Autumn is upon us and root veg is in abundance once again. It seems as though Beetroot is back on the menu in a big way. Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of Beetroot. I don't see the point of the pickled variety you get in tins or vacuum packs - it's too sour and the weird metallic aftertaste puts me off. I tried putting them into a yogurt dip once but the resulting pinkish peptobismal like colour and chunky texture made me feel ill. The messiness from the colour they leech out often puts me off handling them, even for a Sunday roast. In fact the only reason I got them from the supermarket recently is because I also happened to have some disposable gloves at home!
I am however fascinated by their colour and nutritional benefits. Beetroot is said to contain betalain which is an antioxidant & anti-inflammatory. It apparently supports detoxification in the body. Beetroots also contain potassium, folates, B vitamins,Vit A & C. Apart from being low in calories and they help reduce homocysteine levels which protects against coronary artery disease & strokes. They help reduce cholesterol and are thought to be anti-aging. So all in all pretty good for you and I have found a way to incorporate it into my diet without being put off! Beetroot Brownies! Treats that are nutritious and delicious.
This recipe was passed on to me from a good friend, who in turn got it from the BBC Good food website courtesy of a lady called Jane Hornby. I have tweaked it slightly in my attempts and the results have been delicious. Luckily you can't really taste the beetroot and the brownies are rich and moist.
Ingredients:
4-5 Beetroot: Peeled, Cut into chunks
3 Eggs
200g of Dark cooking chocolate
125g of Unsalted butter
125g of Self raising flour
1 teaspoon of Baking powder
50g of Cocoa
250g of Caster sugar
Few drops of Vanilla extract
Equipment:
Disposable gloves x 1 pair
Weighing machine
Food Processor
Electric Hand whisk
Microwave
3 bowls
Spatula
Sieve
Method:
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease & line a baking tray. Get all your ingredients ready and sift the flour and cocoa and baking powder into a bowl.
1. Wear gloves and peel and chop the beetroot into chunks. Place in a bowl with a splash of water and cover with cling film before microwaving at full blast for 12 minutes.
** Be very very careful when you remove the cling film after the beetroot is cooked, so that you don't steam your fingers as that can be very painful indeed [ I learnt the hard way!]
2. While the beetroot is cooking, put the butter and the chocolate into the food processor.
3. Drain the cooked beetroot carefully in the sink and then pop into the food processor and blend well. The heat from the beetroot will melt the butter and chocolate as it mixes.
4. Using the electric whisk, mix the eggs and the sugar until pale and fluffy.
5. Add the beetroot mix into the eggs and stir. It doesn't look very pretty at this stage but it will turn out right in the end - promise!
6. Fold in the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder.
7. Once the batter is mixed, pour into the baking tray. Reduce the oven to 180 degrees and pop the tray into the middle shelf of the oven for 30min.
Allow to cool before cutting into squares and serve with .. well whatever you like... tea/coffee/ice cream.
