My Vitamix is truly a workhorse and a natural doctor in the kitchen. Just look at the color of this cold fighting smoothie which has blueberries, oranges, kale, apples, carrots, and even a little bit of red beet (for color). This was developed to boost the immune system of a sick child who had no appetite. The response upon the first sip, was “this is the best drink you ever made.” And, he drank the whole thing.

When kids are sick, they tend to refuse food, even homemade chicken soup. When I originally posted this, the boys were only 7 years old, bringing home colds. Today, the concern of a parent is even bigger, and it’s good to get pro-active and feed healthy super nutrition dense foods. 

That’s when my Vitamix performs its magic by taking whole foods and crushing them to a delicious, icy cold refreshing drink, delivering not just nutrition, but some needed quick energy.

Blueberries contained the most active antioxidants of any fresh fruit, thanks to their high levels of anthocyanins—one of the most potent antioxidants. Blueberries are also a brain food, so it’s a win all the way.

Kale helps clear congestion especially in the lungs.

Apple boosts the immune system, clears toxins through the liver,  aids in diarrhea and constipation (often a part of a cold virus.)

Carrots, rich is beta-carotene (Vitamin A). Aids immune system and lungs.

Beets – Aside from these healthy benefits, beets are high in carbohydrates. When children are sick, they don’t eat much, and beets can serve as energy fuel. I added a little bit of beets to this drink, more for color, as blueberries and kale together don’t look appetizing and kids see their food first. Make it look good. 

This cold fighting smoothie is dairy free. 

The benefits of a cold fighting smoothie with blueberries, orange and kale are enormous, but the main thing about smoothies is that they are not all created equal. This is completely free of any dairy products which may promote mucus, and are tasty enough for someone not feeling so well to enjoy.

So tell me what kind of winter has it been at your house? This cold fighting smoothie is not just for when kids get a cold. It’s a great preventative measure.

More Smoothies from Spinach Tiger

Vitamin C Smoothie and Tips for Treating a Fever

Two Green Smoothie Recipes

Low Carb Chocolate Smoothie with Avocado

Red Beet Smoothie

Carob Peanut Butter Carob Banana Smoothie

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Vitamix Cold Fighting Smoothie for Sick Kids with Blueberries, Orange and Kale

A smoothie made in the Vitamix with kale, blueberries and oranges, designed to boost the immune system and help with cold symptoms.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 orange peeled
• 1 handful kale
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 carrot
• 1 apple cut in half, core and seeds removed
• 3 cups of blueberries
• 1 small raw red beet peeled
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup ice

Instructions

• Place ingredients in Vitamix, and hit the smoothie button, or mix until all the ingredients are pulverized into a smoothie. Add more water if necessary.

The post Cold Fighting Smoothie for Sick Kids appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

At the time I had sent few jars of healthy soup down the street to Retro Rose when she was sick. She called me up to say, “that carrot soup is fabulous.” Just when I was about to reply “see, healthy food is good” she adds, “it would be great on mashed potatoes.”

Well, as we say in the South, bless her heart. And, I did, literally with carrot soup.

Did you know that while carrots have had their acclaim as a food high in antioxidants from beta carotene, there is new breakthrough research which has proven carrots to reduce cardiovascular disease. Read about that here.

A shopping trip to Whole Foods adorned my counter with this beautiful bounty, which I posted to instagram promising to return with healthy, real food soups and smoothies.

A few hours later I had heart healthy carrot ginger soup and cancer fighting broccoli kale soup.

I started first with carrots, orange and ginger. I threw in a golden beet, and lots of ginger, along with celery, leeks and garlic. The golden beet will bring a slight earthy flavor to this soup, which you may or may not like, but it’s yellow and heart healthy. I also used a whole orange and a good nob of fresh ginger.

The soup is creamy without cream, and has a zing to it from the ginger.  It’s low in calories, dense in nutrition and filling. When this soup was reheated, it was just as bright, spicy and fresh tasting, and didn’t need another thing, except a little salt.

