Roast: Many recipes suggest wrapping beets in foil and baking, which works well when prepping a day ahead (baking time is 1 hour, plus additional time needed to cool and skin beets). A quicker method is to cut beets into half-inch cubes, toss with oil and roast in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes. Beet skins are edible (after being scrubbed) and offer dietary fiber. Roasting beets without foil also results in toasty, sweeter flavors.

Instant pot or pressure cooker: These fast cookers are a game changer for cooking root vegetables. Whole, unpeeled beets cook in about 15 minutes.

Boiling, steaming or microwaving: Cube beets (skin and all) for these faster cooking methods, which work well for making soups or smoothies. Use the cooking liquid in the final soup or smoothie, or to make pink ice cubes. Add the slightly earthy-flavored cubes to an herbal gin cocktail, a tart kombucha mocktail or a glass of water.

Note: While starchy root vegetables get mealy and fall apart when over-cooked, non-starchy beets stay moist and firm. This makes it difficult to overcook beets, but know they will rarely get as tender as potatoes.

Stain-Free Serving

When prepping raw beets, coat your cutting board with cooking spray. After slicing, wipe the board clean with a paper towel.
If you choose to skin cooked whole beets, work in the sink or on a large rimmed baking sheet to contain the stain. To keep your fingers from turning red, wear clean rubber gloves or use paper towels to rub off beet skin. To remove stains from your hands, gently rub them with kosher salt, then wash with soap and warm water.

Proposed Pairings

Sweet: Almost any fruit pairs with beets, but winter or fall fruits are an especially good match; try pomegranates, persimmon, pears, citrus and dried fruits. Sweet vegetables such as fennel, carrots and parsnips also complement beets.

Earthy: Fresh thyme and sage, as well as earthy soft cheeses — such as brie and Camembert — pair nicely with cooked beets.

Salty: Miso paste, capers or olives are a great match for warm roasted beets. Goat cheese or blue cheese and beets are a classic pairing. A sprinkling of Gouda or queso blanco also are delicious choices.

Nutty: Roasted beets are soft, so crunchy pistachios, pecans and walnuts provide an enjoyable contrast in texture. Try drizzling a dressing made with peanut or almond butter over a salad of raw shredded beets and apples.

Ingredient Swap!

Try substituting shredded zucchini with shredded beets in recipes. Quick breads, veggie burgers and vegetable pancakes turn into pleasingly pink dishes. Not sure if you’ll enjoy the earthy taste of beets? Start by substituting only half the vegetables for a mellower mixture.

This article is part of the Healthy Kitchen Hacks series.

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Turn pie dough scraps into onebite desserts. Roll out dough and cut into circles. To make apple pie bites, top each with a thin slice or two of apple and a light dusting of sugar and cinnamon, then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 18 minutes. For mini sugar cookies, sprinkle dough with colored sugar and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes.

Make chili. Leftover turkey, sweet potatoes and even mashed potatoes are delicious additions to pots of chili long after the holiday feast. Label leftovers, then freeze them for later use.

Get your knives sharpened. From chopping vegetables to carving meats, knives get a lot of use during the holiday season. Many supermarket deli departments will sharpen knives for free — call ahead to make sure. Remember: The most dangerous knife is a dull knife.

Find more tips and tricks for the season: “Holiday Hacks”

To see the Healthy Kitchen Hacks series, click here. 

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Rub for bread. To make simple yet flavorful garlic bread, rub the cut side of a clove over bread slices or a baguette cut lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and broil until toasted.

Roast a bulb. Without peeling, cut off one-quarter of the top of the garlic bulb, exposing the cloves. Wrap bulb loosely in foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes, until cloves are mushy. Cool slightly and squeeze the roasted cloves into sauces, soups or dressings, or use it as a sandwich spread.

Go for the green. In late spring, look for garlic scapes, the curly, green stalks of the garlic plant that are harvested for only a few weeks each year. Garlic scapes are tender and milder in flavor compared to cloves. Mince and use them like chives as a raw topper for salads, soups and vegetables or puree them into pesto and hummus.

Neutralize the smell. Get rid of garlicky odor lingering on your hands with some kitchen metal. Wash your hands with soap and water, then rub them on a stainless steel faucet for about 10 seconds. Rinse and repeat until the smell is gone. If there is no stainless steel in your kitchen, purchase a soap bar-shaped piece of stainless steel designed for deodorizing hands after cooking.

Find more garlic hacks: “Peeling and Dealing with Fresh Garlic”

To see the entire Healthy Kitchen Hacks series, click here. 

The post Healthy Kitchen Hacks: Garlicky Goodness appeared first on HealthStylz.