Beets are deep in color and packed with nutrients. Thankfully, this root vegetable is sweet and easy for the boys’ to accept. It is actually my picky eater’s favorite vegetable because it tastes so much like fruit after it is cooked. What to do with the leaves and stems? This beautiful “beet-full” dish uses the whole beet.
Ingredients:
- 3-5 bunches beets including stem and leaves
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
There are 3 different ways to cook the beet root: boil, bake in an oven or in an instant pot. Your choice depends on what else you are cooking for dinner, whether you have the oven already turned on, then you can add the beets into the oven, or whether all your stove tops are occupied so you need to plug in your instant pot. You can choose which method best suit the rest of your cooking. Cooking the beet whole saves the hassle of peeling the beet skin. First, remove stems and leaves and wash the beets.
Instant Pot:
Place the beets and 1 cup of water in the instant pot. Set at high pressure for 25 minutes and natural release.
Bake in Oven:
Preheat oven to 400F. Place beets on a baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes until a fork can easily pierce through the thickest beet.
Boil on Stove Top:
Place beets in a medium pot and cover the beets with water. Turn the power to high and bring the water to a rolling boil. When the water boils, cook the beets for 45 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through the thickest part.
After the beets are cooked, rinse with cold water and the skin should easily peel off. Cut into bite sized chunks.
Leaves and Stem: While the beets are cooking, cut up the leaves and stem into half inch pieces and soak in water to get rid of any dirt. Drain in colander and set aside.
When the beets are halfway done, boil a large pot of water. When it comes to a boil add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Add the cut up leaves and stems into the pot and stir. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the stems softened. Drain the water and serve with the cooked cut up beets. Enjoy!
Carmen Cooking Diary 