The Carrot Ginger Soup Process

I used one pot, one sauté pan, and the Vitamix. The pot contained six cups of water, two pounds of carrots, a half onion, celery, part of a leek, and a golden beet, making a flavorful broth. All the vegetables and some of the broth go into the soup.

The pan contained olive oil, chunky onions, shallots, and celery. Once they cook down, add in garlic and ginger, and feel free to add in fresh herbs such as  thyme or parsley.

Carrots are the star to the carrot ginger soup, but the secret to the soup, however, is the slow sauté of the shallots, leeks, and good amount of celery. Once you begin to smell this combination when it nearly caramelizes, you will know exactly what I mean. This is your flavor booster.

Once the carrots are cooked or nearly cooked, add them to the Vitamix with onion/celery mixture and a cup or two of broth. This is optional, but you can add more sweetness by adding in one whole navel orange, peeled. Once you begin mixing, you’ll know if you need to add in more broth. Add a little at a time, until you get the creamy consistency you desire.

In my next post which continues down the clean eating street, I’ll show you what I did with the kale and broccoli.

More Healthy Soups

Green Health Soup

Broccoli Basil Soup

Paleo Vegetable Beef Soup

Mexican Chicken Rice Soup

Borscht

Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup

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Carrot Ginger Soup for a Healthy Heart

Heart Healthy carrot ginger soup, gluten free, vegan and only containing fresh whole food, perfect for any healthy eating program and Whole 30.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 2 pounds organic carrots peeled
• 1 golden beet peeled (optional)
• 1 onion
• 2 cups coarsely chopped celery
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger minced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• handful fresh herbs such as parsley thyme
• 1 navel orange peeled
• 6 cups water
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Chop carrots and goldent beet into approximately 3 inch pieces.
• Add half of the onion and 1 piece of celery to cold water with the carrots.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium boil and continue to cook until carrots are nearly soft.
• In the meantime, heat olive oil in saute pan.
• Add onion and chopped celery until softened.
• Finely chop the herbs.
• Add in herbs, ginger and garlic and cook for five minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add cooked carrots and beets with the vegetables from the pot to the vitamix.
• Add in the vegetables from the pan.
• Add one cup of the broth.
• Mix until well incorporated.Add more broth as necessary until you get the consistency you want.
• This will give you four servings.

Notes

Optional: You can make this brighter and sweeter by adding to the vitamix a whole navel orange peeled. This is recommended if you add in the beet.

The post Carrot Ginger Soup for a Healthy Heart appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Salmon is my go to for entertaining, whether it’s a dinner party or a girlfriend lunch and the key is knowing how to prepare salmon that’s perfect every time.

Salmon cannot be overcooked or it loses it’s buttery sweetness; yet, the skin needs to be crispy. You’ll know you’ve overcooked it if you see the white protein bleeding over. It’s better to undercook it a little because it will continue cooking for a few moments and its easier to put it back in the pan, if need be.

There are so Many Ways to Prepare Salmon.

I’ve grilled salmon it very simply.

I’ve pan fried salmon in a sweet and spicy peach sauce.

I’ve roasted salmon in the oven.

There are many nights I’ll make salmon very simply, with just olive oil, salt, pepper. But then sometimes I dress it up with sweet potato strings and crispy kale or a bed of tarragon scented pea mash.

This time, I’ve pan fried the salmon, and then put it back in the oven, because I wanted the crispiest skin possible without overcooking.

I generally start my pan frying in a hot pan skin side up, which may seem counter intuitive, but it only takes a few minutes to brown the top.

Once it’s done, it slides easily in the pan, and can be turned over, about 4-5 minutes.  At this point, you can continue on top of the stove until the skin seizes up and the salmon is removed easily, or you can stick it in the oven at 400 Degrees F. on the bottom rack for about five minutes. I’ve made this dozens of times and it always comes out perfect.

The golden beets will have to be done in advance, wrapped in foil for about 30 minutes. Once cooked, you can toss them into the pan right along side the salmon, and pour the rest of the marinade.

