beet and berry smoothie

today i am reintroducing beets, but in a very different type of recipe. if you missed the beet and arugula salad, check it out while arugula is still at the markets. this new recipe today is for a smoothie with beets, using their earthy flavor to tone down the sweetness and make for a refreshing drink. the beets don't take a dominating role here, it just enhances the taste of the berries. if you really like beets you can certainly amp the amount up to your liking.

for this recipe, i steamed the beets instead of boiling them. either method is good, but i found steaming them makes the process a little less messy.

start by scrubbing the beets well and trimming off the ends, so they no longer have a dirty exterior. cut them in half (or more pieces if you have large beets) and place them in your steamer tray. let them steam for 20 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a fork.

a good tip for making smoothies is to overbuy berries when they are at their peak, and thus cheapest at the market. i lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze them for maybe 15-30 minutes. once they are cold and getting hard, you can dump them all in a tupperware for easier storage. pre-freezing them on a sheet means when you go to use them, they won't stick together into one big frozen clump as they would if you just put them in the tupperware first thing.

you'll start with just a 1/4 cup of chopped beets. add it to the blender with the apple juice and frozen mixed berries. add in about a handful of ice (about 4 cubes for me) and you are ready to blend!

Blend for a few minutes, pausing occasionally to stir with a long spoon (with blender off) if necessary to get your blender going.

heres the before and after:

Pour it into a glass and you are ready to serve!

If you are in the mood for a creamier smoothie, you can add a tablespoon or two of plain greek yogurt. It makes for a slightly lighter color (on the left in the picture below).

beet and berry smoothie
makes about 2 cups

ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped, steamed beets
1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup apple juice or apple cider (i used a fresh one from the farmers market)
handful of ice (about 4 cubes)
1-2 tbsp plain greek yogurt (optional)

directions:

1.   to steam the beets, scrub thoroughly until clean and cut into halves, or quarters if you are using large beets. place in a steamer tray in a large pot with about an inch of simmering water and let steam for 20-25 minutes, until beets are tender. remove from pot and let cool.

2.   combine 1/4 cup beets with the rest of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until no lumps or chunks of frozen fruit remain. pour into a glass to serve.

notes: i recommend using a cold pressed apple juice or apple cider, the kind you would find either at a farmer's market, or in the supermarket with a label from a nearby orchard. if you aren't in an area with local apple juice, 100% apple juice

beet and arugula salad with goat cheese and maple-glazed walnuts

first up, this beet and arugula salad is a light, yet filling meal or a great side to a summer grilled main course. even if you haven't been a fan of beets in the past, try cooking your own and you may just change your mind yet!

first wash, scrub, and peel your beets so they go from this:

to this:

boil them submerged in water until cooked, and then let them cool:

next, glaze your walnuts so they have time to cool

start by toasting the walnuts in a skillet, add maple syrup and that's it!

start with fresh arugula. rinse, chop, and dry.

if you use wild arugula it will taste peppery. for this salad i prefer a milder green so i chose regular arugula.

mix all of the arugula, half of the walnuts and sliced beets, and half of the goat cheese [crumbled] with the vinaigrette [recipe below].

serve up onto 4 plates, and garnish the top with the remaining sliced beets, walnuts, and goat cheese.

based on: Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Recipe from allrecipes.com

beet and arugula salad with goat cheese and maple-glazed walnuts

serves 4

ingredients:

1 small bunch of raw beets [or 2 large raw beets]

1/2 bunch of arugula [not wild/rocket arugula]

2 oz soft goat cheese

1 cup walnut halves

2 tbsp maple syrup

for the vinaigrette:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp honey

1 tbsp orange juice

zest from 1/2 orange [optional]

salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1. peel the raw beets, cut into halves or quarters, and put in a medium saucepan big enough to fully cover the beets with water. pour enough water over the beets to cover, and bring to a boil. once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer [medium low on my stove] and cook the beets until they can be pierced easily with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. once cooked, strain the beets and let them cool.

2. place the walnuts in a non-stick skillet with enough room that they fit in a single layer. toast the walnuts over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the pan gets hot and the walnuts start to toast. pour in 2 tbsp maple syrup and stir the walnuts to coat them evenly. as you are stirring, you will notice the syrup thicken and stick to the nuts after about 2-3 minutes. once most of the syrup has coated the walnuts and it is no longer pooling in the pan, remove the pan from the heat. spread the walnuts out in the pan and let cool.

3. while the beets and walnuts cool, roughly chop, rinse and dry the arugula leaves. if your arugula came bundled, cut off an inch or so of the end to remove most of the stems. put your rinsed and dried arugula in a bowl and set aside.

4. to make the dressing, thoroughly whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until combined.

5. slice the beets into wedges, thin slices, or cubes and add half to the chopped arugula. crumble half of the goat cheese into this bowl, and add half of the cooled glazed walnuts. pour the vinaigrette over the contents of the bowl and mix to coat everything evenly. dish the salad into 4 bowls and top with the remaining beets, glazed walnuts, and goat cheese. enjoy!

[printable version]