Veggie Fact of the Day

Beetroots, New Veggie #55

Beets or Beetroots are deep red-purple colored roots of the beet plant. It belongs to the same family as Swiss Chard and Sugar beet. While the purple variety is most common, beets are also available in golden yellow and red-and-white striped varieties. 

In the US, beets are most often eaten pickled, or boiled in cold salads. The consumption of beets causes pink urine in some people. Beetroot juice has been found to improve performance in athletes, possibly because of its abundance of nitrites. 

Ancient Romans also used beetroot as a treatment for fevers and constipation (note: they also considered it an aphrodisiac ... strange!). In the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. Platina recommended taking beetroot with garlic to nullify the effects of 'garlic-breath'. 

The purple pigment, betacyanin, has been shown to have antioxidative properties. Like other members of this family of vegetables, all parts of the beet plant contain oxalic acid which have been implicated in the formation of kidney stones in certain populations of people; cooking the beets usually reduces the risk. Beets have a distinctive earthy flavor that is enhanced by roasting. Apparently beets are more flavorful and colorful if you leave the peel and some of the stem on while cooking. The peel apparently comes off easily once the beets cool (mine did not peel, maybe because the scrubbing I gave them made the peel really thin).

Balsamic Braised Beets

So after a year of psyching myself, I finally bought some beets over this past weekend. Somehow, I've been ultra nervous about trying them. I just don't good beet memories from my childhood. Over the past several months, I've had them on my new veggie list and I finally decided to pick up a bunch when I came across this  rather old article about the health benefits of beets. It may be a few years old, but the information has not changed much. Beetroot today becomes New Veggie #55.

Balsamic Braised Beets

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch beets (pick the small ones)
2. 1/2 cup diced white onions
3. 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4. 4-6 Basil leaves, diced
5. Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Scrub beets using a vegetable brush and cut off green tops and tips. Cut into halves or quarters (try and keep all the pieces the same size). Add balsamic vinegar and onions to a cast-iron skillet and allow onions to wilt. 

Turn heat on high and move onions to the sides of the skillet. As the skillet heats up, place beets directly onto the hot surface to allow them to sear. Then add a splash (or two) of water, mix everything together so the onions are spread evenly in the pan again. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer. After 10 min, turn each piece over, cover and continue to simmer until beets are fork tender. Mine took about 16 min today. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

My Assessment: While I liked the flavors of the onions and balsamic, mixed with the fresh basil, I must clarify that this preparation of beets did nothing to endear the beet to me. I'm not a big fan of radishes and beets gave me that same pungent aftertaste which I am not a fan of. So for me, this was a so-so recipe.