Healthy Recipes:
Roasted Beets with Garlic
By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Beets are sometimes an overlooked vegetable, but I like to cook a batch and keep them on hand to use in salads or for quick colorful side dishes. Roasting brings out the sweetness and the coconut oil and garlic complement their flavor.

Time to table: 60 minutes
Serves: 4

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Good source of folate, manganese

Ingredients*
6 raw beets, stems and greens removed
2 T. coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

*Choose organic ingredients for optimal nutrition

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. A counter top convection oven works great to speed the cooking, but a standard oven will work just fine. Scrub beets with a vegetable brush (do not peel) and set aside. If the beets are large, you can cut them in half to speed cooking time. Put coconut oil in a 9 X 9 baking pan and place in preheated oven until it melts. Remove pan from oven and add beets and garlic. Stir well to coat beets with coconut oil and garlic. Bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

When done, remove from oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, gently peel skin off of the beets. Serve immediately as a side dish or refrigerate until ready to use in a salad or other recipe. For a simple salad, add beets to arugula and sliced red onions and serve with a balsamic dressing. Or chop beets into bite sized pieces and toss with olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Nutrition
96 calories, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 5 g sugars, 2 g fiber, 3 mg vitamin C, 60 mcg folate, .3 mg manganese

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute.]

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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 03-17-09] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/