Golden Beet Ragout ~ Italian Inspired Comfort Food

Beets. The infamously dreaded root vegetable. I must admit that I pass them by at the grocer and the farmers market more often than not. Mostly, I think, it's that I'm not sure what to do with the little guys other than pickle them and put them in my salad. 

Thanks to a little contest sponsored by McCormick Gourmet asking that we come up with a recipe using 4 ingredients, one of which is beets I decided to dive in and come up with something different, pleasing to the eye and palatable even for beet haters from way back.

Go me.

Like I mentioned, pickling beets is my favorite way to enjoy this shunned veggie but I decided to try roasting them this time and then throwing them into my ragout at the last minute.

Success.

*post note to self.   Do not cut red beets on your wood cutting board next time. They bleed like a stuck pig and stain like crazy.

In the end, I decided to go with these pretty golden beets for this Ragout. Not only would they not 'bleed' into the rest of the ingredients, which wasn't really a big deal since I was using tomatoes but I could ease the kids into trying them since they looked more like sweet potatoes or squash which they like. 

So as I racked my ever increasingly boggled mind as what to make for this contest, I decided upon a humble ragout. 'Ratatouille' is one of my favorite movies you know. Not only is the little rat cute and can think on his toes but he made this poor man's dish a fashionable meal. 

The contest was to come up with a dish that used 4 ingredients: Beets, Arborio rice {which I can't pronounce to save my life}, balsamic vinegar (yum) and dried rosemary. Then incorporate other ingredients if you so please.

No problemo. 

If you have time, I'd much appreciate if you'd stop by and quickly Pin and/or 'like' my submission. 

Means the world to this simple girl.

SERVES    6       TIME    90 MINUTES      
Ingredients

1 cup dried (or 1 can) of Great Northern Beans (AKA Navy beans)
3 small beets *see notes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt (I use Pink Himalayan)
cracked black pepper to taste1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups vegetable broth (preferably organic or home made)
*optional fresh rosemary for garnish

2 cups cooked Arborio rice *see notes 



Putting it all together

Pre-heat oven to 450F. Scrub beets with warm water. Trim the roots and stems off. cover each loosely with foil and place in a baking dish. Bake for 60-90 minutes depending on how big your beets are.
Cook rice according to package directions. See notes for helpful hints on cooking arborio rice.

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes till browned. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute reducing heat if necessary. Slowly pour in broth while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release browned bits (don't be afraid of browning on your pot, it really adds flavor).

Remove beets from oven and let cool. The skins should come off very easily using a blunt knife or spoon. Discard skins. Chop beets into small, bite size pieces.

Add beets, tomatoes, cooked beans, salt, pepper and rosemary. Stir in balsamic vinegar. 

Serve with hot rice.

notes.

Choose beets that are smaller that the size of your fist. The larger they are, the more bitter and "earthy".

Arborio rice is different to prepare than any other rice but it's worth it. Packaged rice should give you instructions but I buy bulk.  If you do as well, bring 1 1/2 cups water & 1 cup rice to a boil while stirring! (I suggest using a wooden spoon as it is non-conductive and less abrasive). Cover and recuce heat to medium. You will need to check the rice about every 3-5 minutes and stir carefully. When the water is not quite all the way absorbed (be careful, you don't want it to completely absorb as you will have sticky, gooey rice) you will slowly add 1 cup more of water and gently stir. Cook over medium heat while continuing to stir every 3-5 minutes, covered, and adding 1 more cup just before the liquid is completley absorbed. Do this 3 times for a total of 3 extra cups of liquid.

You can do this. Yes, it is worth it. Arborio rice is much loved in making risotto and goes marvelously with this ragout.

Fight the Holiday Fat ~ Delicious Snacks and Light Meals! ~ All about Beets

So who got through Thanksgiving without stuffing themselves silly?  * hangs head in shame...

I pep talked myself till I was sick of hearing the sound of my own voice but managed to fill my plate and go back for seconds when it came down to it. That wouldn't be so bad except that while we are extremely lucky in that we have lots of family close by, it also means we have 2 or 3 T-Day dinners and are sent home with left over rolls and pies galore! Even my 5 year old, Jack exclaimed as we made our way to Papa and Nanna's for our 3rd ( his 4th including his Kindergarten feast) holiday party "Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving! Is it ever going to end!" 

