- Today I wanna you learn to love
one of the world's messiest and most
misunderstood root vegetables,
beets.
(relaxing music)
These beautiful, bountiful ruby red roots
pack a ton of nutrients and a whole lot
of antioxidant power.
But the truth is, a lot of people claim
they taste like dirt.
Today on "Learn 2 Love," I wanna help you
appreciate the earthy flavor of beets
by showing you how to prepare them
three delicious ways.
I'm going to show you my roasted beet hummus,
an amazing beet salad with quinoa and walnuts,
and finally, my roasted beet risotto
that I am sure you will absolutely love.
Let's get started by roasting our beets.
I think one of the biggest deterrents
to cooking with beets is the big mess
they leave behind after peeling them.
And one of the best ways to avoid
that mess is by roasting them with the skin on.
When you roast them with the skin on,
it makes the skin really easy to remove,
and that results in less mess,
which is good for everyone.
So we're gonna start be removing the greens
from our beets, but you don't wanna throw them away.
Beet greens are full of nutrients,
and there are lots of yummy ways to eat them.
We could tackle those in a whole other video.
We are going to trim our beets on both ends
and then we are going to rub them
with a little bit of olive oil.
This is to prevent them from sticking to our foil.
All we're going to do is wrap each of our beets
in a little foil packet, put them
on a baking sheet and then put them in the oven
at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for at least an hour.
You'll know they're ready when you can stick
a knife in and it comes out easily.
(relaxing music)
Once your beets are fully roasted,
all you have to do is rub the skins off
with some paper towels.
Now, I like to use gloves to do this job,
but you could totally do it bare handed
and just wash your hands immediately afterwards.
Naked beet.
(gasps) Don't look.
You also wanna use a cutting board
that you're not particularly attached to
because there will be some mess left behind.
Once the skin has been removed,
all that's left is this sweet, earthy beet
that can be used in all sorts of recipes,
including this roasted beet hummus
I'm about to show you.
So in my food processor, I have some chickpeas
standing by, and to that I am going to add
the zest and juice of one lemon.
I'm also going to add a scoop of tahini
and some mined garlic.
We're gonna season it with some salt and pepper,
and then add our roasted beets.
We're gonna put our lid on and then pulse this
while adding our olive oil.
Now, you wanna add your olive oil
until you've got a nice, smooth consistency
in your food processor.
You may have to scrape down the sides
a few times, but that's no big deal.
What you end up with is this unbelievably flavored
fuchsia-colored dip that is great
served with fresh veggies or some pita.
How amazing does this stuff look?
Next up, I wanna show you one of my
all-time favorite beet salads.
And this really couldn't be simpler
to put together.
I'm just gonna start by making
a really simple vinaigrette for them.
So I'm combining some olive oil
with some white wine vinegar, some Dijon mustard,
a good drizzling of honey.
Beets enjoy a little sweetness.
And finally, we'll just finish that off
with some salt and some pepper.
I'm gonna shake this all up in a Mason jar
and set it aside.
Then I'm going to assemble my salad.
So it all starts with some arugula,
and then I've got some cooked quinoa on top.
To that I'm going to my roasted beets,
some toasted walnuts and some beautiful,
tangy goat cheese.
We're gonna finish this off with our
white wine vinaigrette, and there you have it.
An incredible salad for either lunch or dinner.
What could be more delicious?
Finally, I'm excited to share my recipe
for my roasted beet risotto.
Now, it does need to be said, risotto
is quite a labor of love.
It's time consuming and energy consuming,
but the flavor is totally worth
each and every minute you put into it.
So on my stove, I've got some oil heating up
in my frying pan, and to that I am going
to add a small diced onion.
I'm going to cook the onion until
it becomes translucent, and then I'm going to add
two cloves of minced garlic.
We're gonna cook the garlic for about 30 seconds,
and then I'm going to add some white wine
and some Arborio rice.
Now, Arborio rice is the classic rice
used in most risottos.
You could use other types of rice,
but I find the final product just doesn't compare.
Basically, the secret to a great risotto
is to never stop stirring.
So we're going to stir our rice
and our white wine until almost all
of the white wine has evaporated.
And then we are going to add our broth.
I'm using vegetable broth in this recipe,
but you could also use chicken broth,
if you wanted to.
What you're going to do is add your broth
half a cup at a time.
And you're going to be stirring this
until it's completely absorbed every single time.
This will take between 25 and 30 minutes,
but I promise you it is worth all the effort.
(relaxing music)
Don't stop stirring, even if your arm is going numb.
(relaxing music)
Once your risotto has finally come together,
you are going to finish it off
with some butter, some Parmesan,
and then we are going to add
our yummy, delicious, beautiful beets
and some fresh thyme leaves.
You're going to stir everything together
until it's combined, and then you are going
to serve it immediately, because risotto
is always best when it's fresh.
I hope you'll give these three delicious recipes
a try, and if you do, be sure to Tweet
or Instagram me a photo because you know
I love seeing what you're coming up with
in your very own kitchens.
And of course, if you haven't already,
be sure to subscribe to The Domestic Geek
because there's lots more deliciousness
where this came from.