Beet Green Pesto

In the last year or so, I fell in love with roasted beets but always felt guilty about throwing all of those leafy greens away and decided it was time to do something with them. This beet green pesto recipe uses very few ingredients making the greens shine!

Ingredients:

4-6 c. beet greens, stems removed (loosely packed)
1/2 c. walnuts
3 Tbs. Parmesan
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil (or until you reach a consistency that you like)

Combine all of the above ingredients except for the olive oil inside of a food processor. When most of the larger pieces of ingredients are broken down, slowly add in your olive oil until you reach the thickness or consistency of your choosing. I like to make mine on the thicker side, because I usually end up adding it to noodles or salads to where you always end up adding more oil or vinegar to smooth it out.

Roasted Hasselback Beets with Dill Yogurt Sauce

I joined the "beet" wagon about a year ago. I had never had roasted beets before, only pickled which I absolutely could not stand. These roasted beets are juicy, cut like butter and the tangy yogurt sauce pairs perfectly to cut the sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb.s beets, peeled, cut in half, and sliced every 1/4 inch almost all of the way through
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 Tbs. dill, chopped
2 Tbs. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil. Place the beets flat side down on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour 3/4 cup water around the beets inside of the foil. Cover the pan with tinfoil, bake for 20 minutes, add 3/4 c. more water, and continue to bake 20 more minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 20-30 minutes (adding more water if necessary). Remove from the pan and place on your serving tray. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, dill and lemon juice together. Drizzle the tops of each beet with the yogurt sauce.

Simple Pickled Beets

Ingredients:

2 c. Roasted Beets, cut 1/4 inch thick
3/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar

Place the beats in a mason jar. Combine all of the above ingredients (minus the beets) in a small saucepan. Heat on high until you reach a rolling boil and remove from heat. Pour the vinegar mix on top of the beets. Let the liquid cool before placing the lid on the jar. Then refrigerate for 1-2 days before eating. The beets last for up to a month in the refrigerator.

Roasted Beets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Cut the greens off and the root about 1/4 inch from the start of the beet. Wash the outside of the beets and place in the tinfoil without drying first. Bring the sides of the tinfoil up over the beets and fold over. Roast for 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to the beets and continue to roast for 25 more minutes until the beets slide off of a fork with ease. Let cool fully. Then remove the skin using the back of a knife (the dull side).