Beet/Red Smoothie

Last night, Dick and I roasted beets for the first time. We both love beets (especially as a salad) but had never made them at home. We found some really nice looking, inexpensive beets at the local Farmer's Market. When I came home yesterday afternoonn, Dick had washed them, cut off the tops and bottoms of each, rubbed a little olive oil, and wrapped each in aluminum foil. We roasted them in the oven for an hour on 375. We peeled and split one as part of our dinner and it was delicious!

Here's a handy list about beets that I found on the web:

Ten Benefits of Beets

• Beets are a super food, a super anti-oxidant that fights cancer and reduces inflammation.
  
• Beets are good for working out. They improve blood flow, which increases endurance during a workout.
  
• Beets purifies the blood and cleanse the liver.
  
• Beets have been proven to lower blood pressure and reverse hypertension.
  
• Beets help to deliver oxygen to the parts of your body that need it, even the brain.
  
• Beets may have an aphrodisiac effect as they contain high amounts of boron, related to the production of sex hormones.
  
• Beets are high in fiber, high in vitamin C and folic acid, and contain sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous!
  
• Beets contain folic acid aids in physical healing, and is good for pregnant women.
  
• Beets are good for your mental health, as they contain betain, which aids in depression.
  
• Beets are the sweetest vegetable, high in good carbs, low in calories and give you the right kind of energy.
  

GO, Beets!

After dinner, we discussed trying out a few smoothie recipes made with beets. These are known as "Red Smoothies", versus the Green Smoothies that we usually make with Kale or Spinach. We tried a recipe that Dick found on the web (Sorry - I couldn't find where he got it from, so no link): Blend: One large Beet Root 1 Red Apple 3 celery stalks baby carrots (we did 2 regular carrots, cut) Ginger Root (we didn't have any ginger root today, so used about 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger) Lemon Juice We also didn't have a fresh apple, so I used about a cup of apple juice with a cup of water.

all of our fresh ingredients

I forgot to take a photo of all the ingredients in the blender for full effect, but here's the final product:

It actually made two servings, which made for a nice breakfast this morning. We both really liked the flavor. It's a little like a V-8, but without the tomato juice. It was a little thick, so I added a bit more water, but overall, we really liked it.

I found another Red Smoothie Recipe (here) and may try it tomorrow morning:

Red Beet Vitamix Smoothie with Kale, Apple, Orange, Berries

Serves: 2

Recipe for red beet smoothie with kale, apple, berries is super nutritious.

Ingredients

• 1 red beet
  
• 1 small apple including core
  
• ½ naval orange peeled
  
• handful frozen berries
  
• handful kale
  
• ¼ cup frozen pineapple (optional)
  
• ½ cup ice
  
• ½ cup iced water