RUSSIAN BORSCHT
About 6 good-sized beets
About 3 large carrots
½ large cabbage
1 package of stewing beef
1 large onion
1 Cup sour kraut
3 cloves garlic
fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
½ Cup red wine vinegar
In a very large pot, brown the beef and onion about 10 minutes. Take the beef from the pot and cut up into small, bit-sized pieces and throw back into pot.
Peel and cut the beets into small cubes. Peel and grate the garlic. Peel and slice the carrots. Chop the cabbage – not too small. Add everything to the pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste and fresh dill. You can be as generous with the dill as you like.
Bring to a boil – reduce heat and cook, covered, until the carrots and beets are tender – the key is the longer you simmer the soup, the more intense the flavor becomes. Add the red wine vinegar and sour kraut about half way through. Be sure to taste the soup – you will know if you need a little tang or not and can add the desired amount, a little at a time until you get your desired flavour.
This is one of those soups you can experiment with – use your imagination. You can add beef or vegetable stock instead of water. Add cream at the end for a creamier texture, and a spoonful of sour cream in the bowl when it is served. Borscht freezes well – so you can save some for a cold, rainy day.
RASPBERRY VINEGAR BEETS
1 ½ lbs. medium beets
1 Tbsp (15mL) brown sugar
1 Tbsp (15mL) butter
1/3 Cup (80mL) raspberry vinegar
In large saucepan, cover beets with water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until tender, approximately 35 – 40 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Slip skins off and cut into slices. In same saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and vinegar. Stir until butter is melted. Add beets to sauce and simmer until heated through – stir to coat beets with butter.
Recipe from: Valarie Turgeon
EAT THE TOPS
1lb beet greens
1 strip of bacon
¼ Cup (60mL) chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ Cup (185mL) of water
1 Tbsp (15mL) brown sugar
1/6 cup (30mL) of red wine vinegar
¼ tsp (1mL) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Wash and prepare tops and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook diced bacon slightly in large pan and add onions – cook until onions are softened and brown. Add garlic, water, sugar and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil. Add beet tops and toss until well coated – reduce to low heat, cover and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Have a taste and decide if you would like to add salt and pepper – otherwise you are done and can enjoy the tangy, delicious flavor of this most healthy dish.
One cup of beets contains about 75 calories.
Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.
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 Romans used both leaves and beetroots as culinary herbs and medicine. They also believed beetroot was an aphrodisiac.
Regular consumption of beet juice helps prevent varicose veins.
The choline in beet juice helps detoxifies the liver after excessive alcohol consumption.
Crimson beet juice is a powerful solvent for inorganic calcium deposits that cause the arteries to harden.
The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body. Beets are a great blood builder.
Beets can help normalize blood pressure, either lowering high blood pressure or elevating low blood pressure.
Betaine, an amino acid in beet root, has significant anti-cancer properties. Studies show that beet juice inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds, and is protective against colon and stomach cancer.
The cellulose in beets helps to ease bowel movements. Drinking beet juice regularly will help relieve chronic constipation.
Beet juice is helpful in reducing liver toxicity and bile ailments, like jaundice, hepatitis, food poisoning, diarreha, or vomiting. A squeeze of lime with beets juice heightens the efficacy in treating these ailments.