In the traditional sense, we tend to see beets eaten in a variety of ways - pickled, boiled, steamed, raw, and famously consumed in borscht (pyszne!).
Beets are rich in potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and copper. They also contain vitamins C, A, and folate, amongst others - so it's no surprise that you could easily fall in love with these little ruby gems.
As indicated in a previous post, one of my preferred methods for consuming beets would be in raw whole smoothies (preferably with kale and berries); however, while trolling around the internet, I stumbled upon the idea of a roasted beet dip.
This roasted beet dip has such a deep flavour and can be eaten with crackers, pita and easily with crudités. With an easy preparation, your only worry will be making sure you don't stain your hands when preparing the beets (tip: coat your hands with a teaspoon of vegetable oil before you handle the beets).
"Not so fat phat beets"
5 cups of beets peeled and cut into chunks (I used a whole bag)
5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (separated: 1 tbsp to coat beets, 4 tbsps or more for dip consistency)
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tsp finely chopped chili peppers/jalapeno (optional)
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
1 tsp toasted coriander seeds
1 tsp salt (I like to use himalayan)
1 tbsp lemon juice to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Toss beets in tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt
- Roast in the oven for approximately 1 hour (make sure not to burn)
- Place beets, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, chili peppers/jalapeno and garlic in a food processor and pulse
- Drizzle in olive oil while pulsing until the dip reaches desired consistency
You can adjust the quantity of garlic and chili peppers/jalapeno to suit your palette.
