{warm kale with quinoa & balsamic roasted beets}

{food on focus: beets}

Beet it! Beet it! No one really wants to eat it! But let me show you how you’ll like it. Oh that right! Then you won’t deny it! Just beet it! Just eat it!

…yeah, I know…that was stupid. But sometimes I can’t help how hilarious I can be!

I feel like beets rank up there with Brussels sprouts as a top food people like to avoid. Those “bad rap” foods. But as I get wiser in my years and are more willing to try new stuff, these so called “yuk” foods are actually quite delish when cooked the right way.

To be honest, I’m not sure if I have even tried beets before this recipe that made me fall in love with them. But thanks to a dear friend who lives in Baton Rouge (and usually gives me such great recipes) I heart beets!

So lets learn why they are so good for you!

Beets are very high in folate. Folate is needed for new cell growth. They are also high in Vitamin C. Good for keeping colds away. They are high in fiber. Good for digestion and lowering cholesterol. Beets are also high in potassium. Potassium is necessary for our nerves and muscles to do their job, including helping the electric system of the heart.

Beets were also considered to be a “food of love” as a natural aphrodisiac by the ancient Romans. It would be interesting to know how they came up with that theory.  

There is one thing I want to warn you about if you haven’t already eaten beets before…how should I put this tactfully…for a couple of day following beet consumption, don’t freak out when you go to the bathroom. :)

But if you were like me and you are leery of trying beets, give the recipe posted a try. Beets can apparently be fixed in so many ways. If you have a good healthy beet recipe, please share!

Choose STRONGER!             ~ ♥ JenG

{warm kale with quinoa & roasted balsamic beets}

3 large beets

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsps of grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 Tbsps sugar

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup of water

(or 1 1/2 cups or so leftover quinoa)

1 bunch of kale, washed & stem removed & torn into pieces

2 Tbsps of grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & thinly sliced

1 tsp of paprika

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese shavings

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and remove stems and roots of the beets. Cut them into sixths and place the slices in a ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle beets with balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsps of oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roasted for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the beets and continued roasting, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until the beets are tender. Remove from the oven to cool some.

While the beets in the oven, bring 1 cup of water to boil in a medium pot. Add quinoa and cook according to the package directions.

In a large skillet , warm 2 Tbsps of oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and paprika until garlic is tender. Add cooked quinoa, a splash of water, and  half of the torn kale. Toss in the oil mixture. After it begins to wilt, add the remaining half. Season with salt and pepper. Once kale is wilted some but still firm, transfer to large serving bowl. Top kale mixture with beets and drizzle with some of the balsamic beet juice. Add cheese shaving and enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from The First Mess.  

Beet info from these sites:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/241933-beet-nutrition-information/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49

http://www.lovebeets.com/fastfacts/