I used the a similar marinade which I used in this recipe but am pan roasting and using twice as many beets, making them the star of the dish this time.

Pairing golden beets with salmon is not just tasty but beautiful.

So tell me, do you cook with golden beets and how do you best like your salmon.

Please connect with me on instagram. I’d love to see you there.

More Salmon Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Beet Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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How to Prepare Salmon Crispy and Delicous

Delicious dinner of crispy salmon with sweet orange ginger beets.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds wild salmon cut into 4 fillets
• 4-6 golden beets peeled cut into eights
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• ⅓ cup low sodium Tamari Sauce gluten free soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots chopped
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped finely
• zest of half orange
• 1 large garlic cloves minced
• salt
• pepper
• sliced oranges for garnish

Instructions

• Mix together, soy sauce, olive oil, zest, orange juice, garlic
• Mix olive oil shallots, ginger, orange juice, zest and garlic in a bowl.
• Toss beets with just enough of this mixture to moisten. Wrap in foil.
• Roast beets for 30 minutes at 400.
• Take salmon out, season with salt, a tablespoon of marinade, have it rest to room temperature while beets are cooking.
• Place some oil in pan and turn to medium high heat.
• Place salmon in pan skin side up until well browned. Turn over and cook until skin is crispy. This takes about 4-5 minutes.
• Pour remaining marinade while continuing to cook.
• At this point, as you turn the salmon over, as on option, you can put salmon in oven at 400 degrees F. on lower rack for about five minutes.
• Add sliced oranges for garnish.
• Serve with golden beets.

The post How to Prepare Salmon, with Crispy Skin appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Today one of my favorite bloggers came for lunch. Scarlett of Family Focus Blog is not a food blogger, but I am, and other bloggers expect good food when they visit. So I simply took a recipe from one of my other favorite bloggers who recently posted a recipe for Beets Roasted Salmon that grabbed my attention.

Thank you Greg of Sippity Sup for instilling new life into my salmon eating with this recipe on his blog. 

I eat a lot of salmon. I eat a lot of beets. I have never put them together, but this works in a really cool way, and it’s one of those very easy recipes that tastes like it’s a lot of effort. 

I improvised the recipe a little here, a little there, but stayed close to its bones. I’ve made it twice to rave reviews and

We enjoyed an afternoon of blog talk, ginger roasted salmon, this kale salad, and we  finished it off with these caramelized apple hand pies.

Spinach Tiger is no stranger to beets. Just search and find quite a few amazing recipes, many in this post featuring 25 red beet recipes. 

In today’s recipe, I used soy sauce, orange zest, freshly grated ginger, and garlic. It all came together to make what could be an ordinary salmon lunch or dinner into something that makes you want to open a bottle of wine, perhaps a nice Pinot Noir.

So tell me do you actually cook the recipes from the many food blogs you visit or are you a spectator?

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Ginger Roasted Salmon with Roasted Beets

Ginger roasted salmon with orange ginger beets roasted together with shallots, orange, garlic and soy sauce.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds wild salmon cut into fillets 4-6 fillets
• 4 small red beets peeled, cut in half
• juice of small orange divided
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots chopped
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped finely
• zest of half orange
• 1 large garlic cloves minced
• few basil leaves
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Roast beets for 40 minutes. Peel, and quarter, add olive oil, enough to glisten, a half of the juiec of the orange, sea salt, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.
• Mix together, soy sauce, olive oil, zest, orange juice, garlic, basil leaves
• Marinate salmon in this sauce at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Turn oven up to 450.
• Place salmon skin side up in roasting pan. Add in beets. Add all marinade.
• Roast about 6 -10 minutes. (My salmon took six minutes).

More Salmon Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Salmon on the Grill

Pan Fried Salmon in Ten Minutes

Grilled Salmon Recipe with Crispy Kale & Shoe String Sweet Potatoes

Tarragon Pea Mash over Pan Fried Salmon 

The post Ginger Roasted Salmon with Orange Roasted Beets appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s  that time of year where we put away the eggnog and reach for the Vitamix or Nutribullet.

