Hello everyone,

Beets beets beets! Such a wonderful treat!

Did I mention, I love beets!

I was always a little scared of beets when I was young, with the disturbing dark red juices  appearing in undesirable places and all. But these days, I’m over that … I simply love beets! (Did I mention that yet?) This year, I have even planted jumbo beets in my garden!

The problem with beets is that they are messy. When I am preparing them, I always fear even dripping the smallest amount on my white cupboards as I believe that the bright red stain will never go away. To date, I have been miraculously lucky with no permanent beet stains yet! (knock on wood)

As you all know, beets are also a pain in the butt to prepare. Peeling them is not easy, and you inevitably get that red juice all over your hands. After trying to peel them, chop them and roast them, I got fed up and have found a better way.

To roast beets:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash beets and chop off top and bottom.
3. Cover beets in olive oil.
4. Place beets on large piece of tin foil, and wrap them in the foil.
5. Place on pan and roast in oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 mins, depending on how soft you like them, and how large they are. I usually roast them on the longer side.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Once they have cooled, you can rub the peel off very easily with your hands. I like to do this over the sink.
7. You can store your beets in your fridge, ready to go. Add them to salads, reheat them as a side for dinner, or just snack on them.

So now that your fridge is full of delicious beets, it is time for a beet recipe!

This week’s recipe of the week is a spinach beet salad. I adapted this recipe from a chef Michael Smith recipe, that Canadian guy who lives by the ocean in the Maritimes and spends the whole day cooking for his family and doing yoga. What a life.  The spinach beet salad combines roasted beets, spinach, orange, fennel with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. The dressing is a raspberry wine vinaigrette with orange zest.

TIPS:
– Although fennel is nice, you can do without. I didn’t use it in the picture above.

Ingredient I can’t live without:

BEETS
Beets beets, a wonderful treat. Did I mention, I love beets?

So get out and enjoy yourself some of those tasty sweet tidbits also known as beets! Anyways, I’m off to make another salad for lunch tomorrow – broccoli salad! I wonder how that would taste with beets…

Bon appetit,

Julie

Click here to view printable Word version of recipe:
Spinach Beet Salad

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Spinach Beet Salad

INGREDIENTS:
Spinach
Roasted Beet
1 Orangs, cut into chunks
Fennel, finely chopped (optional)
Sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp raspberry wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
Zest of 1 orangs
1 tsp grainy mustard or dijon mustard
1 tsp honey – or more to taste

To roast beets:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash beets and chop off top and bottom.
3. Cover beets in olive oil.
4. Place beets on large piece of tin foil, and wrap them in the foil.
5. Place on pan and roast in oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 mins, depending on how soft you like them, and how large they are. I usually roast them on the longer side.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Once they have cooled, you can rub the peel off very easily with your hands. I like to do this over the sink.
7. You can store your beets in your fridge, ready to go. Add them to salads, reheat them as a side for dinner, or just snack on them.