 It's o.k., I'm not complaining really I just need to nip it in the bud and stick to a mostly

Raw veggie/fruit and whole grains and legume diet so I will still fit into my jeans after Christmas!

Here are some of my favorite low-calorie, vitamin rich snacks and light meals.

Simple Chilled Gazpacho      Gorgonzola and Pecan Stuffed Figs

Spicy Broccoli Quinoa    Grapefruit Quinoa Salad    Thai Garden Veggie Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Grilled Rosemary Salmon over Lentils Rustico

Last week I was at the grocery store with my 4 year old, Nolan and he pointed to some bunches of Organic beets and said "What's that?" I realized that we have only ever had pickled beets in our salads and immediately picked up a bunch of beets to take home with us.

Simple Beet and Orange Salad

To Make Salad:

In a medium sauce pan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Trim and wash beets, no need to peel. Cut them into 2 inch pieces to cut down on cooking time! Boil gently for 30-40 minutes until fork pierces them easily.

Remove, let cool. Skins should slide off very easily now.  Toss cooled beets with orange segments and squeeze some orange juice over top. Fresh mint would be lovely tossed in with this salad!

I hope you take the time to read through these amazing health benefits of beets!

NUTRITION:

Beets are surprisingly sweet and mild tasting and make an excellent snack with oranges and in salads.

They are super easy to prepare and are a vitamin mega veggie with very high levels of A, B1, B2, B6 and C!

While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.

The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach. Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but are rich in chlorophyll and higher in iron than spinach! Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than its roots. The greens have high levels of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.

Both beet root and beet greens are very powerful cleansers and builders of the blood.

 HEALTH BENEFITS:

Beets have long been known for its amazing health benefits for almost every part of the body.

• Acidosis: Its alkalinity is essential and effective in combating acidosis.

• Anemia: The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. The copper content in beets help make the iron more available to the body. A great blood builder.

• Atherosclerosis: This wonderful crimson juice is a powerful solvent for inorganic calcium deposits that cause the arteries to harden.

• Blood pressure: All its healing and medicinal values effectively normalizes blood pressure, lowering high blood pressure or elevating low blood pressure.

• Cancer: Betaine, an amino acid in beet root, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beets juice inhibits formation of cancer-causing compounds and is protective against colon or stomach cancer.

• Constipation: The cellulose content helps to ease bowel movements. Drinking beets juice regularly will help relieve chronic constipation.

• Detoxification: The choline from this wonderful juice detoxifies not only the liver, but also the entire system of excessive alcohol abuse, provided consumption is ceased.

• Gastric ulcer: Mix honey with your beets juice and drink two or three times a week on an empty stomach (more frequently if your body is familiar with beets juice). It helps speed up the healing process.

• Gall bladder and kidney ailments: Coupled with carrot juice, the superb cleansing virtues are exceptional for curing ailments relating to these two organs.

Choosing and Storing Beets: Choose beet roots that are firm and unwrinkled. With the greens attached, beets can keep for only three to four days in the fridge as the root has to supply moisture to the leaves. Without the greens attached, beet root can keep for a couple of weeks.

Beets with round bottoms are sweeter than flat-bottomed ones. Eat beets fresh to enjoy its flavor better. Do not overheat beets when cooking as heat destroys all the essential nutrients. Remove the skin before cooking.

 HOW CAN YOU GET MORE BEETS INTO YOUR DIET?

1. Boil, steam or pickle them and add them to salads.


2. Eat them with a variety of fruits and veggies, they are sweet all by themselves!


3. Juice them or blend them with other fruits or veggies for an amazing detox!

A Word of Caution!

Individuals with a history of oxalate-containing kidney stones should limit their consumption of beets.

As beetroot juice is very potent, do not consume too much, especially if your body is not yet accustomed to it. For a beginner, start with the juice of half a medium-sized beetroot once a week, slowly increasing to one whole beetroot a week.

This delicious juice is so potent that it may cause some dizziness during cleansing as toxins are being eliminated. This process may cause some discomfort but there is nothing to be alarmed about. During this time, drink plenty water also to flush out the toxic materials.