Foodie Friday: Roasted Beets with Sauteed Beet Greens

Photo credit:  Michelle Loy. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

As you may know, I sort of like farmer's markets, and last week, I finally purchased and prepared my first batch of beets and beet greens.  I'd had beets before, but it was always the pickled kind on salads.  Not a fan!  However, every week at the farmer's markets, the gorgeous beets were always calling my name.  I finally took the plunge and decided to try preparing them myself.  The risk paid off because my entire family and I enjoyed them, and we will definitely continue enjoying them.  

Photo credit: Michelle Loy. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Beets contain betalains, pigments that give them their deep, red color and have known antioxidant activity.  Beets are also rich in folate and manganese and a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium.  The beet greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, K, C, and magnesium, and a good source of some B vitamins, potassium, iron, and calcium.  What's also great is that beets are a hearty root vegetable that are in season year-round, and simple preparations work really well with them.  If you're like me and you're new to beets, then I think you will definitely be pleasantly surprised with this recipe.  Enjoy!

Roasted Beets with Sauteed Beet Greens

Adapted from:  Allrecipes.com

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Ingredients:

1 bunch of beets with greens

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Red wine or balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  
2. Thoroughly wash the beets and greens.  Remove the stems and greens from the beets.  Remove and discard any woody stems from the beet greens.  Cut the greens into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. 
3. Place the beets in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.  Cover and roast for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh can be pierced easily with a fork.  Remove from the oven.
4. A few minutes before the beets are done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and onion and saute until the garlic is fragrant and the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the beet greens and cook until the greens are tender, about 5-15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve beets sliced with vinegar (optional) and sauteed beet greens.

Serves:  4

Nutritional Information:

Calories:  149   Carbohydrate:  13 g   Protein:  3 g   Fat:  11 g (7.5 g monounsaturated)  Cholesterol: 0 mg   Fiber:  4.5 g   Sugar:  7.5 g (natural)   Sodium:  244 mg

Excellent source of:  folate, vitamin A, and C

Good source of:  riboflavin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, and potassium