day 58: beet-en
I hate to dislike food. I want to like everything. If there is something out there I don’t like I’ll try to come up with a way to prepare it so that I’d be willing to eat it again and again.
In the past I have successfully converted myself from a hater to a lover of many different types of foods.
As I kid I loved vegetables but I wouldn’t touch lettuce and the smell of a salad totally turned me off. This was probably because, at home, our salads were made with white vinegar (an “ingredient” that I’ve since relegated to the cleaning closet) . Now I eat salads all the time, always with homemade dressing, and I love them!
I never used to like eating apples raw (it was a texture thing) but I somehow did a 180 and now I eat an apple almost daily.
I used to turn up my nose at Brussels sprouts but now I know that if I roast them in a bit of brown butter I am in veggie heaven!
…and there are so many weird and crazy foods that I have always had a taste for, like baccalà, or raw liver with spices.
So why the hell can’t I like beets?
They have everything that I want in a food: they’re a root vegetable (I otherwise haven’t met a root vegetable I didn’t like), they’re high in sugar, they’re versatile, they’re nutrient dense (1/3 of your RDI of folate in just 1 cup!), and high in fibre. What’s not to love? … oh yeah. The taste. That terrible taste that some may eloquently call “earthy” but I would call “dirty”.
I’ve tried eating them so many ways. I’ve tried them in boiled, pickled, raw, roasted, juiced, and in smoothies.
On the weekend I found golden beets at Zehrs and said to myself “These. I’m going to like these.” and I promptly brought tossed them in my cart. This week I cooked them up and, naturally, I did not like them. So I think it’s time to throw in the towel and concede defeat to the dirty beet.
If you do happen to like beets, here’s a recipe to try:
Beets with Quinoa and Steamed Greens
Ingredients:
- 4 small golden beets
- 2 medium red beets
- Beet greens
- 1/2 of a large red onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 c. cooked quinoa
- Salt and pepper to taste
- toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F
Remove the greens from the beets and reserve. Peel and cube the beets.
Put beets and sliced onion into a baking dish and toss with 1tbsp of olive oil, the maple syrup, salt and pepper. Roast uncovered in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until beets are tender.
While the beets roast, wash the beet greens and place them in a large pot with about 1” of water at the bottom. Bring the water to a boil and steam the greens until wilted. Drain and add the remainder of the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve beets and greens over a bed of warm, cooked quinoa. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy (or not, depending on your palate for beets)
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- e-mail: samanthaamenzies@gmail.com
- Samantha Menzies is an opinionated young firecracker who just happens to enjoy distracting web surfers with chronicles of her mildly entertaining daily pursuits.
Maybe I inherited enough of the beet gene for the both of us…cause I love ‘em, always have. Tackling parsley should be next on your to do list…
Good for you for trying food you previously hated! Not a lot of people are willing to do that, and now your food repetiore has expanded greatly
However, when there’s a food you don’t like, sometimes you just don’t like it. Take celery – you will never get me to eat it raw, no matter how you cajole me 
Have you ever tried roasted, pureed beets in baked good in place of oil? I find that they don’t taste earthy then.
That almost looks too good to be so easy! simple ingredients too. Good recipe.
I’m definitely the same way. I hate broccoli, but I’m starting to like it — slowly. And spinach. Josh thinks it’s bizarre, but I only do it with things that are super good for me. I don’t like cauliflower, but I figure it doesn’t matter much anyway.
I DO like beets though. I admit I go a little crazy whenever I see them at the farmer’s market. I liked them pureed and used as a pasta sauce, or roasted with a smudge of goat cheese. I’ve also used them in homemade veggie burgers with some success.
My food like that is blueberries. I hate them. With a passion! My friends make fun of me if there are blueberries around, I get totally squeemish. It is the weirdest food not to like!
I love beets though, and this recipe looks great! Don’t feel bad for not liking them, everyone has something, and give yourself props for at least trying them again! I will say I try a blueberry once a year. And yes, I still don’t like them
I tried beets for the first time recently when they were offered at a salad bar and I wanted to load my plate down with every single visible vegetable. After one bite, the beets went into my napkin.
Major veggie love but NOT those.
Okay, these look awesome. Your photography is really great here too! Thanks for pointing me this way
I love beets, but the one veggie I can’t like is mushrooms. I try and try, but no dice! This recipe looks delish
I too like beets, but can’t handle cucumbers. I can’t even handle the smell.
Haha, I can so relate to wanting to teach myself to like foods. There are very few things that I dislike, so when I find one I always give it a few tries before ruling it out.
Even though you weren’t pleased with the beets, your recipe looks outstanding! Gorgeous and delicious. I would love it!!
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm we got the beet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yummy recipe girl!!!!!!!!!!!!
have a great weekend !!!!!!!!!!!! xoxo
I do the same thing! I don’t like quinoa (still don’t…), but I keep trying out new ways of making it because I am sure there’s a winner out there! I like pretty much all foods, too…so I’m hopefully with my quinoa! Great work with the beets, girlie! Have a great weekend!
yikes…i’m scared to try beets (i have some in the fridge at home) because i hear so many mixed emotions! maybe i’ll try this recipe and it’ll be a winner for me…
I don’t try to like everything. If I try it and I like it great and if not oh well. I never tried brocolli or cauliflower before 3 years ago based solely on looks. Well now I love them and eat them all the time..even raw.
Don’t beet yourself up over one item you can’t stomach.
Wow, you made beets looks good on that pic!
I love beets, but unfortunately don’t eat them often enough.
[...] reading both Em’s and Samantha’s posts about loving foods now that they previously hated. I started thinking about how [...]
I love beets!!! They are one of my most fave veggies
That 24, 24, 24 dinner was quite a bit of work … but I have done dinner parties like it before so I have become good at managing my time throughout the day to make sure everything is ready when it is supposed to be.