0418290939

Welcome to Creative Veges 101 where I take you on a journey of learning how to:

  • Get creative with vegetables
  • Experiment with delicious quick recipes
  • Easily get them into your meals everyday
This week is beetroot –  another delicious root vegetable with some amazing nutritional benefits. Not only are they packed with fibre they are also a valuable source of folate, manganese, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
. 
Beetroots are high in inorganic nitrates, which helps blood vessels to dilate and promote proper blood flow. This aids in lowering blood pressure, better brain function and exercise performance. Beetroot also contains betanin, a powerful antioxidant, helping to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of getting cancer.
. 
Beetroot can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled and don’t forget the beetroot leaves can be eaten as well (it’s only rhubarb leaves that you can’t eat).
. 
Beetroot Chips
I’ve lost count of the number of people who try beetroot chips for the first time and cannot believe how delicious they are. They’re made the same way as sweet potato chips. Put a teaspoon of coconut or olive oil into the palm of one hand, rub into the other palm and then spread over the beetroot slices. Arrange in a single layer, sprinkle with Herbamere and then bake until some are starting to go brown and crisp around the edges.
. 
Roasted Beetroot Dip
Like any root vegetables, you can cook beetroot a myriad of ways. The easiest way for this recipe is to wash, steam the whole beetroot, cool, and then peel the skin off. If they are fresh, organic beets, you may not even need to peel the skins. In older larger beetroots the skin can be touch and fibrous. Making the dip is similar to making hommus just that we are adding cooked beetroot. The colour is amazing!
. 
Roasted Beetroot & Carrot Salad
This is another great salad where you can substitute any roasted vegetables and use any leafy greens to toss through at the end. You can also substitute a can of chickpeas (or any beans) in place of the goat’s feta if you’re avoiding dairy. The dressing has a teaspoon of honey but you may choose to leave that out because the roasted vegetables give a lot of sweetness. Alternatively, throw in a handful of goji berries.
. 
Beetroot Chia Pudding
This is a sneaky way to get a super nutritious vegetable in a dessert. When blended with bananas and strawberries you can hardly taste the beetroot. Adding the chia thickens the mixture giving it a pudding-like texture. This would be delicious served with a dollop of coconut yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.