BEETROOT DIP with SPICES

There is nothing tastier than homemade dip. Supermarket processed guacamole, hummus and tzatziki pale in comparison. I have wanted to make my own beetroot dip for a long time as being Russian beetroot is one of my major food groups. Adding the ground cumin and coriander added a beautiful depth to the dip. You can use any spices you like for making beetroot dip, but lemon juice and yoghurt are a must. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large fresh beetroot, peeled & cut in half 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup 99% fat free natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

COOKING 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice beetroot into small pieces.

2. Meanwhile, dry fry the garlic in a small frying pan (That is, do not add any oil to the pan) for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat. 

3. Place beetroot pieces, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and yoghurt in a blender or food processor. Blend/process ingredients until smooth and no lumps of beetroot remain (this should only take 30 seconds or so). 

Serve dip with crackers. 

Serve as a snack
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x E

BEETROOT, LENTIL & SUMAC SALAD

When the weather gets hotter and the days get longer, I like to get creative with salads, much to my husband's horror. Now, salad can be very boring and mundane if you just use the same ingredients every time, the token tomato, lettuce, cucumber and store bought dressing. However, if you get imaginative and add beans, lentils, eggs etc, your salad can turn into a main meal. Which is what I did the other afternoon. I highly recommend buying the spice sumac to flavour some of your salads. Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that grows wild in the mid-east and Italy. It is purple in colour and has a sharp, sour lemon taste- don’t let this put you off though! It is superb in salads and is also used as a seasoning for meat. One teaspoon is all you need. If you are a vegan or do not eat eggs, substitute the hard boiled eggs for 1 ripe avocado. 

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium or 2 large beetroot, peeled, ends trimmed and cut in half or quarters to cook faster 
• 4 eggs, preferably free range
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 large tomato, sliced into thin wedges
• 2 large handfuls of lettuce (I like to use mixed lettuce)
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• 80g reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• Optional- if not using eggs, 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the foil and slice beetroot into thin wedges. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water with the eggs to the boil, covered. Once boiled continue to cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the stove and rinse the eggs under cold water. Let them sit in the cold water for a few minutes, as this will stop them from cooking further and cool them down so they can be peeled. 

3. Prepare the lentils, tomato, lettuce, sumac, feta and avocado if using in a medium to large bowl. Toss well. 

4. Peel the eggs and cut into halves or quarters and place on top of the salad. Serve hot or cold.  

Serves / 4
Total Preparation & Total Cooking time / around 40 minutes (including roasting the beetroot)

x Emily 

GRATED BEETROOT, EDAMAME & BROCCOLI SALAD

Another grated salad for this week, this time featuring one of my favourite vegetables: Beetroot. I used to think that beetroot was a bit of a bitch to cook, however the health benefits of this root vegetable make its cooking time well worth it. 

Beetroot contains magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C and folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals! This purple vegetable plays a part in reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes due to its high content of nitrates, which create a gas called nitric oxide in the blood that increases the size of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Beetroot also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, as it contains the mineral silica that supports the body to use calcium. This wonderful vegetable is basically fat free, low in calories and has a very low GL index, which means that it transforms into sugars very slowly in the body, hence stabilising blood sugar levels. Beetroot is comprised of soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Beetroot also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which prohibit bad cholesterol from accumulating in arteries. And an astounding benefit: a recent study revealed that the immense amount of nitrates in beetroot may be responsible for fighting the advancement of dementia, as one of the functions of nitric oxide in the blood is to increase blood flow to the brain.

So after that considerable list of only a few of beetroot's numerous health benefits, I suggest you get some in you!  

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 medium beetroot, skin peeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• al foil
• 1 broccoli head, chopped into even-sized florets & stalk chopped
• 200g edamame, shelled & pods discarded
• 20g coconut flakes, toasted or raw
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 15g pepitas

Tahini Sour Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot half in foil and place in a medium deep baking tray with 2-3cm of water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in it. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the beetroot halves are tender (that is, a knife can easily slide through them). Remove from the oven, remove from foil when cool enough to handle and leave to cool for a few more minutes. Once the beetroot is cool, grate the beetroot using gloves. 

2. Whilst the beetroot is roasting / cooling, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking well. If the tahini is still clumpy after whisking, add a splash or two of water. 
ng the broccoli and steaming it; bring a medium half full saucepan of water to the boil and place the broccoli florets and stalks in a sieve or colander on top of the pan. Steam for around 5 minutes, covered, or until the broccoli is just tender but not soggy. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the grated cooked beetroot, cooked broccoli, edamame, coconut, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal
Total Preparation & Cooking time (as the preparation can be done whilst the cooking is happening) / around 1 hour. 

x Emily 

BEETROOT & CARROT RISOTTO

This beetroot risotto looked like a winner to me the moment I laid eyes on it. To greatly reduce the calories in this dish, decrease the amount of feta that you use. Michelle Bridges uses 70g reduced-fat feta, whereas if you use the lactose-free and stronger in flavour alternative goat’s cheese feta, you only need to use 25g to make an impact. With regards to 'low-fat' products, I am very wary of these as they usually mean ‘hidden with lots of sugar’. I used carrot instead of celery as I’m not a huge fan of celery in soups or rice dishes. Carrot and beetroot also seem to make more sense as a pair than celery and beetroot. You may also notice in all of my recent recipes that I avoid using onion. This is due to an allergy of my fiancée's, however you can certain add it into almost every recipe of Michelle’s. Just be aware that a medium onion (around 110g) is about 33 calories. 