These are all dairy free, vegan and I shouldn’t have to say this, naturally gluten free and Paleo. In other words, they fit into almost everyone’s diet plan.

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get back on track.  These are all dairy free, vegan, and it’s suggested that you use organic fruits and vegetables if possible, especially the berries and apples.

I know you love smoothies because these five smoothies have been viewed at Spinach Tiger over 178,000 times. Some have extraordinary traffic because there is not a lot of competition, but the ones with fewer views are just as good.

The Red Beet Smoothie is extremely popular and has been viewed over 500,000 times and the video over 78,000 times. . This post also discusses the 10 benefits of beets.

I would be so grateful if you’d subscribe to my youtube channel. This year we dabbled; next year we aim to put at least one new video every week.

This post for smoothie recipes without yogurt gives you two green smoothie recipes.

This the most requested drink in our family, and has been viewed over 150,000  I use kale and spinach, and I have made this countless times, because we love it. The green smoothie video  has almost 10,000 views on youtube. 

This Berry Cold Fighting Smoothie was created to help a sick child and was viewed over 4,000 times since April. There is now a VIDEO. on youtube.

This  Kombucha smoothie is unique in that it uses kombucha, a fermented tea. It has been viewed over 3,100 times since late January.

This  Vitamin C Fever Fighting Smoothie was viewed over 3,000 times since April. I just had this one this morning to help with my bout of the flu. There are some good tips in this post about how to handle a fever. Video Coming.

So tell me, are you getting ready to boost your immunity, get healthy, maybe lose a few pounds or just start eating more real foods and do you have any great  diary free smoothie recipes?

Please SUBSCRIBE to my COOKING channel. I really appreciate it and wish you good health in this new year.

The post My Favorite Smoothie Recipes without Yogurt appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The Creative Cooking Crew challenged us this month to a triple-Decker sandwich and that is how kale biscuits with bacon, beets and blue cheese was born.

The whole idea of a triple decker sandwich takes me back to childhood, deli’s, and club sandwiches. Club sandwiches always had bacon, and usually turky and tomato, three pieces of bread and cute tooth picks keeping each triangle together. I loved them.

While I no longer eat big fat club sandwiches, I still love bacon. My dilemma came from the challenge requirements. The ingredients must start with the same letter. So I started with bacon, which led to beets, which led to blue cheese, which led to biscuits. I even included butter lettuce. I got all my B’s in order and piled high, resulting in  a crunchy sandwich on a soft, fluffy biscuit.

I kept the beets raw and crispy. I decided to put a twist on the biscuit and added raw kale, which gives it a pretty green sprinkling. Bacon sandwiches have to have mayonnaise.  I made blue cheese mayonnaise to keep up with the B’s. It’s a great flavor combination.

This is one good bite of a biscuit sandwich. Crunchy, smoky bacon, earthy raw beets (aren’t they pretty), sultry blue cheese.

Please visit the Pinterest board or Foodalogue on Monday to see what the rest of the crew did.

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Kale Biscuits Sandwich with Bacon, Beets and Blue Cheese Mayonaise

Kale Biscuit with Bacon, Raw Beets, Blue Cheese

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Biscuit Sandwich

• 6 Kale biscuits
• 6 pieces butter Lettuce
• 12 pieces crispy bacon
• 12 slices of raw beets
• 6 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 6 tablespoon blue cheese

Kale Biscuits

• 2 cups soft wheat flour or all purpose
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped raw kale
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• pinch baking soda

Instructions

Sandwich

• Layer mayonnaise, lettuce, bacon, beets.

Kale Biscuits

• Mix all dry ingredients together. Whisk well.
• Add in kale. Mix well.
• Add in butter, and mix with pastry blender or hands until you have small pea size pieces.
• Add pinch of baking soda to buttermilk.
• Add in buttermilk and mix with wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky.
• Flour hands and pat down. Use extra large cutter and make six biscuits.
• Bake on cast iron or cookie sheet at 450 for 16 minutes.

