Beets by Dave

Beets are amazing. Once can eat them raw, juiced, roasted or boiled. They are highly nutritious, powerful cleansing agents, and store fresh all winter long. In this recipe, I will prepare roasted beets to accompany a meal as a side dish, and then use the leftovers of which to make a roasted beet and lentil salad. At $4.99 for a locally grown 5lb bag at Sobeys, beets are a healthy and economical addition to any diet.

Ingredients

Please note that all measurements are approximate. With the exception of salt, and perhaps vinegar, a little more or less of any ingredient won’t make a big difference. Realistically, 1/16 cup of dried lentils isn’t very much, so cook more and eat the leftovers drizzled with a little olive oil. When cooking the beets, leave them whole. You can wash and dry them if they are dirty, but otherwise, leave them as they are. The long, thin portion of the root can be trimmed, along with the stems, but do not cut into the beets or they will bleed out liquid that will burn during the cooking process. Also remember to use “olive oil” when roasting the beets, not “extra virgin olive oil,” which will burn in the oven.

Roasted Beets

Any amount of beets that will fit inside a roasting pan without overcrowding

Olive oil (NOT extra virgin)

Salt and pepper

 Roasted Beet and Lentil Salad

1 cup beets, large dice

1/16 cup dried green lentils, cooked slightly “al dente” according to the instructions on the package

1 small clove of minced garlic

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tsp whole grain mustard (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Place the whole beets in a bowl large enough to easily accommodate them. Drizzle them with olive oil, toss in some salt and pepper, and place them inside the oven. Depending on their size, the beets will take 40 to 60 minutes to cook. Turn the beets halfway through, and check to see if they are done with a sharp paring knife. When ready, the knife should easily piece the beets, but encounter slight resistance towards the centre.
2. To serve the beets as a side, remove the skins and cut them into quarters. Place the quartered segments in a bowl, season with a little salt and pepper, and toss with some extra virgin olive oil.
3. To make roasted beet and lentil salad, use the directions on the lentil package to cook the lentils in lightly salted water while the beets are roasting. Remove the lentils from the heat and drain when they are tender, but still slightly firm.
4. Remove the skins and cut the beets into 1 cm cubes and combine with the lentils. Mince the clove of garlic and add it to the beets and lentils. Minced garlic is powerful, so you won’t need much more than ¼ tsp of it. Wisk together the extra virgin olive oil with the apple cider vinegar and add it to the beets and lentils. If desired, a small amount of whole grain mustard can also be added at this point.
5. Toss the mixture with a spoon to combine the ingredients and serve. The lentils will soak up some of the vinaigrette, so if the salad is to be prepared more than a day in advance, the lentils can be stored separately and combined with the salad as needed.