Any beet lovers/likers out there?

[Pat58]

Hi all,

Our local farmers market had the loveliest bunches of baby beets. Thurs. night I trimmed off all of the greens and sauteed them with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and tossed with pasta. Fri. I roasted all the little baby beets. They were as sweet as candy! For lunch today, I modified a CL recipe and julienned some jicama, the remaining cold beets, and tossed them with a peeled/sectioned orange. All I dressed it with was a little seasoned rice vinegar, pepper and Thai basil from my garden.

Are there any other beet lovers out there? How do you like beets and their greens? I'd love to hear your ideas and any recipes.

[Beth Y]

I, too, and a BIG beet lover. It is great to get them fresh at the Farmer's Market. I just wrap them in foil and roast them until tender. Fresh ones are miles above those canned things or those that you get at salad bars. I have so many friends that hate beets due to their mothers forcing them to eat canned pickled beets as children!

And they are SO good for you. Full of beta carotene. Any recipes would be welcome.

[Deanna]

I LOVE BEETS! But I must confess, I can't think of doing anything to make them taste better than baked or steamed, with a touch of butter....mmmmm...brings back memories of childhood...we always had beets in the backyard garden!

[Ohioan]

I love beets, but I can never figure out how to handle them without dyeing everything in the vicinity beet-colored! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/confused.gif Any tips from the conoisseurs? Especially about roasting?

Cheers, Phoebe (aka Ohioan)

[christinew]

OK fellow posters...How do I ease into trying beets? I am 33 and have no idea how they taste or how to cook them. I have this presumed aversion http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif for no reason. Please help!

[Deanna]

Christine...first of all, find the freshest beets you can and cook them simply. Roast, boil, or steam.

I'm not really sure WHAT it is about beets that people find so unappealing. They don't have a really strong flavor...and the texture is something like...a pear? only WITHOUT that graininess...if you know what I mean.

I guess I'm tired. My sentences aren't very well structured, are they? Anyway, if I were you, I would just imagine all the good nutrition packed into that little beet. It is a product of sunshine, water, and earth. It's good for you and THAT should put a smile on your face!

Nitey-nite...

[christinew]

Deanna!

OK now I must go in search of good beats today at the farmer's market. On the health benefit alone I have to try to prepare and develop a taste for them. Thanks for the reply and your sentences did make sense, and that is perhaps because I am still sleepy myself! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Mornin'

[Pat58]

Originally posted by christinew:
OK fellow posters...How do I ease into trying beets? I am 33 and have no idea how they taste or how to cook them. I have this presumed aversion http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif for no reason. Please help!

Here is how I cook beets: To "ease" into them, choose fresh beets that are smallish in size, with fresh looking greens. There usually aren't many in a bunch. The easiest method (and cleanest) is to roast them in foil. Cut off the greens, leaving about 1" stems on top, and cut off any long tap roots. Scrub beets and rinse out the stems well to remove grit. Tear off a strip of foil that will hold all of the beets with room to fold the foil over them and crimp it to make a packet. (If using large beets, wrap individually in foil.) Place packet(s) on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and roast them in a 375 degree oven. Time depends on size of beets, little babies will be done in 20-30 minutes, large ones might take up to an hour. Turn after 20 minutes and check by inserting a skewer into one; if it goes through easily, they are perfectly done.

Remove pan and let beets cool. Using a paper towel, and working over the foil, rub the skins off of the beets. Slice large ones; with baby beets, you can plate them whole or just sliced in half.

If you like greens, try the beet greens, too. They need to be washed well. I rinse them under running water, then soak in 2-3 changes of cold water, swishing them around to remove grit. Small leaves are good in salads, larger leaves and the stems are great chopped and sauteed with olive oil and garlic. The greens are so good for you, but might take a little getting used to - they have a pronounced flavor but I have grown to love it. If you've eaten mesclun salad, you've had baby beet leaves. Hope you try them http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Connie]

My local paper just published a recipe for something like a roasted beet salad with goat cheese. I have not made it yet, but my sister will soon have beets for me from her garden, and I will try it then. Meanwhile, I will try to post the recipe tonight or tomorrow.

[lorilei]

I LOVE beets, and can't wait for "beet season" to roll around so that I can make borscht -- ah, beets, potatoes and dill! I always use the greens in my borscht if they are too mature for salads.

There's no combination quite as wonderful as that!!

[robinf]

I thought I was the only one who loved beets but then I like brussel sprouts too. Everyone laughs at me.