The post Kale Biscuits Sandwich with Bacon, Beets and Blue Cheese Mayonnaise appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Red Beet & Bacon Truffle Honey Goat Cheese Flat Bread the week AFTER I post the 25 best red beet recipes on the internet might sound a little insane, a bit backwards, but it only proves I put my beets where my mouth is. After all, it was Valentine’s Day. I told you the science behind beets as an aphrodisiac. Did you not think I would serve beets on February 14th?

We decided to dine at home on Valentine’s Day and invite another couple over. I had a menu set in my mind all week, which had to be altered slightly because the grocery stores didn’t get all their shipments in (snow storms in 49 out of 50 states). Nashville, however, didn’t get a snowflake. It would have been nice to see a snow covered  landscape, but all we got were school closings with no snow. Storms, tornados and hail came at us on Thursday. Today, we’re taking a walk in shorts. Later this week, we’ll see a low of 21. We are a confused weather city. While some cities run to the grocery store because a snow storm is on the way, we run because a rain storm is on the way. Seriously!

Fortunately on Valentine’s Day, the weather was friendly.

I settled on a menu of rack of lamb with Brussels sprouts, buttery fingerling potatoes, and individual flourless chocolate cakes. I needed an appetizer because I couldn’t roast the lamb until company arrived. I wanted something special ready to serve, and I wanted red beets! Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads sent me a shipment earlier in the week which gave me the inspiration to make a beet and bacon flat appetizer.

I get a lot of products sent and I only mention the ones I’m truly in love with. I won’t recommend a product that I’m not positive will bring you a good experience. I can wholeheartedly recommend these products. The difference is in the taste and the texture. Stonefire products have no preservatives and are a very high quality bread. I was able to try the pita, the naan and the wholewheat flatbread. I can’t pick a favorite because all were exceptional. The pita bread has a very good flavor, not dry like many pita breads are.

Because there are no preservatives in the Stonefire products, I immediately froze them.

The wholewheat flat bread baked very nicely, crispy but chewy at the same time, and is the perfect bottom for an appetizer. I roasted beets, bought some local goat cheese and used some coveted truffle honey along with a garnish of bacon. The combination of flavors was compelling, sweet and earthy, especially with that little nuance of truffle honey. The good news about no preservatives is the taste difference, but they must be eaten fairly quickly. I froze everything and was so impressed with how fresh the breads tasted when defrosted. As far the flatbread pizza, I assembled it as frozen, and it baked in about twenty minutes.

Tablescaping:  I love tulips and this was wonderful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day and wish for Spring! I used a cream colored burlap underneath a more traditional piece of burlap to make the table rustic, yet festive. Notice the little milk jars serving as vases, and the mason jars holding those gorgeous white tulips (my favorite flower).

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Red Beet & Bacon, Goat Cheese on Stonefire Flat Bread with Giveaway

Red beets, bacon and goat cheese top Stonefire flat breads for an elegant, yet rustic appetizer.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat Stonefire flat bread
• 4 to 6 ounces of goat cheese
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (saving some for a drizzle
• 2 small roasted red beets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil may not use it all
• 3 slices crumbled bacon smokey bacon is a great option

Roasting beets

• 2 small beets or one large beet

Instructions

• Cut the roasted beets into cubes. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with olive oil. Set aside
• Mix the honey with the goat cheese to the sweetness you prefer.
• Spread over the flat bread.
• Top with the beets. Drizzle a little honey. Add crumbled bacon.
• Bake at 400 degrees until the underneath of flatbread is crispy. 10-20 minutes. I used a frozen flatbread, so it took about twenty minutes.
• Drizzle with honey, prior to serving.
• This makes an appetizer for 4 to 6 people or an entree for 2.

Roasting Beets

• Peel beets, coat with olive oil. Wrap in foil. Roast at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Cool before cutting.

The post Red Beet & Bacon, Goat Cheese on Stonefire Flat Bread appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You are smiling aren’t you. Something about the word aphrodisiac gets us all smiling. Partly, we think it’s folk lore, and partly we’re like the idea and want it to be true.

How does a food qualify as an aphrodisiac anyway?  Science, and this put beets right in the game with a trace mineral called boron, a trace mineral that increases the level of sex hormones in both men and women. Smiling again!

Healthy is sexy! Beets contain betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind and is used in other forms to treat depression. It also contains trytophan which is also found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being, promotes the health of internal organs and a growing body of evidence shows that betaine is an important nutrient for the prevention of chronic disease. It’s just a little easier to hold hands when you feel good.

Beets may promote romance! In many cultures the belief persists that if a man and a woman eat from the same red beet then they will fall in love. I wonder if it’s true that if they eat from the same red beet, they will stay in love. Testing that for 15 years now.

The power of the red beet just may be why this red beet smoothie is always in my top three favorite posts.  I call it my elixer, because I feel energy right after drinking it, and it tastes so good. (Kids love this one too).

I fell deeply in love with beets years ago, especially smitten with their versatility. Aside from a deep color that speaks right to my heart, I am truly inspired to etch out recipes featuring this super health delight.

Here are a few of my Beet recipes and some of my favorite recipes from other bloggers, which may or may not prove this aphrodisiac claim.

Red Storm Beet Infused Cocktail from Sippity Sup

Red Flannel Hash made with corned beef and beets by Simply Recipes

Roasted Golden Beets from Spinach Tiger

Super Health Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts Red Beet Pesto from Spinach Tiger

Ravioi Hearts with Beets and Goat Cheese Filling from Spinach Tiger

Remembering Beets so Red, It’s Fusilli from Greg at Sippity Sup

Raw Beet Salad with Shallots, Orange from Spinach Tiger

Roasted Golden Beet Carpaccio from Spinach Tiger

Beet Ice Cream from White on Rice

Beet and Blue Cheese Grill Bites by Cheap Ethnic Eats

Morrocan Roasted Beets with Pomegranate Seeds from Feasting at Home

Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting from Joy the Baker

Roasted Beet Crostini with Goat Cheese and Honey from Spinach Tiger

Five Star Beet Salad by She’s Cookin

Marbled Beet Cheesecake from With a Spin

Beet Mousse with Cardamom from Artsy Food

Borscht, the Elixer of Soups from Spinach Tiger

Baked Beet Chips from a Cozy Kitchen

Red Beet Crostini from Spinach Tiger

Red Beet Pesto with Sunflower Seeds from Spinach Tiger

Salad of Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Red Beet Pesto

Beet Bread from a Cozy Kitchen

Red Beet Pasta with Beet Gnocchi and Cream Cheese with Poppy Seeds from Spinach Tiger

Beets and Beet Green Salad from Spinach Tiger

Look what my Nashville friend and food blogger, Teresa from Food on Fifth did with her beet juice. She made the Olympic Rings.  Go see her fabulous borscht that goes with this creation.  She’s a food stylist, so you are always in for a treat.

A Few Notable Beet Moments When Dining Out

Chilled Strawberry Beet Consumme with horseradish oil,  featured at Basi Italia in Columbus, Ohio

(Greg of Sippity Sup has the recipe at his site.)

 Beet Down a signature cocktail Root Down in Denver

Honey Beet Ice Cream at Silly Goose

Beet Sriracha at Etch

Roasted Beets, Housemade Burrata, Balsamic Caviar, Beet Mostarda at Via Italia Trattoria in San Diego

Beets & Benton’s Bacon Pizza at Bella Nashville

Roasted Beets & Grilled Sweet Corn with Ricotta Salata & Avocado Cream at Margot

Well, there you have it. I’ve brought you the best 25  beet recipes I could find, along with a few memorable dining out moments. Try all 25 recipes and let me know if you think red beets are an aphrodisiac.

The post 25 Beet Recipes and Are Red Beets an Aphrodisiac? appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

In the old days, this was simply a healthy salad.  Now, when I write about it, I think what are the limitations to this super healthy salad with saved brussels sprouts, red beet pesto, and red quinoa and what are the real benefits?

