The New York Times called beets the new spinach. According to the article beets are “nutritional powerhouses, high in folate, manganese and potassium.”
My friend Jan has always liked beets. I did not like them until she made them for me once years ago. I always thought that beets tasted like dirt, but Jan roasted them in orange juice and transformed them into a delicately sweet and only slightly earthy dish. It was a perfect compliment to the pork roast and the cold snowy night.
Recently, Jan further expanded my beet world by telling me that you don’t have to cook beets at all. Grated beets with salt, pepper and lemon juice make an easy, yummy and let’s not forget, uber-healthy salad.
Here’s a version with cabbage (another nutritional powerhouse):
1 large beet or several small ones, uncooked, peeled
1 cup of chopped cabbage
1/4 cup of apple cider or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of grated horseradish (fresh or prepared)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix sugar, vinegar and horseradish.
Grate beets or chop them in food processor.
Toss all ingredients.
Eat up!
try using oil and paprika, and roasting them with carrots and onions, YUM! I felt the same way growing up having them pickled, yuck…
I love roasting beets in the oven with oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt. This sounds yummy too.
Ok, don’t laugh but I LOVE beets BECAUSE they taste like dirt! Then again, I was the kid who used to eat dirt and chalk…In my defense, it’s actually a disorder called Pica (it’s associated with low zinc and anemia). I have stopped eating dirt and I still love beets!
Mmmm…Beets! I had not had fresh beets until we went to New Zealand. They use beets to top sandwiches, salads, etc. They also used pickled beets on hamburgers. I tried my first go preparing them at home…they were great!