now's your chance...
4 Drinks Made with Beets
If you're still not convinced, maybe one of these drinks will help you down your daily dose of beets in a few hearty gulps.
Have you checked out my gluten free pasta book Recipes for Unusual Gluten Free Pasta: Pierogis, Dumplings, Desserts and More! ? Get yourself a copy and start making GF won tons, pierogis, dumplings, and orzo today :)
This post was shared on the following great link parties: Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten Free and DIY Tuesday, The Hearth and Soul Hop, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Happy Healthy Green and Natural Hop,
How do YOU like your beets?
Have you checked out my gluten free pasta book Recipes for Unusual Gluten Free Pasta: Pierogis, Dumplings, Desserts and More! ? Get yourself a copy and start making GF won tons, pierogis, dumplings, and orzo today :)
This post was shared on the following great link parties: Real Food Recipe Roundup, Gluten Free and DIY Tuesday, The Hearth and Soul Hop, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Happy Healthy Green and Natural Hop,
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteAs a child I hated beets although my mother forced me to eat them to boost my low blood count since I was anemic. These varied and delicious beet recipes are a far cry from the canned beets of my youth. Actually as an adult I have learned to love and appreciate beets so thank you so much for sharing this marvelous collection of gluten free beet recipes with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I am pinning and tweeting this!
I hated beets as a kid, too! Mostly just on principle, though, because I thought they were weird. Thanks for sharing this post, Deborah :)
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