I absolutely love beetroot; raw, roasted, in a jar, spiralised, whatever the form, I’m crazy about it. But it wasn’t always this way. I never used to like it, and flat out refused to even try it. It took me about 20 years to even get the courage to give it a go. But once I did, I never looked back! It’s such a strong source of energy, and is low in calories and fat that it’s hard to find any flaws.
I always remember watching my mum and sister dig into slices of beetroot with so many different meals. I watched the purple slime glide around the plate and get hastily gobbled up with big bowls of salad, or feta and mint. But I just couldn’t bring myself to try it, especially when I heard that it turns your pee bright pink! The thought of that kind of worried me to be honest. But when I eventually tried it, I never looked back, and wondered what on earth took me so long to try it!
It’s just delicious – It’s earthy taste livens up so many meals and is the perfect flavour boost. And considering that it’s the richest food source of nitrates which helps soften and relax arteries, it’s kind of worth giving it a go. I got to the point where I couldn’t eat a salad unless I had a juicy piece of beetroot on the side. But I only ever ate beetroot from a jar; it tasted good, only sometimes it came out really slimy and the vinegar it was kept in just had a weird taste. So, I converted to the real deal – 100% raw and fresh from the ground, still with the stalks on and everything. And this just bought it to a whole ‘nother level. It’s so true, fresh is DEFINITELY best!
Fresh is Best
The taste of fresh compared to jarred was completely different. I could hardly believe that it was even the same vegetable. The raw version was so much fresher and tasted earthier, (in a good way!), and without sounding silly it tasted more natural, and the colour was so much more vibrant! Compared to the jarred version which often has a strong vinegar flavour, and is a lot more floppy and slimy. So, I think it’s fair to say that when you look at it like that, I’d much rather eat the raw version.
Not long ago I bought a spiraliser, and this was seriously one of my best investments EVER!! I think within the day I spiralised absolutely everything that I could find, except for sweet potato, I still need to tackle that one! But spiralised beetroot, somehow tastes even better. I think it’s just because it looks good, and for some reason when food looks good, it always tastes better. Maybe it’s because it looks yummy and you can’t wait to get it into your tummy! But it adds such a nice colour to all your meals and adds a new level of taste.
I eat it with most things now and have even experimented with using it as a main ingredient to some of my dishes. It’s super simple, all you need to do is roast some beetroots, and they can then be added to so many different dishes. So far I’ve made Beetroot Pesto as well as Beetroot Hummus. They both taste so good that I only wish I’d made them sooner. I’ve tried beetroot so many different ways but I will admit, I’ve never tried it in baking, maybe that’s an experiment to come…
The Benefits
But beetroot isn’t all about the colour and flavour. It has so many health benefits that it would be crazy for you not to eat it! It cleanses your body and purifies your blood and helps to maintain healthy liver function. It’s packed full of sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron which helps fight fatigue and keeps you going all day long. It’s also high in in tytophan, which sounds complicated but helps treat stress and relax the mind, which if you ask me is nothing but a good thing!
So not only is it completely delicious, but it’s packed full of health benefits too. If you ask me, it’s a simple win – win situation. Pure, simple and fresh food is definitely best. It tastes better, has a more vibrant colour, and its health benefits speak for themselves!
Don’t do what I did and wait 20 years to try this. Believe me, you won’t regret it and will only wish you tried it sooner. This is definitely worthy of my ‘Superfood Spotlight’ place and is now a staple to my diet.
So what are you waiting for? Something this pink can only be a good thing. Grab yourself some beetroot and see for yourself just how delicious this is. You never know, it might just become your next food obsession. Watch the fingers though as it does love to turn things pink!
Just beet it!
Rosie x
ROASTED BEETROOT RECIPE:
Perfect plain in salads, or as a base for so many dishes
Ingredients:
- 3 Beetroots (Or any amount of choice)
- Small drizzle of oil
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 *c Fan / Gas Mark 4.
- Cut off the leaves at the top of the beetroot.
- Scrub the skin to remove any dirt, and pat dry.
- Add a small amount of oil to the beetroots and wrap them in foil individually, completely encasing each one.
- Add to a baking sheet, and place in your preheated oven.
- For smaller beetroots, cook for around 1 hour, checking halfway through.
- For larger beetroots, cook for around 1 hour 20 minutes, checking halfway through.
- The beetroots are cooked when a knife/skewer inserts into the centre easily.
- If they are still not cooked after the time, then keep them in for an extra 10 minutes, and check them to see if they’re ready.
- Remove them from the oven and unwrap the foil.
- Once they’ve cooled down, peel off the skin which should now come off easily.
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