Have you ever purchased a bunch of beets and are left with not knowing what to do with its leaves? Well, don’t discard them just yet. The leaves are full of nutrients and it’s a waste to not use them. Here is a simple recipe my grandmother would make using the beet’s leaves and we always enjoyed eating it. Might I add, my grandmother always used nutritious ingredients and made them taste delicious.
Step By Step Instructions:
Cut the stems off from the beets. You may store the beets for later use or wash, peel and roast them in the oven and add it to a salad.
Note: I would say, you will get one serving of this delicious sauteed beet leaves from a pound of beets.
Wash the stems and the leaves.
Cut the large pieces into 3 sections. Cut the medium pieces into 2.
Place them into a medium saucepan (I didn’t have a medium saucepan available so I used a small one). Fill the saucepan with water, enough to cover the leaves and the stems.
Bring the water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer until the stems are soft-about 15-20 minutes.
Drain the liquid and set the stems and the leaves aside to allow it to cool.
Once they’ve cooled, grab small portions and give it a squeeze (over the sink) to release some of the liquid. Place it back in the bowl.
Carefully loosen them up.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet over medium heat.
Once the oil has heated up, add half of a diced onion. Give it a stir. Cook the onion, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent in color and cooked- about 2-4 minutes.
Roughly chop the stems and the leaves and add it to the onions. Give it a stir. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper and cook it for about 2 minutes.
Serve it up in a bowl or a plate next to some salmon or quinoa salad.
You may eat it as is or add more flavor, as my grandmother did, by dressing it with some yogurt and garlic. The recipe is as follows:
- Add 1/2 cup of yogurt to a bowl.
- Add garlic paste (Chop 1 garlic. Add a small pinch of salt. Using a fork, mash the garlic pieces until it resembles a paste-as shown on the right).
- Add a pinch of salt or about 1/8 teaspoon-or to taste. (optional, if serving this to your little one)
Add about 2 tablespoons of the yogurt and garlic mixture to the sauteed beet leaves. Add more or less depending on your preference. Mix the them together and ENJOY.
Note: I had some leftovers of the yogurt and garlic mixture. I served it as a dip with vegetables, or you may mix it with some cooked quinoa, pasta or buckwheat.
Recipe
Grandma’s Beet Leaves Recipe
Makes about 1 serving.
Ingredients:
- Leaves and Stems from 1 pound of Beets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 of an onion
- salt and pepper to taste
Yogurt and Garlic Mixture
- 1/2 cup of yogurt
- Paste of 1 garlic clove
- A pinch of salt or about 1/8 teaspoon-or to taste
Instructions:
Cut the stems off from the beets. You may store the beets for later use or wash, peel and roast them in the oven and add it to a salad. Thoroughly, wash the stems and the leaves. Cut the large pieces into 3 sections and cut the medium pieces into 2.
Place them into a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water, enough to cover the leaves and the stems. Bring the water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer until the stems are soft-about 15-20 minutes.
Drain the liquid and set the stems and the leaves aside to cool. Once they’ve cooled, grab small portions and give it a squeeze (over the sink) to release some of the liquid. Place it back in the bowl. Carefully loosen the steams and the leaves.
Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil has heated up, add half of a diced onion. Give it a stir. Cook the onion, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent in color and cooked- about 2-4 minutes.
Roughly chop the stems and the leaves and add it to the skillet with the onions. Give it a stir. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper and cook it for about 2 minutes.
Serve it up in a bowl or a plate next to some salmon or quinoa salad.
You may eat it as is or add more flavor, as my grandmother did, by dressing it with some yogurt and garlic. The recipe is as follows:
- Add 1/2 cup of yogurt to a bowl.
- Add garlic paste (Chop 1 garlic. Add a small pinch of salt. Using a fork, mash the garlic pieces until it resembles a paste).
- Add a pinch of salt or about 1/8 teaspoon-or to taste. (optional, if serving this to your little one)
Add about 2 tablespoons of the yogurt and garlic mixture to the sauteed beet leaves. Add more or less depending on your preference. Mix the them together and ENJOY.
Note: I had some leftovers of the yogurt and garlic mixture. I served it as a dip with vegetables, or you may mix it with some cooked quinoa, pasta or buckwheat.
