Growing up I remember seeing cubed beets at a salad bar. They didn’t look appealing to me. I was never really motivated to eat them. In recent years I’ve rediscovered beets and several different ways to enjoy them other than cubed. They are now one of my favorite salad additions and a natural noodle or pasta replacement.
At Whole Foods probably about two years ago, I first tried their Mommy Boost Juice, which contains beets, carrots, apple, ginger and lime (I believe). It is fantastic! I occasionally enjoy that on a shopping trip. I’d say that’s my equivalent of getting a fancy coffee occasionally. That juice gave me the idea to juice beets at home, which I did a lot while on my juice cleanse. I also made a sauce while on the Autoimmune Paleo (“AIP”) diet that was beet based instead of tomato based. Tomatoes are a nightshade and not allowed on AIP. The nomato sauce is a nightshade free alternative to tomato sauce. I really enjoyed it. There are so many recipes online if you are interested in trying to make nomato sauce.
So, what are some reasons to add beets to your diet? They are full of vitamins and minerals and considered a superfood by many. Beets may help lower blood pressure, assist your body in detoxification and potentially fight chronic disease, inflammation and possibly even prevent cancer. They’ve also been shown to aid in brain power, lower anemia, increase endurance during exercise and improve circulation. They are low in calories, but they do contain natural sugars. I’d recommend eating them in moderation.
Originally, the main hesitation for me in cutting or cooking with beets was the fear of staining everything in my path. They have a gorgeous hue that can almost resemble blood. Full disclosure I’m a bull in a china shop, so if anyone is going to make a mess cutting these and stain something, that will be me! The good news is I haven’t found that it really stains anything that badly if you address it right away, and I’ve made quite a mess with them. Don’t wear your favorite outfit while cutting or cooking beets though. So, while your kitchen may look a little like a murder scene while chopping these up to cook or eat, I highly recommend getting yourself comfortable with beets.
Here’s a link to the tool I use pictured above called a Spiralizer. At first it may seem labor intensive and time consuming. Sure, it is harder than throwing noodles out of a box and into boiling water in a pot. However, once you practice it a few times and get used to it, it is actually very easy! I use it at least twice a week now to make these and zucchini noodles. These are so much healthier than any boxed pasta or noodle you can eat as well.
Beets have a very earthy smell and taste, so I do like to combine them with something else. Beet noodles can be enjoyed raw or cooked. I eat beet noodles raw on my salads now. Seriously, it is awesome. They add a fantastic taste to the overall salad and combine very well with other salad components. So, there isn’t an overwhelming strong or earthy beet flavor.
When beet noodles are cooked and used as a noodle replacement, they have a hint of sweetness and a refreshing taste that is different from any other vegetable noodle replacement I’ve had. So far my favorite pairing is organic ground turkey as shown. Organic ground turkey has become my favorite meat, and it really goes well with so many different dishes and ingredients.
- 1 medium size organic beet
- Approximately 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or other stable cooking oil or fat
- Wash the organic beets with filtered water and a vegetable brush.
- Use a sharp knife to cut each end off and then trim the remaining skin off.
- Assemble the spiralizer.
- Trim beets so that each side is rather flat, so it will easily fit on the spiralizer.
- Position the beet on the spiralizer and use some force to push the crank into the beet.
- Place a plate on the opposite side of the spiralizer to catch the noodles.
- I use my left hand to catch the noodles as they are coming out and I push against the spiralizer for leverage.
- For raw noodles, you may now eat, add to salads, or any other dish you'd like.
- For cooked noodles, place your avocado oil or other cooking fat in a large stainless steel wok or stainless steel skillet.
- Preheat the skillet to medium low for a couple of minutes then toss in the beet noodles.
- Cook on medium low for approximately 20 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached. Stir approximately every five minutes while they are cooking.
- Enjoy!
