This post is a part of Real Food Wednesdays hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
In Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon recommends baking beets instead of boiling them because nutrients are lost into the water during boiling. I prefer boiling beets because it is simpler and I have developed a way to boil them which prevents nutrient loss.
They key is to cook the beets with rice. Chop the beets up into pieces and put them along with the rice into the stock or water. All the nutrients which come out of the beets are absorbed into the rice. This has the added benefit of making your dish a colorful purplish red and giving it far more flavor than regular rice.
Feel free to add additional vegetables and chunks of meat. I personally recommend sauteed onions, sauteed garlic, and carrots.
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That’s a great idea! I’m going to suggest this to my sister, who is looking for creative, colorful ways to serve food to her kids (hopefully they’ll get so distracted by the color that they’ll eat it!).
I’ve only boiled beets once or twice before, but I remember they took a very long time to prepare. Rice only takes about 30-40 minutes – is this a problem? Do they cook a lot faster because they’re cut so small?
Thanks!
I don’t normally boil beets for longer than 30 to 40 minutes (I don’t think at least, I don’t usually time it). I think boiling time depends on how crunchy/soft you want them.
I thought the beets were just fine when I was done cooking the rice. Having the beets cut up finer before hand does reduce the time needed for cooking. When you are boiling a whole beet the outside is finished long before the inside.
How clever!
What a great idea Ben! Do you use basmati or brown rice?
Hey Lindsay,
I use brown rice. I’ve always thought that brown rice was healthier if it has a long soaking.
Do you recommend basmati rice? I know a lot of international students who use it, but I had always assumed brown rice was better.