So what about the nutrition? Beetroot nutrition facts:
One cup of beets has the following nutrition profile:
Calories: 58
Total Fat: 0.2g
Sodium: 106mg
Total Carbohydrate: 13g
Dietary Fiber: 3.8g
Sugar: 9.2g
Protein: 2.2g
Calcium: 21.76mg
Iron: 1.09mg
Potassium: 442mg
Beets are also high in folate, dietary
fiber and antioxidants. They are high in betaine which is prescribed to lower toxic levels
of homocysteine (Hcy), which contributes to the development of heart disease, stoke and
peripheral vascular disease. The beet greens are high in vitamin A sorough chop them and add to morning eggs, stirfry, or just reduce down with a nice broth and add to ramen.
Just look at that calcium and iron! But for many people beets seem both daunting, they are a strange hairy root or disgusting having only had them as a kid forced to eat from an over processed can!
Let me assure you slow roasted with only a few key ingredients and you may find a whole new vegetable love!
Beets or Beta vulgaris
Why Roast Beets?
Beets don’t have to be roasted, and can be delish sliced and eaten raw. Roasting transforms beets from this strange alien looking root to something earthy, silky, sweet, and tender. Roast Beets in the Oven
guide for roasting tender flavorful beets
cook time 50 min to an hr but watch so they do not burn!
Ingredients
Beets (bunches or trimmed), sea salt, olive oil, basalmic, thyme or rosemary or both and I like to add chunked carrots, and small baby potatoes cut in half
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. This is a flexible cooking temperature; if you're using the oven for cooking something else, beets can be cooked at that temperature. Beets will cook more slowly at lower temperature and more quickly at higher temperatures. At higher temperatures, check more frequently for scorching (see Step 3).
Prepare the beets. If the beets still have their leafy tops, cut off the tops close to the tops of the beet, leaving yourself enough to grip. Save the beet greens for another purpose. Scrub the beets thoroughly, then wrap them loosely in aluminum foil. No need to dry the beets before wrapping. Small beets can be wrapped together, but it's easiest to roast large beets individually.
Roast the beets. I really prefer to roast in a cast iron- if you do not have a pot and only skillet, lightly rub with olive oil inside or add parchment and cover.
Roast for 50 to 60 minutes. Check the beets every 20 minutes or so. If they are starting to look dry or are scorching on the bottoms, dribble a tablespoon of water over the beets before re-wrapping. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the center of the beet. Small beets will cook more quickly than large beets.
Drizzle with a favorite dressing, or top with some dry grated cheese or even a nice salty feta. They are super delicious on a bed of arugula as well! Enjoy