Beets are, seriously, a superfood. Not only are they amazingly delicious (buttery, sweet, tender yet with a great texture), they have some nutritional benefits that just can’t be beat! (Ha ha, get it?)

I was thinking about beets this week, mostly because two, TWO! friends reported to me that they were scared of beets.  Not in the, “watch out for that giant beet, it’s coming this way!” type of scared, but just…fear of the unknown, I suppose.  So let’s talk about beets.

{Photo from author’s personal collection: golden beets and goat cheese}

They’re super easy to cook (trim off stalks until about 2 inches remain on the beet, roast in a 425-degree oven in a baking dish filled with 1/4-inch of water and covered in foil until tender when pierced, about an hour), keep in the fridge after roasting for up to 5 days (workweek salad, anyone?), and low-cal.  They’re high in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber.  Plus, they’re amazing with goat cheese.

When buying beets, look for a firm vegetable with bright, fresh-looking greens.  Speaking of greens…don’t throw those away! It’s wasteful, and they’re super-delish. Trust me.

Cut off greens, and wash until dirt is removed.  Blanch them in a pot of boiling hot water for 1 minute, then place the drained greens in a bowl of icy cold water. Wring the water from the greens using your hands, and give them a rough chop.  In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté 2 cloves of garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil for 1 minute.  Then add your greens and stir around until they are warm and coated in olive oil/garlic mixture. Taa-dah!

For the record, Dr. Dave hates beets. I didn’t even tell him what the greens were from, and he snicker-snacked them all up.