I love this fresh, earthy root vegetable.
The deep purple root is enjoying a bit of a revival, popping up on the menus of fashionable restaurants, but the dark green leaves are also edible and packed full of nutrients.
It was originally cultivated by the Romans and has a history deeply embedded in Eastern Europe (think Borscht, the Russian soup).
It’s high in fibre, aiding smooth digestion and elimination, rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and potassium and packed full of antioxidants.
Beetroots have long been used for medicinal purposes, primarily for disorders of the liver as they help to stimulate the liver’s detoxification processes.
The plant pigment that gives beetroot its rich, purple-crimson colour is betacyanin, a powerful agent, which may have a role to play in suppressing the development of some types of cancer.
Beetroot & goats cheese salad
This makes a lovely light lunch or starter for four people
Ingredients
► 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey and a minced clove of garlic mixed together for the marinade
► 4 fresh, raw beetroots, washed, peeled and VERY thinly sliced
► 200g goats cheese
► Rocket or mixed green salad leaves Marinade the slices of beetroot overnight or for at least a couple of hours.
Slice the goats cheese into large rounds – at least four pieces, but smaller if you wish – and grill on high on an oiled baking sheet for two or three minutes until they soften and start to turn golden brown. To serve, scatter the beetroot slices over the plate, top with the goats cheese, garnish with the salad leaves and drizzle the marinade over the top, together with a little black pepper. Lovely with some warm crusty wholegrain walnut bread.
Beetroot, carrot, orange and cucumber juice
You will need two raw beetroots, two large carrots, two large juicy oranges, a cucumber and grated ginger is optional. Simply juice them all and blend.
Beetroot & lentil salad
This is delicious warm served with grilled, white fish or as a meal of its own with perhaps some salad.
Ingredients
► 300g fresh, raw beetroots
► 200g of lentils of your choice
► Wholegrain mustard, olive oil, honey and lemon juice for the dressing
If the green leaves are still on the beetroots, cut them off leaving at least 2cms of stalk. Wash them and boil them with their skins on for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size. They are cooked when the skins slide off easily. Boil the thoroughly rinsed lentils for roughly the same time. They need to be soft but cooked to a mush. Mix the dressing ingredients in quantities to your taste. The beetroot skins should slip off easily whilst they are still warm. Roughly chop into small pieces and mix with the lentils.
Roasted roots with yoghurt dressing
Fabulous as a vegetarian meal on their own, with quinoa or serve with the roasted meat of your choice and gravy rather than the dressing.
Ingredients
► A selection of root vegetables including beetroots, sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots, together with whole baby leeks, quartered onions and whole garlic cloves
► Olive oil
► Dressing: Plain yoghurt, dill, lemon juice, horseradish and black pepper
Chop the root vegetables into large pieces and drizzle some olive oil over them all, not too much, and then just turn them and mix them over and over until they are all just about coated. They will take anything up to an hour to roast depending on the size of the pieces. Check and stir three or four times during cooking. Mix the dressing ingredients together to your taste. Serve whilst the vegetables are still warm.
