Buzz
Beets are a nutrient-rich root vegetable with excellent detoxifying properties. Easy to prepare, beets make a delicious, low-calorie dish when paired with butter or sprinkled with a hint of cinnamon. The best beets are young, so choose small ones with leaves. Below are instructions on how to peel, boil, and roast beets for salads and baked beet dishes.
Ingredients
Beetroot Salad
- 1 roasted and peeled beetroot
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Salad greens of your choice
Baked Beets with Sauce
- 1 boiled and peeled beetroot
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Steps
Methods for Preparing Beets
Roasting Beets. Roasting is an excellent way to highlight the flavor and preserve the nutrients in beets. Roasted beets are also delicious on their own or added to salads.
- Scrub the dirt off the outer skin of the beets.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the green stem at the top of the beetroot.
- Preheat the oven to 300°C (572°F).
- Rub the beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the beets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and cover them with another sheet of foil.
- Put the tray in the oven and roast for at least 1 hour. Use a fork to check if the beets are tender. If not, continue roasting until the flesh is soft.
- Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool.
- Once cooled, peel off the skin. Enjoy immediately or use the roasted beets in other recipes.
Boiling Beets. Boiling will give the beets a soft and moist texture.
- Trim the leaves from the top of the beets, leaving about 5 cm of the stem. This helps prevent the beets from leaking red juice while boiling.
- Place the beets in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
- Boil the beets until a fork easily pierces the flesh and it feels soft.
- While waiting for the beets to cook, fill a large bowl or basin with cold water.
- Drain the hot water from the beets and transfer them into the cold water.
When the beets have cooled enough, hold both ends and use your thumb to peel off the skin.
Season to your liking and enjoy, or use boiled beets in other recipes.
Beetroot Salad Recipe
Roast and peel the beets as instructed above.
Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces. Place the beets in a bowl.
Mix the beets with avocado and red onion.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, and chili. Stir until the ingredients for the dressing are well blended.
Pour the dressing over the beets, avocado, and red onion. Toss all the ingredients together until well combined.
Place the salad greens in a bowl for each serving. Top with the beets and serve with the accompanying dressing.
Recipe for Baked Beets with Sauce
Boil and peel the beets as per the instructions above. Slice the beets into thin rounds (about 5 mm thick).
Preheat the oven to 300°C.
Brush olive oil on the baking dish. Arrange the beet slices on the dish, layering them if necessary. If there are too many beets, you can layer them in multiple rows.
Whisk eggs, milk, garlic, Gruyère cheese, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Pour the mixture over the beetroot in the baking dish.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the sauce turns brown and starts bubbling.
Allow the beetroot to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy.