My favorite way to eat them is to mix cooked and quarterd fresh beets with the juice from one orange, 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1-2 tablespoons of a good grainy french mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Measurements are approximate as so much depends upon how sweet the beets are, how juicy the orange is, etc. To make even more substantial, I sometimes add crumpled blue cheese. YUM - makes even canned beets good.

[Beth Y]

Lorilei, where were you when Deanna and I were having our borscht discussion on the old board??? I have been long in search of a tried and true recipe...Please, please post! Thanks.

[bijoux22]

I am not a beet lover or even liker but I did see this in Epicurious

ROASTED BEET SOUP WITH POTATO AND DILL SALAD

1 1/2 pounds beets (about 5 medium), tops trimmed
12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes

2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
4 tablespoons chopped red onion
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
Fresh dill sprigs


Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets and potatoes separately in foil; seal tightly. Roast on oven rack until tender when pierced with skewer, about 45 minutes for potatoes and 1 1/2 hours for beets. Unwrap and cool completely.

Peel beets; cut into 1-inch pieces and place in blender. Add milk, 2 tablespoons onion, 2 tablespoons chopped dill and vinegar; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate soup until cold, about 1 hour.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place in medium bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons each of onion and chopped dill. Fold in yogurt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover beet soup and potato salad separately and refrigerate.) Ladle beet soup into 4 bowls. Top with potato salad; garnish with dill sprigs.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: calories, 213; total fat, 3 g; saturated fat, 2 g; cholesterol, 12 mg

Bon Appétit
August 2000

Cooking for Health

[Connie]

Here's the recipe I mentioned yesterday:

ROASTED BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

2 large beets
1/4 cup pecans
4 handfuls washed, mixed greens, such as red leaf, green leaf, red romaine and arugula
balsamic vinaigrette, to taste
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 pound firm goat cheese, crumbled

Wash, but don't peel beets. Wrap beets tightly in aluminum foil and roast in 450-degree oven about 1 hour, until tip of knife inserts easily. Remove beets from oven, and when cool enough to handle, rub off skin and trim ends. Slice beets and set aside.
Toast pecans in skillet over low heat about 10 minutes, until fragrant and slightly shiny. Set pecans aside. Toss greens with vinaigrette, salt and pepper, to taste.
To assemble salads, divide dressed greens evenly on four chilled plates. Top each salad with sliced beets, crumbled cheese and toasted pecans. Add more vinaigrette and black pepper, if desired.
Makes four servings.

I haven't tried it yet; let me know if any of you do and what you think. Thanks!

[Peggy]

Hi Everyone!

I planted beets this year in my garden and they did really well. I always roast my beets in the oven (400 degrees about 1/2 hour for baby beets and an hour for older ones.) A month or so ago, I posted a question about how to cook beet greens. I had never cooked them and couldn't bear to throw them away... They looked so healthy and delicious. Several people made good suggestions, so you might want to look back at that post. In addition, I located and posted a recipe there for Balsamico Beets and Greens that was delicious. One Cooking Light recipe I tried this year was Roasted Beets and Mango Salad from March 1999. It was very good!

Hope this helps!

Peggy

[lorilei]

Beth - In answer to your question about "where I was", I probably wasn't checking the boards regularly at that time, so I don't remember the discussion... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I'm very sorry I missed a few of those exciting moments!

However, I'd be happy to offer my recipe for beet borscht! It's based on a kosher recipe I got from a Jewish friend, but I've made some adjustments and I'm not sure it's really kosher anymore :O I'm afraid the ingredient measurements are quite variable -- you really can use as much as you have on hand. I have given approximations in case you'd like them.
The broth measurement is really where I'm at a loss -- I usually just add it until it looks "soupy" enough! See my notes at the bottom for additional desecrations...

BEET BORSCHT

2-3 lbs fresh beets
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
2 large potatoes, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
Bay leaf
Balsamic vinegar (1/8 cup?)
1 tablespoon dill
Broth -- enough to cover vegetables

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Trim tops off beets, leaving 1 inch of stalk. Reserve the beet tops. Wash, scrub and towel off beets, but do not peel them.

Place the beets in a small glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove baked beets from the oven. Allow them to cool enough to be handled. Peel off jackets and cut off tips and remaining stalks. Chop the beets (I usually chop them into large rounds or half-rounds)


In a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add chopped onion, 1-2 cloves minced garlic,
cabbage, carrots, and bay leaf. Sauté for 3 minutes and remove the bay leaf. Add the broth, a splash of balsamic vinegar, beets, potatoes and salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes. Add dill and continue simmering until potatoes are tender.

