Roasted Beets

Beets are very high in betanins, proven to reduce inflammation and growth of cancer cells. Sound healthy, huh? That's because they are. They're also quite expensive to buy at the grocery store during most times of the year. This time of year, Jacob's parents are harvesting beets and they start showing up in all the farmers markets for cheap.

While canned and pickled beets are good, I prefer roasted beets drizzled with some olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and either fresh herbs or bleu cheese.

I start with fresh beets. Give them a nice wash, trim the stems, and wrap them each in a small piece of aluminum foil.

Toss them all in a baking pan, and roast in a hot oven.

Once they come out of the oven, I let them sit so the skins can soften. Once they sit for a while the skins will peel off easily using your hands. Hope you don't mind a pink tint to your finger for a day or so. If you do mind, wear gloves.

Once the beets are peeled, slice them as you please and add your desired seasonings! 

The seasoning of choice this time around was fresh basil. If we had bleu cheese, it would have gone on there as well.

Beets keep very well in the fridge and are just as good cold as they are warm. I often make a large batch and eat them over several days. 

Roasted Beets Recipe:

- 5 medium sized beets

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp cracked pepper

- fresh basil (optional)

- 2 tbsp crumbled bleu cheese (optional)

Directions:

- Wash beets, trim and discard or set the greens aside.

- Wrap each beet in a small piece of aluminum foil

- Place all beets in a baking dish

- Bake for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees or until tender when you poke them with a fork.

- Take the beets out of the oven and let them cool for 20-30 minutes or until cool to the touch.

- Peel the skins off using your hands.

- Slice the beets, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.

- Add fresh basil leaves and/or bleu cheese as desired.

Caprese Pizza Bread

There aren't many things more delicious than a freshly prepared caprese (pronounced "ka-prey-say") salad - vine ripened tomato topped with a big slice of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh basil, and sea salt. I had this craving for a fresh summer meal a few nights ago, but wanted a warmed version that was a little more substantial than the typical caprese salad.

So, I took a nice loaf of fresh bread, sliced it in half, and topped each side with all the typical caprese salad ingredients (replacing the fresh basil for basil pesto). Then, I tossed it in the oven so the mozzarella could melt and the bread could get all toasty and crisp. 

The end result?

Served with a big green salad and a nice glass of red wine - it almost felt like summer!

Caprese Pizza Bread Recipe

- 1 loaf french bread

- 1 large vine ripened or heirloom tomato (I got an heirloom from the grocery store and it was surprisingly good, for a winter tomato)

- 1/4 cup basil pesto

- 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella

- A generous drizzle of olive oil

- A few pinches of sea salt (regular salt would work fine)

- Fresh or dried basil for garnish

Directions:

- Slice the loaf of bread long ways and divide into desired sized sections.

- Place bread pieces open side up onto a cookie sheet or into a baking dish.

- Spread pesto on bread pieces and top with thick slices of tomato and mozzarella.

- Sprinkle with sea salt.

- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy on the bottom.

- Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh or dried basil for garnish.