Add color to your Easter with these beet recipes

Add spring color to your Easter weekend with two delicious and nutritious recipes!  Hy-Vee Savage Registered Dietitian Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD will show you how to incorporate beets into your diet including a satisfying breakfast smoothie and a delicious yet simple beet salad to share with your family.  

To help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, your Hy-Vee dietitian offers a variety of health services including store nutrition tours and the 10-week Begin™ program. 

For additional information, reach out to your local Hy-Vee dietitian. 

For more recipes, visit www.hy-vee.com or “Like” them on Facebook Hy-Vee Savage.

Recipe #1: 

Beet – Banana – Blueberry Smoothie

All you need: 

1 banana, peeled

6 oz. blueberries

1 medium beet, cooked and peeled

1 scoop Vega Vanilla Protein and Greens (or your favorite protein powder)

1 cup milk

1 – 2 tbsp. honey or agave nectar

Ice

All you do: 

1. Blend all ingredients together until desired consistency is reached.
2. Pour into a cup and enjoy!

All you need: 

6 – 8 medium beets, roasted and peeled

4 – 4.5 oz. of arugula

4 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup toasted almonds, sliced or slivered

Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Juice from 1 large orange (Cara Cara or Navel)

• Tip: Add the zest as well for stronger citrus flavor

Salt and Pepper to taste

All you do: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Scrub beets under running water and remove beet greens and stems.
3. 
   
   • You can eat beet greens raw and add them to the salad or wilt them with olive oil, salt and pepper in a skillet and use as an additional side dish.
4. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and add 1 – 2 tbsp. of olive oil or butter if preferred. Set tin foil pouches on baking sheet.
5. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. Test if they are done by inserting a small, sharp knife into the middle to test tenderness.
6. Unwrap the beets and set them aside for at least 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel beets using a spoon or small knife.
7. 
   
   • Tip: Set a piece of parchment paper over your cutting board to avoid the color bleeding into your cutting board or onto the counter.
8. While beets are cooling whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice and zest (if desired), salt and pepper.
9. While the beets are still warm thinly slice them into rounds or halve and cut into wedges. As you are slicing toss the slices/wedges into half of the dressing mixture (warm beets will absorb more of the flavor from the dressing).
10. Wash the arugula greens and place onto large serving platter. Arrange the beets, almonds and goat cheese on top and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Tip: To toast almond slices or slivers, place in a 350 degree F oven for 9 – 11 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden.