Grilled Napa and Raw Beet Slaw

2-3 beets, peeled and shredded

1 napa cabbage head

2-3 scallions, sliced thin 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

3 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 oranges, peeled and roughly chopped (including juice)

Cut napa in half lengthwise and drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil. Grill until slightly charred and wilted. Set aside to cool then slice thin crosswise

Peel and shred the beets. Place beets, cabbage and scallions in bowl.

In a jar with tight-fitting lid, add salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil and vinegar. Shake well, and pour over vegetables. Toss. If desired, marinate an hour or so.

Add parsley and oranges. Toss to combine, and serve.

Golden Beet Borscht Stew

2 tbsp. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3-4 cups peeled and chopped golden beets (1-inch pieces)

3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

Sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium-high, heat oil. Add garlic and onion and sauté, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.

Stir in paprika and 1/4 tsp pepper, then add carrots, beets, cabbage and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, 2 tbsp dill, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. (TIP: For a creamier dish, transfer about half of the soup to a blender and purée. Add purée back to soup and stir.)

Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt and remaining 2 tbsp dill. Divide among serving bowls and top with yogurt mixture.

Golden Beet and Basil Pasta

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta) 

2-3 golden beets with greens

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

3/4 cup water, divided

1/3 cup organic vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Remove greens and stems from beets; rinse and drain. Coarsely chop greens and stems to measure 4 cups. Peel beets, cut in half vertically, and cut into 1/8-inch slices.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beets; sauté 3 minutes. Add beet greens and stems, 1/2 cup water, broth, salt, and pepper; cover. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8 minutes or until beets are tender.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, basil, almonds, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth. Add cheese and remaining 1/4 cup water; process until blended. Add pasta, pesto, and lemon juice to beet mixture; toss to combine.

Beets, Beans, and Greens

1 bunch of collard greens (3 leaves), stems removed and chopped

1 bunch beets, washed well and tops removed and chopped (and wrap in foil) 

1 entire bulb of garlic, minced

1-2 cups cooked white beans 

olive oil

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Wrap the beets in foil, place them on a cookie sheet and put them into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or so (or until they are tender).  If you are in a hurry, you can boil the beets until fork tender and then run cold water until able to handle and peel skin.

In the meantime, coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and gently heat.  Over a low heat, toss in minced garlic and stir.  Next, add in chopped collard greens and beet greens and sauté until tender.  Once the beets are cooked, remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes or so. Open the beets and remove the skin with your fingers (it should come off easily).  Cut the roasted beets into bite sized chunks and add to the collard green sauté mixture and stir.  Lastly, add cooked beans and warm sauté mixture and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Winter Eating - Creative Salads

Beets!

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges

This is a great winter recipe, Oranges are in season in Florida and beets are great storage crop that you can store for a long time in your crisper drawer in a plastic bag or are usually available at farmers markets. You can use any beets of your preference for this recipe

Ingredients

3 medium beets with beet greens attached

1 large orange

1/2 sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil with a sprinkle of thyme. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges or dice depending on your preference. Place beets in medium bowl. Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from orange. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. You may have a little of the dressing left over, you don’t want the beets to swim in the dressing, just a good coating. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve. Use extra dressing in chopped salad, or light coleslaw dressing.