Whether you’re vegan, paleo, primal, or gluten free, this salad is for you with a caveat. The quinoa addition is the gluten free option, but not the paleo option, unless you’re going primal (following the Primal Blue Print as I do, and even then, it could be questionnable).  The parmigianno reggiano cheese is an option that can be removed for any vegan or strict paleo, but okay for primals.

The red beets would never work for something strictly low-carb, but don’t count them out entirely. The only thing I can never promise you is a low-fat option, because I never ever count my fat.  I love my extra virgin olive oil, and I’m never giving it up. I also vow never to use the word evoo!

If I just drove you crazy with these options and exceptions, imagine how we food bloggers feel. We want to please everyone, especially those committed to good health, but I cannot compromise the taste or joy of good food, with mostly false information about fat. I’m the ultimate super food lover, but I will not be seen with salad dressing on the side.

Whichever way you choose to make this, one bite of the shaved raw Brussels Sprouts mixed with this most delicious red beet pesto,  and you will want more. The nuttiness and earthiness of the beet pesto has an umami effect, and the crunchiness of the raw shaved Brussels sprouts satisfies that need we all have to crunch down on something. The red quinoa can be optional, but it adds the chewy texture and the protein, so this could be a complete meal. It’s stir fried after it’s cooked, which changes the texture a bit for the better.

Why this Healthy Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Red Beet Pesto is Good for You!

Brussels sprouts, a member of the cruciferous, is the hipster vegetable of the moment, showing up in every kind of casual to fine dining restaurant because, like beets, they are available in the winter, and we’re all environmentally less guilty about that right?

If you need a reminder on why beets on good for you, I listed ten benefits here. Not the coolest or hippest seed as of late, often left back in the 1980’s, Sunflower seeds, are a super healthy antioxidant seed, full of Vitamin E , and a good source of selenium, calcium, manganese, and zinc. Extra virgin olive oil promotes cardiovascular health, good cholesterol, antioxidant protection for our blood vessels, is an anti-inflammatory, promotes bone health, brain health, lowers certain cancers, and seriously makes food taste better! Garlic is another food with super powers, promoting heart and brain health and protection from certain cancers, and much more. We like it for flavor.

So we have the health requests, the vegans, the vegetarians, the gluten free folks, the environmentalists and the paleo people covered, sort of. You’ll know what adjustments you need to make, but whatever you do, take the beet pesto idea and run with it. It made this salad a dream, and one I would put on any restaurant menu,  especially the hipster ones, but put it in your own kitchen, or do what I did. Deem it good enough to take to the Nashville food blogger’s pot luck.

I’m known for bringing this kale salad, to our blogger events,  and there was one couple who was disappointed that I didn’t bring it, but, hopefully, I’ve opened up some eyes about beets and Brussels sprouts. One new blogger that joined us hated beets before she tasted the salad. She still hates beets. Just kidding. She liked it. Does this makes me a vegetable evangelist!

The red quinoa is cooked, toasted a bit in the frying pan,  then tossed with freshly grated pecorino cheese.  The Brussels salads are shaved and raw, tossed with a bit of olive oil and lemon, salted and thrown into the frying pan with the red quinoa for just a snap and then tossed heartily with the beet pesto. The beet pesto brings this salad to it’s best self. I’ve made a different version of same salad here, delicious enough, but this is a case of more is more. It’s hard to get healthier than shaved Brussels Sprouts and Red Beet pesto.

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Super Healthy Salad- Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Beet Pesto

A super antioxidant powerhouse salad of raw Brussels sprouts, raw beet pesto, and red quinoa with olive oil, lemon and pecorino cheese.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels Sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon juice from fresh orange
• ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 cup uncooked red quinoa optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• red beet pesto

Instructions

• Rinse Brussels Sprouts thoroughly. Remove some of the large outer leaves to roast.
• Using a mandolin, shred Brussels sprouts or using a chef’s knife, slice thinly.
• Mix together olive oil, lemon zest.
• Mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil dressing just until sprouts are wet. Set aside. You will reserve the rest of the dressing for later.
• The quinoa is optional and a great addition for added protein and heft.
• Cook quinoa. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in mesh strainer under running water for two minutes. Place in pot with two cups water and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, cook for 15 more minutes. Place remaining olive oil in saute pan with 1 clove minced garlic. Lightly saute
• Add in one tablespoon butter and smoked almonds. Add quinoa.
• Stir for about two minutes to toast.
• Add in ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour toasted quinoa over the raw Brussels sprouts.
• Add in orange juice. Stir.
• Toss with 1/2 to 1 cup of red beet pesto.
• Serve at room temperature.

