Beets can be some what overwhelming, the mess of preparing them, how to properly season and cook them and then even how they taste. Once you master the prepping part I guarantee you are going to make beets a staple in your diet. I personally love the fresh earthy and buttery flavor that beets have when they are cooked properly and their greens are delicious steamed.
Beets are a major source of folate making them a pregnancy super food as well! They are also an excellent source of magnesium, iron, fiber and vitamin C. They contains a unique antioxidant compound called betalain that is only found in a few other vegetables, swiss chard being one, and give beets their gorgeous reddish purple color. It is being widely researched right now and has been shown to greatly benefit vision and nerve tissue health. Betalain is easily denatured, meaning that when applied to heat for too long it will lose it’s nutritional benefit. For that reason it is important to eat beets that have only been roasted for short periods of time or ideally steamed. I will outline a few ways below.
Beets are something you can expose to your kiddos to early and the beet hummus recipe below is a great way to do that. The earlier and more often you expose your kids to foods the sooner they will develop a diverse palate that will benefit them for the rest of their lives!
You can use, fresh, frozen or canned beets for this recipe. If you are going to use canned ones tried to find a brand that has been stored in a glass jar or in a BPA free can. I highly encourage you to test the recipe as you make it and add more or less of any ingredient you want. Make it yours, you will be more likely to enjoy it!
Cooking Methods
Roasting: When preparing the beets, wear gloves and/or peel the beats in a bowl of cool water to help with the mess. Cut into small cubes and lightly season with coconut oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 40 minutes and no more then 60 to maintain nutritional value.
Steaming: Leave the skin on and quarter the beats. Throw them into a colander and place over a pot with about 2 cups of boiling water. Cook for 15 minutes, remove and using a paper towel or again under running water remove the skin. Place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice, coconut or olive oil and salt and allow them to marinade for about 20 minutes.
Greens: If you have purchased the whole beet keep those greens! You can add them to a smoothie or sauté or steam them. Then toss them with some fresh garlic, lemon juice and little olive oil.
Beet Hummus
Servings: 12-15
Time: 15 minutes (longer if you have to cook the beets)
Difficulty: easy
A gorgeous, delicious and unique twist on a party favorite!
Fresh steamed or roasted beets will take this recipe to the moon, but for the sake of convenience, PBA free canned or jarred beets will do! Allow it to chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors really come together and don’t be afraid the adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Ingredients
1 Cup or 3-4 Roasted/Cooked Beets
2 Tbs Tahini
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Lemon
3/4 tsp Salt
1 3/4 cups of garbanzo beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans*
Directions
Pulse lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and salt together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Add garbanzo beans and water and pulse until smooth.
Add roasted beets and Coriander; process until well blended.
Enjoy!!