The Power of Beetroot

Beetroot is a little used, cheap and fat fighting vegetable, not only that but beetroot, is the natural ingredient that spurred on our athletes in the London Olympics 2012 and is thought to have wider health benefits.

Cooked beetroot is full to bursting with nutrients and health benefits and is so easy to cook with, to add to salads, make soups with and, best of all, to bake indulgent cakes with – while still being a little bit healthy!  Deliciously versatile, and adding a delightful splash of colour to a wide variety of recipes.

 

The science bit...

Rich in potassium, antioxidants and folic acid, beetroot was found to lower blood pressure back in 2008, by scientists at Barts and the London School of Medicine. In 2009, a University of Exeter study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that drinking 500ml of beetroot juice before exercise improved stamina. A second Exeter study last year found that cyclists could shave seconds off their time – similar benefits were found for runners in a US study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in April.

The reason for beetroot’s winning ways, says Professor Andy Jones, from the sport and health sciences department at Exeter, is nitrate, a nutrient found in soil that helps build protein. This converts into nitrite in the body and then into nitric oxide, which has a “double whammy” effect: it widens blood vessels, increasing blood flow; and it reduces the oxygen needed by muscles, enabling them to work more efficiently.

“We found this works most effectively in high-intensity exercise, typically races that last up to 30 minutes,” says Prof Jones (who tweets under the name @AndyBeetroot). He says your average runner might feel the benefits of beetroot more than elite athletes whose muscles are already efficient.

Beetroot and ginger chocolate brownies

These purple-hued brownies have an earthy taste and are a little fiery, giving you one of your five a day in a very wicked way. There is debate as to whether a brownie should be cakey or fudgy: these are definitely on the gooey side.






Makes 24

500g fresh beetroot
200 plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
100g unsalted butter, plus extra for the tin (steady)
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g golden caster sugar (steady)
3 eggs
100g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
3 balls of stem ginger

1 Line a 20cm x 30cm tray with greaseproof paper. Simmer the beetroot in hot water until soft, then, wearing rubber gloves, slip off the skins. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

2 In a food processor, mix together the chocolate, hot beetroot, butter and vanilla extract until the mix is as smooth as you can get it. Combine the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whip together with an electric whisk for about 2 minutes, until the mix is thick, pale and foamy. Fold the beetroot mix into the whisked eggs.

3 Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then gently fold to make a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until there is the slightest quiver on top. Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into 5cm squares to serve.

Recipe supplied by girlinterruptedeating.wordpress.com

 

Pink pancakes

Grated beetroot makes these pretty-in-pink pancakes a talking point at breakfast (or not, if you're slipping vegetables into a fussy eater's diet on the quiet).

Makes 6

1 egg
1 mug of plain white or wholewheat flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
190ml apple juice
125ml fresh beetroot (cooked or raw), finely grated
½ tsp mixed spice
A dash of olive oil for frying (steady)
Butter (steady) and honey, to serve
Salt

1 Whisk the egg until frothy. Add flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Pour in the apple juice. Give it all a good whisk, then fold in the beetroot and add the mixed spice.

2 Warm a frying pan over a high heat. Brush on some olive oil. Place dessert spoonfuls of pancake batter in the middle of the pan.

3 As soon as the pancake starts to bubble in the centre, flip it over for 2 minutes or so, until cooked through. Don't be tempted to press the pancake down in the pan as it will expel all the lovely air bubbles that make it nice and fluffy.

4 When all your pancakes are cooked, drop a dot of butter on to the top of each, and then drizzle with honey. Best served accompanied by a nice cup of tea.

Recipe supplied by http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/

 

Ok - so don't go nuts and eat 10 brownies and 12 pancakes but just sometimes, a homemade treat  is a bonus or invite the girls round for a glass of fizz and afternoon tea x