Let's Move to the Beet!

Beets are one of the healthiest vegetables that you are not eating enough of. These slightly rugged looking roots are sweet but also have tons of health benefits. Under that shell, beets are just as healthful as spinach but maybe more so.

Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments-called betacyanins-that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

Beets are not only healthful, but they are delish. I've used them in several recipes previously published but here is a short list of what you could do with the little ruby gems:

1. Peel the outside and shred on a box grater. Add fresh and raw beets to any normal salad for a boot of flavor and health or add to a grain salad like this recipe: Late Summer Lentil Salad

2. Peel and chop into cubes. Roast in the oven, puree and add to chicken stock and ½ cup of plain yogurt, ½ cup of chopped chives for a yummy beet soup.

3. Roast in the oven, slice into thin rounds and drizzle with feta cheese, fresh thyme and balsamic vinegar.

4. Check out the recipe below and see how I "snuck" roasted beets into a weeknight dinner wrap that will satisfy the pickiest eater in your family 

I love the flavor combinations created with the tang of goat cheese, the earthy sweetness of beets and the fresh burst of herb coated chicken breast all wrapped up. I've added pomegranate seeds because I had so many left over from last week's video preparation: How to Open a Pomegranate Roasted Beet, Three Herb Chicken and Goat Cheese Wrap  1 large beet 1 TBSP olive oil 1 chicken breast, cooked 1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary 1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme 1 TBSP chopped fresh sage ½ cup chicken stock (may substitute water) 2 TBSP fresh goat cheese 1 cup baby spinach, chopped loosely ¼ pomegranate seeds (I still have a bunch leftover!) 2 TBSP whole grain brown mustard (I had horseradish flavored and it rocked) 2 whole grain wraps Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Wash your beet (or make extra and try them in some of the methods I highlighted earlier) and place into a glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 1 hour. Meanwhile in a small skillet, toss the chicken, herbs and stock together and heat until the liquid is absorbed over medium heat. Set aside. When the beets are roasted, carefully peel them with a normal vegetable peeler and chop into small chunks. Heat your wrap slightly and then assemble. Start by spreading ½ of the goat cheese along the middle of the wrap, then dot with mustard.  Layer the spinach, beets, pomegranate seeds and finally chicken. Rolling away from you, fold over the end closest to you over the ingredients, tuck it under slightly, fold in both sides towards the middle and finish with one final roll away from you. Repeat the process with the other wrap and you are done! 1 wrap per person or ½ wrap for children.

Kelly Bowlin Administration Director & BAC Foodie :)  Bay Athletic Club 989.356.5600

Winter Squash Spinach Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

In the cold months of winter, people still crave a healthful salad, whether it's before dinner or for lunch. Unfortunately, much of the popular salad ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes and even regular lettuces are out of season. This leads one into a dilemma...is it better to forgo salad altogether until in-season veggies are plentiful or eat ones that have been grown half a world away that might have less flavor and nutrition? My best solution? Think outside of the salad box. Here is a list of great salad ingredients that are in season in the winter and are all very nutritious. 1. Spinach 2. Beets 3. Hard squashes 4. Brussels spouts 5. Carrots 6. Unique chicory greens like endive, frisee (curly endive), radicchio and escarole 7. Storage friendly toppings like nuts and seeds   Perhaps you've never tried some of the above ingredients on their own even, but trust me, tossed together they make a beautiful salad and since they are harvested in the fall and winter months are far more nutritious than your hot-house tomatoes and iceberg lettuce. Try a few of the stars of the list in my newest recipe. I made this for dinner to accompany a flank steak at my parents' house last weekend and they both said it was one of the best salads they've ever tasted. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the goat cheese...

Winter Squash Spinach Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette Ingredients: -1 small butternut squash -2 TBSP olive oil -1 tsp. salt -½ tsp. pepper -1 large bunch of spinach -4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled -3 TBSP. roasted pepitas Vinaigrette: -1 TBSP Dijon mustard -1 TBSP maple syrup -1 tsp. ground thyme -1 tsp. ground rosemary -¼ cup olive oil -3 TBSP apple cider vinegar Place in a jar and shake until well combined.   Directions:Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop squash into small cubes. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes or until some spots are blackened. Allow the squash to cool slightly before assembling salad. Divide between four and plate the squash, spinach goat cheese and top with a dusting of pepitas. Dress with the vinaigrette, about one to two tablespoons per plate.

Kelly Bowlin Administration Director & BAC Foodie :)