GERD / Acid Reflux
This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it.
Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.
"The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious." -Tom Robbins, Author
The refrigerator light goes on...
Roasting is an essential technique in cooking great healthy food. The most important thing is that the roasting pan be large enough so that the food doesn’t touch. If you use too small a pan, the food will steam and not have that crispy outside the makes roasted food so great.
Beets
These are the veggies that you probably hated as a kid (I did). Most of us had them out of a can or as pickled beets, however fresh beets are fantastic and nothing like those that have been canned.
Look for fresh beets with the beet greens still attached. The greens should be fresh and crisp, like fresh spinach. The greens are delicious sautéed quickly in just a pat of butter and a touch of maple syrup (see my Collard Greens recipe). They should be cooked as soon as possible because they will wilt rapidly.
You are not stuck with red beets—there are also white, yellow, golden and striped beets. Golden beets are milder than red but are still very sweet. The bonus is that they don't bleed like red beets. Striped beets have rings of red and white stripes. They are also known as Chiogga (kee oh ja) beets.
If I am going to use beets in a salad, I will scrub them gently and then wrap them in foil for roasting. After they are done, let them cool and the peel will slip off easily.
4 ounces beets = 49 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g mono fat, 2g protein, 11g carbohydrates, 88mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 0 mcg Vitamin K.
4 ounces beet greens = 25 calories, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g mono fat, 2g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 253mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 448 mcg Vitamin K