Ingredients

• 220g beetroot, trimmed, peeled & cut into small cubes 
• 3 1/2 cups low-salt vegetable stock (840ml)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil 
• 1 large carrot, peeled & cut into small cubes (120g)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 175g arborio rice
• 25g goat's cheese feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (10g)
• 30g baby spinach leaves, washed 

*Please note that the quantities of beetroot & carrot were weighed after peeling.* 

Cooking

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the beetroot cubes and boil until tender, around 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the beetroot. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare the stock. If the stock is cold, pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer until needed, covered. If you are making stock from powder, the stock will already be hot as it needs to be made with boiling hot water. 

3. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is soft but not burnt. Add the rice and stir well to coat the vegetables. 

4. Add 1/2 a cup of hot stock to the rice and stir continuously until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to repeat this process until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender. (If the rice is not tender and the stock is finished, add 1/2 a cup of water at a time to the pan). This will take around 20 minutes. 

5. Remove the rice from the heat, add the cooked beetroot and cover. Let stand for 3 minutes, then remove the lid and stir through 3/4 of the feta and parsley. 

6. Divide the risotto between two serving bowls and sprinkle the remaining feta and parsley on top. Serve warm. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes 

Total Calories per serve / 425 approx. 

x Emily 

ROASTED BEETROOT & POTATO HERB SALAD with WASABI MAYO

This recipe is yet another product of inspiration from the Arthur street kitchen Community cookbook (as all my recipes this past week have been). I altered the original recipe ‘roasted beetroot with caramelized turnips, edamame beans and wasabi mayo’ in an attempt to turn it into more of a Russian salad. I remember eating oodles of beetroot and potato as a child and one bite of these ingredients takes me right back. The rosemary and thyme goes beautifully with the root vegetables and Chinese shallots and add additional layers of flavour. The wasabi mayo is an acquired, nose-clearing taste and may not be for everyone. I find that this roasted salad tastes delicious both with and without the mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 900g beetroot (4 large beetroots), peeled & cut into 2cm even pieces 
• 700g potatoes (sebago or low-carb kestrel potatoes), peeled & cut into 3cm even pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Japanese mayo
• juice of 1 large lime
• 1 tablespoon fine wine vinegar 
• 1/2-1 scant teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1 cup loosely packed Chinese shallots 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line 2 medium/large baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Toss the beetroot with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sea salt & pepper and half of the thyme, rosemary and garlic in a bowl, then place in a single layer on one of the prepared trays. Toss the potato with the same ingredients and place in a single layer on the other prepared tray. Place the beetroot tray at the top of the oven and the potato tray slightly lower. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until tender. (The potato may cook slightly faster than the beetroot, so check the trays regularly as you approach the 40 minute mark). 

3. Meanwhile, make the wasabi mayo by combining the Japanese mayo, lime juice, vinegar, wasabi paste and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. Word of warning: if you are not a big fan of wasabi add a tiny amount of wasabi paste at a time and taste test before adding more. If the mayo is too thick, add a few splashes of water or more lime juice. 

4. Combine the cooked beetroot & potato with the Chinese shallots in a medium serving bowl and toss to mix. Add a few small dollops of the wasabi mayo and stir well to combine, then enjoy! 

Serves / 4 as a side

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45-50 minutes 

x Emily 

SPROUT SALAD

This meal in a salad does involve a little pre-preparation- such as cooking the beetroot, cooking the lentils (or draining and washing canned ones if you prefer or are time-poor) and hard-boiling the eggs. Luckily I had all those ingredients in my fridge ready to go yesterday night as all I wanted to do was sit down with a big bag of salty, greasy chips. Yes I do get those cravings occasionally, especially when my body and mind feels very tired and overwhelmed. That is one of the main reasons why I try to prepare as much food as possible on Sunday- I hard-boil eggs, I roast beetroot, I cut green beans, carrot and celery, I made date balls to combat my weekly desire for sugar. It stops me from reaching for the chips…most days. Everything in moderation, including moderation, as a beautiful client of mine says. 

INGREDIENTS

• a generous handful of snow pea sprouts, roughly chopped
• 100g mung beans
• 100g brown lentils, cooked
• 1 beetroot, cooked & cut into thin wedges
• 1 large tomato, cut into small pieces
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped into wedges
• a handful of sunflower seeds 
• sea salt & garlic flakes 
• balsamic vinegar, to dress 

PREPARATION 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium to large salad bowl and toss well. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if desired. 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

x Emily 

BEETROOT CUPCAKES

These beetroot cupcake cross muffins could also be described as the healthy version of red velvet cupcakes. I’ve witnessed several friends attempting to eat a cake that contained beetroot and being unable to get over the fact that they are eating a vegetable for dessert. To that I simply say, try eating it again. This beautiful Teresa Cutter gluten-free dairy-free cupcake recipe is filled with natural sweeteners like cacao powder, almonds, cinnamon, honey and of course beetroot. It has quickly become one of my favourite treats to bake and my fiancée cannot get enough of them (which is saying something as I have extreme trouble getting him to eat anything that does not contain meat). If you cannot get past the fact that these cupcakes do not have a topping or frosting, scoop some natural yoghurt or warm berries on top. 

INGREDIENTS

• 260g (2 medium) unpeeled beetroot, washed & grated raw
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste (paste is far better!)
• 2 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 150g (1 1/2 cups) ground almonds / almond meal
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/5 - 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 heaped tablespoons honey 
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• pinch of sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda or 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a 10 capacity muffin/cupcake tin with coconut oil. 

2. Combine the grated beetroot, vanilla, eggs, almond meal, cinnamon, cacao, honey, coconut oil, salt and bicarb or baking soda into a large bowl and stir/mix until all ingredients are combined. Spoon the mixture into the 10 prepared cupcake tins, make sure each tin has the same amount of mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through (that is, you can insert a skewer or knife into the centre of any cupcake and it will come out clean). Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve topped with natural yoghurt, mixed berries or by itself (my favourite way to eat them). 

Makes / 10 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes (plus cooling time)

x Emily