If you would like your borscht to be served cool, shut off heat, and allow to cool fairly completely. When borscht is room temperature, replace cover and place borscht in the refrigerator to chill completely.

Before serving, wash reserved beet tops. Dry them with a towel and chop them into bite-size pieces. Heat about a tablespoon of the olive oil in medium-size, nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Add the remaining garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add beet tops and sauté for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove beet tops from heat (cool if serving borscht cold) and add to borscht.

LORI's NOTES:
Like many soups, borscht is more flavorful if served the day after making it -- but I can't always wait! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I often use leftover broth from simmering corned beef, as it adds so much flavor to the borsch. Beef, chicken or vegetable broth can be used instead.

I very seldom peel my beets; I just wash them well and cook them as called for.

When I am short on time, I have also skipped baking the beets (which is actually a way to preserve more of the beet flavor & nutrients) and just sauteed the vegetables and then simmered all of the ingredients together in the broth for an hour or two until the vegetables are tender.

I usually serve my borscht warm with sour cream (or yogurt), fresh dill weed and a good caraway rye bread.

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 08-07-2000).]

[Beth Y]

Lorilei, thank you!

[tanastaplo]

Resurrecting an old thread here:
Peggy, I did a search for the Balsamico Beets and Greens that you mentioned in your post, but I can't find it. Do you happen to have it readily available still? If not, no problem. I just happen to have two very pretty bunches of beets and greens here, and I'm looking for a way to use both parts.
Thanks!
Teddy

[luv2cook]

I recently converted two beet haters so I feel I am an authority on the subject :p

There is absolutely no comparison between a fresh and canned.

What I do is use a vegetable peeler and scrape off the skin. Don't worry about the red color, it will wash off. Trust me. I seriously dont' know why cookbook authors make such a big deal about using gloves, for god's sake. It's not a jap.

Anyhow, then I slice them in my FP. Then I toss them in a shallow dish, mixed with red onion. THrow about a tsp. or more, if you like, of butter or margarine, a little kosher salt and some pepper. Cover with foil and bake in the bottom half of the oven for 35 min. at 350. 40 min. max. Now, if they're hard to stab, they're not quite done. They should be soft but firm...if that makes sense. that's the first way.

Once you've done that, you can try the horseradish beets from CL. Eliminate the corn starch, mix everything up, nuke in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until melted, mix it with the beets, cover and bake as above. Let me know if you try it and how you liked them...

[wallycat]

I love them too....and I even settle for canned....
I make something similar to the goat cheese recipe posted except I use walnuts and Feta Cheese with a dijon dressing. Only way I'm not crazy about them is pickled :rolleyes:

[cindyluwho]

There's a great beetroot risotto dish that I love, an old Martha Stewart recipe. It's a shocking hot pink color, and tastes great! A bit of work though, because you've got to roast the beets and other stuff first, but worth the trouble. Canned beets don't work in this recipe, I've tried them. If anyone wants me to post the recipe, let me know!

[Peggy]

Originally posted by tanastaplo
Resurrecting an old thread here:
Peggy, I did a search for the Balsamico Beets and Greens that you mentioned in your post, but I can't find it. Do you happen to have it readily available still?

Teddy,

Here is the recipe:

Balsamico Beets and Greens (Great Good Food Cookbook)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 ounces cooked baby beets, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups loosely packed beet greens, washed and drained, with water left clinging to leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, sugar and mustard. Toss with the beets and marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the greens, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well. Cover and cook until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.

3. Divide the hot greens among 4 salad plates and top with the beets and vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Calories 108, Carb 16gm, Protein 3gm, Chol 0mg, Fat 5gm

[tanastaplo]

Got it!!
Thank you very much, Peggy! I've printed this out and I'm looking forward to trying it!
Teddy

[Jen]

I love beets too...I grew up eating them fresh so I never developed that aversion that so many people have. I do remember as a teenager that I would be SOOO embarrassed if my Mom made beets when a friend (or God forbid, a boyfriend) was coming over for dinner! Somehow they were never "cool".

But this is my favourite beet recipe...

Glazed Beets with Balsamic Vinegar
From More HeartSmart Cooking (Bonnie Stern)

"Beets are so delicious and so underrated. They have stunning colour, great texture and sweet taste. Baking beets brings out all the flavour!"

2 lbs beets (6 medium)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, or pinch dried
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions

1. Wrap beets in foil in a single layer. Bake in preheated 400°F oven until very tender, about 1 hour. Pierce with tip of sharp knife to see if they are ready.
2. Cool beets slightly. Trim ends and peel while still warm (it is easier). Cut into wedges.
3. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet. Add beets and toss to coat with oil. Add vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil.
4. Add rosemary and water. Cook until liquid evaporates and beets are well-glazed. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped chives before serving.