The post Super Antioxidant Salad: Shaved Raw Brussels Sprouts with Raw Red Beet Pesto appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Red Quinoa is a dish one cannot stop eating after the first bite. There is a lot going on with the varying textures from toasted quinoa, smoked almonds and raw Brussels sprouts, but it’s the powerful flavor from the king of cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano, that makes this dish a true winner. This is truly a super food ensemble, and can be served  as a side dish or main vegetarian dish, as quinoa is a complete protein.

When Legends from Europe invited me to participate in a recipe contest, I was excited. I’m Italian. I appreciate the fabulous imported meats and cheeses of Italy. I got to choose either the cheese or meat category and I chose cheese and was assigned Parmigiano Reggiano.

I would have been equally content to be assigned one of the other cheeses, but Parmigiano Reggiano and I go back a long long way, and this cheese has had a prominent place in many recipes here. I grew up eating parmigiano reggiano, always grated freshly at the table. I used to be perplexed because the rind was hard and had writing on it, and through a little girl’s eyes, I didn’t understand that this meant something very special.

The Brussels sprouts are shredded with a mandolin, marinated for a while in olive oil, lemon and garlic and then briefly returned to the pan of toasted quinoa and smoked almonds. The cheese is added in to the quinoa which benefits greatly from its robust flavor and added in once again to finish the dish. The smokiness of the almonds is a nice compliment to the Parmigiano Reggiano.

This can be a first course dish or a side dish, but feel free to make it your main dish, your meatless Monday, or your vegetarian option at the Holiday table. However, you choose to serve Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Red Quinoa, be sure to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.

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Legends from Europe: Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Red Quinoa, Parmigiano Reggiano

A combination of raw shredded Brussels Sprouts, red quinoa, flavored with lemony dressing and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese.

Course Side Dish or Salad

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels Sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese divided
• 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
• 1/4 cup smoked almonds chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6-8 sage leaves

Instructions

• Rinse Brussels Sprouts thoroughly. Remove some of the large outer leaves to roast. Toss the outer leaves with a little olive oil. Roast at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until the leaves are crispy. These will be used for garnish at the end,
• Using a mandolin, shred Brussels sprouts or using a chef's knife, slice thinly.
• Mix together olive oil, lemon zest.
• Mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil dressing just until sprouts are wet. Set aside. You will reserve the rest of the dressing for later.
• Cook quinoa. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in mesh strainer under running water for two minutes.
• Place in pot with two cups water and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, cook for 15 more minutes.
• Place remaining olive oil in saute pan with 1 clove minced garlic. Lightly saute
• Add in one tablespoon butter and smoked almonds. Add quinoa.
• Stir for about two minutes to toast.
• Add in 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour toasted quinoa over the raw Brussels sprouts.
• In separate small saute pan, make a browned sage butter. Brown the butter on medium heat. Add in the remaining minced garlic with sage leaves, until leaves are crisp but not brown.
• Pour sage browned butter over quinoa and brussels sprouts. Mix thoroughly.
• Top with remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and almonds, Roasted Brussels Sprouts leaves for garnish.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Legends from Europe is a 3 year campaign funded by the European Union and launched in the U.S. to increase awareness and celebrate “the legendary quality, tradition, and taste” of five authentic PDO products (Protected Designation of Origin) from Europe – Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di San Daniele, Grana Padano and Montasio.

The post Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Red Quinoa, Parmigiano Reggiano appeared first on Spinach Tiger.