Recipes

Beet Salad

Even if I wasn’t Polish, I would still LOVE beets. There are so many reasons to love them. Here are just a few:
Beets are extremely nutritious.
Beets are high in many minerals and vitamins.
Beets cleanse the body and purify the blood.
Beets contain trytophan which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being.
Beets are a high source if energy, low in calories and high in sugar.
Beet greens help boost your immune system.
Even though its the winter, I was in the mood for a healthy salad. I decided to make a simple version of those fancy “beet and goat cheese” salads you see on restaurant menus. I hope you enjoy!
#1  Red and gold beets –  Wash the beets and leave the skins on.  Trim the tops and bottoms but save the stems and greens.  Slice or quarter the beets and add to a steamer pot and steam the beets for about 20 minutes or until a sharp knife slides easily into the beet.  Cooking time will depend on how thick or thin you cut the beets.
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#2  While the beets are steaming you can chop up the stems and greens.  Heat coconut oil in a pan and sauté one sliced garlic clove and some grated ginger for about a minute, just long enough for the garlic and ginger to release their flavor.  Add the stems first as they take a few minutes longer to cook through, then add the leaves and toss so everything is coated.  The stems and leaves will have a brilliant color.  Sauté just for 2 minutes longer.  This is a great side dish or you can let it cooland use it as a base for a salad.
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#3  After the beets have cooled, remove the skins by rubbing them with a paper towel or trim with a knife.   Then, chop the beets into smaller pieces – however big you’d like them to be in the salad.
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Oh no, now your fingers are a lovely shade of bright red!  Just squirt a dab of toothpaste on your hands and rub.  Color is all gone like magic.  (not sure if it works with gel paste)
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Pictured here is a salad with the gold and red beets, sliced pear and crumbled herb goat cheese.  To assemble, I simply chopped those ingredients to my desired size. I used the greens as a base, then added the beets on top, followed by my pear and cheese.  You can add any nuts, apples or other fruit/berries and drizzle with honey for added sweetness.photo-12
Beets can be oven roasted, pickled or made in to a soup (borscht) also.  Hot or cold they are delicious!!

 

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