Makes 6 servings, each: 68 calories, 3 g fibre, 2 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 58 mg sodium, 1 g protein.

[Marsha]

Try peeled beets raw, in salad, or just by themselves - they are sweet & delicious.

[Kelli Kerrigan]

Hi, I'm Kelli, and I'm addicted to beets.

Try doing a search for the Roasted Beet salad with walunuts and balsamic basil vinegar dressing. Absolutely to die for! I can polish off a ton of the stuff. And anyone I have 'let' try it, loves it. It has gorgonzola in it too.
When I saw this post I was so happy to see that the Ohioan was back again, only to LOOK at the dates! How I miss her wit and wisdom!
But any way, roasting beets are my favorite way of cooking them. Use them in a salad, a stir fry, or as a side dish they are just wonderful!
I think I just may have some new recipes I might just have to share. Let me look...............

[Donna P]

I did a search and could not find the recipe for the roasted beet salad with walnuts and balsamic basil vin. . Can somebody please post? I've got some fresh beets from the garden screaming to be used. Thanks!

[donleyk]

There's a great beetroot risotto dish that I love, an old Martha Stewart recipe. It's a shocking hot pink color, and tastes great! A bit of work though, because you've got to roast the beets and other stuff first, but worth the trouble. Canned beets don't work in this recipe, I've tried them. If anyone wants me to post the recipe, let me know!

If it isn't any trouble to post that sounds wonderful and I would appreciate it! TIA

[sherri]

I used to HATE beets and then had them at my supper club and now I am addicted.
One of the recipe is a beet salad with feta dressing, very yummy.
I also LOVE the Moosewood Low Fat Favorites Roasted Beets and Shallots, also very yummy. I can post them if anyone is interested.
I think fresh beets are so much better than canned! I have bad memories of canned beets from childhood!

[Marsha]

Forgot to mention the excellent Beet Cake in CL March 2001 - VERY similar to carrot cake - no one would know the difference. And it freezes well (the icing doesn't want to get hard in the freezer, so it's best to make the layers & freeze them, then thaw the cake & frost it before serving).

[JJ40]

This thread is great! It's actually gotten me to consider trying beets! The only kind I've ever had are the canned/pickled ones, and I'm not horribly fond of those. But after everyone's wonderful descriptions, I'm going to try roasted beets!

Thanks everyone!!!

Julie :)
(soon-to-be-beet convert, I hope!)

[JackieO]

Ok, folks. I grew up in a Scandinavian family with home-grown-and-pickled beets as a staple of extended-family Sunday dinners. I think we even had something like "candied beets" -- probably similar to the glazed beets posted earlier.

I LOVE fresh beets served simply with butter and LOTS of salt, but I hate the mess and since I'm the only one in the family who really likes them, I don't make them often. After stumbling on this thread earlier today, I tried roasting them in the toaster oven. I had three large beets, washed & trimmed and wrapped in foil. Put in a pre-heated toaster oven at 400 degrees, and after about a half an hour, it looked like the Texas chain saw massacre was going on in the toaster oven! Lots of hissing, some popping and occasional squirting! It all cleaned up fairly easily when things cooled down, but I was really glad I hadn't put them in my NEW regular-sized oven! Are you supposed to give them a poke with a knife or fork like a potato before you roast them???

I'm anxious to buy fresh beets at the farmers markets this summer, but I think my roasting technique needs some guidance!:confused:

[Janeway45242]

I've tried boiling and baking (baking seemed like a lot of energy expended and the results uneven), but have settled on using the pressure cooker. The time depends on the size, but I've been very pleased that they almost always come out cooked enough, especially if you try for close to uniform size. Just scrub with a vegetable brush and leave about an inch of the stem. After opening the cooker using the recommended "quick release" method I rinse them in cold water, and let them sit in cold water until cool to handle (doesn't take long) and then the best part is the skin and remaining stem just slides off. I dunk back in the cold water to remove the little bits of skin that wants to hang on. Yes, the hands get a little red, but it does wash off. I make enough to have during the week and enjoy them simply cold and plain, though a little basalmic vinegar drizzled over is nice, too.

[nmody]

We just had beets last night!

DH roasted them on the grill in foil with salt/pepper and a little olive oil spray. He served them with a "vinaigrette" made with apple butter, rice wine vinegar, some lemon zest, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. (It sounds strange, but it tasted awesome!)

We had it as a side dish with pasta and grilled veggies....(I love spring).:p