Beetroot: how do you eat it?

[PaintedLady]

Got 3 of them in my veg box. No idea what to do with it. Would like ot do sthg really quick and easy. My dh will not touch it. Can you eat it raw? All help appreciated!!!

[moondog]

It is delicious!
Boil it (for about 45 mins leaving the tops on or they will bleed). The skin then just slips off.
Slice it and put it in a salad with thinly sliced red onion,fresh mint and crumbled fetta with a home made vinaigrette.

Wonderful,sweet and earthy. A world away from the tired old stuff drowned in malt vinegar of our childhood.

Mind you,gives you pink poo and wee so be warned!!
(I thought I was haemorrhaging first time it happened.)

[mummydreamer]

Boil them in water with mint leaves in and eat warm sprinkled with parmesan - yummy!!!!!

[otto]

or roast them with balsamic vinegar

[PrettyCandles]

You can eat it raw as long as it is young and fresh. Older ones are better cooked, as moondog describes. Raw slice very thinly and marinade in something sour and tangy, then use as salad on its own or with other things like coleslaw. Orange juice goes well in beetroot salad dressing.

I've never experienced the pink wee as I've never eaten it in large enough quantities, only as a side-dish.

[PrettyCandles]

Ooo, how do you do that, Otto?

[scotlou]

I love boiled beetroot as an accompaniment to a roast dinner - just needs some black pepper. My mum used to do a white sauce to go with it.
dh hates beetroot though so we never have it now.

[spidermama]

This is gorgeous and so simple ....

Roast beetroot on a hot oven for 40 mins (whole if they're small, otherwise halves or quarters) having first turned it in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Roast for 40 mins at 220. Then turn it again, add a few tablespoons of water, and roast again for another 30 mins or until tender.

Otherwise it's lovely cubed in stews, boiled and mashed with potatoes to make pink mashed potato, or grated with grated carrot, toasted nuts, vineagrette and other stuff as a salad.

[spidermama]

Good point moondog. Remember not to be alarmed if nappies are red.

[beckybrastraps]

Mmmm yes! My kids love "pink potato" - mashed potato and beetroot (about half and half) with soured cream. We also do them roasted with other veggies - potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots - just chop them up, toss in olive oil and roast for about 40 mins.

[PrettyCandles]

This sounds yummy. We love 'roasties' here (that's what we call any mix of roasted roots) and I think I shall add beetroot to the mixture.

Important question: how badly do they stain? And will Oxy-Clean shift it?

[spidermama]

They stain very badly and they also take much longer to roast than any other vegetable I've come across.

[PaintedLady]

Thank you all very much. I did moondog's salad and beckybrastrap's pink potato. They were yummy and dd was very interested. Will definitely purchase more and try the others.

[divedaisy]

I'm sorry, but when I read the title of this topic 'how do you eat beetroot' the first thing that came to mind was 'With your mouth!!!' OK it's not very serious! However I never have eaten it except as the pickled variety (which I do love)and you have given me 'food for thought'....bad pun I know!!! I'm sorry!! Just don't take me seriously!!

[PrettyCandles]

Wanted to do Spidermama's roast beetroot tonight, but don't know whether the beetroot should be peeled and parboiled first, or fully cooked, before oiling etc and roasting?

[PrettyCandles]

Or should they go into the oven peeled and raw?