BEETS.
Not the favorite veggie of many folk.
Roasted Beets
I debated about sharing this dish.
Why?
- I can count on one hand the number of people I know who like beets (and not use all 5 fingers).
- I normally share recipes I think a number of folk I personally know would enjoy actually trying (and this ain’t one of them).
- It will probably turn a few heads, and not in an, “I must try that!” kind of way.
Why, then, am I sharing it?
- I love beets (when I began researching digestive problems, it seems everywhere I turned I read about the benefits of beets).
- I love eggs. (That’s right, beets and eggs).
- This was the best post-run-recovery breakfast I’ve ever eaten.
It also gives me a chance to mention both:
I am a Facebook follower of Johnson’s Backyard Garden. Yesterday, they posted a link to this recipe for Almond & Beet Pancakes by Sprout & Pea. I had just roasted 4 beets purchased from Johnson’s Backyard Garden at Saturday’s farmers market, and hadn’t yet decided what I was going to make with them. They posted a link, my dilemma was solved.
My pancakes turned out thicker than those made by Sprout & Pea. I substituted a few ingredients because I didn’t have almond flour, almond milk, or agave on hand. Instead, I used whole wheat pastry flour, light vanilla soy milk, and brown sugar. Instead of pureeing the beets in a food processor, I pureed them with additional soy milk in a blender until smooth and thick.
I taste-tested two for lunch yesterday, drizzling them with butter pecan syrup.
- Impression #1: you can really taste the beets! (That’s a good thing.)
- Impression #2: syrupy toppings are too sweet. (That’s a bad thing.)
I tucked the remaining pancakes into a storage dish and stowed in the refrigerator, happy I liked the pancakes but bummed I didn’t like the topping. Another dilemma.
Fast forward to this morning. Just as I was about to come to the finish of my morning jog, I boldly turned around and started jogging it again, reversing my route and therefore, doubling my normal jog. Longest distance I’ve jogged in 5 years! (That’s a good thing.)
Not long after, I was starving! (That’s a bad thing.)
I instinctively reached for my favorite post-run food, dreaming of a golden pool of rich yummy goodness . . .
On top of a beet pancake?
That could work.
And it did!
Sometimes, I think I could eat anything so long as it’s smothered with a river of egg yolk.
Rich and savory, I was in heaven!
Since I’m not a nutritionist, I won’t begin to tout the health benefits because, well, I’m not really qualified to. But for me, I know when I feel physically weak (like after an intense workout), nothing makes my body feel stronger than an egg. I know it’s easier for my weakened digestive system to process an egg than a host of other protein sources. I know when I eat an egg combined with a source of whole grain, my body feels stable and nourished instead of jarringly shocked like it does if I eat carbs without balancing them with enough protein. I know when I eat beets as well as items with whole wheat flour, I’m happier because my dysfunctional digestive system is suddenly functioning like a normal person’s.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For folks with malfunctioning digestive systems like me, it can be the most debilitating meal of the day. If I eat the wrong thing that upsets the balance of my ultra-sensitive digestive system, it can take the rest of the day to heal from the crazy-painful, debilitating backlash my body reaps.
This meal was the perfect combination of . . . something . . . that made me feel amazingly WELL (and that’s a good thing).
BEET PANCAKES WITH EGG OVER EASY
adapted from this recipe posted by Mardi at Sprout & Pea
Downloadable PDF of Beet Pancakes with Egg Over Easy
- In a 400 degree oven, roast:
- 4 small or 3 medium red beets
- I scrub the beets, place them on a sheet of foil, spritz with a tad of olive oil, and wrap the foil into a packet, enclosing the beets, then place the foil packet in a baking dish
- Roast for 30 – 40 minutes, or until beets are tender
- Set aside to let cool
- Peel beets and roughly chop into large pieces
- Place chopped beets in a blender and puree, adding soy milk (or milk of choice) as needed, until a smooth, thick puree forms
- In a large mixing bowl, add:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup soy milk (or milk of choice)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Mix well, then add beet puree
- If batter is too thick to pour, add additional soy milk to thin
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium to medium-low heat
- Once heated, pour batter by 1/4 to 1/3 – cups-full and cook for just a minute or two
- Once bubbles begin to form on top, flip pancake and cook for another minute or two, until cooked through
- Remove and keep warm
- Repeat with remaining batter
- Heat another skillet coated lightly with cooking spray over medium-low heat
- Add one egg to skillet, cover, and let cook until white is cooked through but yolk is still soft
- Top one beet pancake with egg, season with fresh cracked black pepper, and serve
- Other topping choices: syrup, honey, fruit, nuts
I promise, the next post will involve something normal, like chicken.
~Ingredients to nourish the body put together in ways to nourish the soul to share with family and friends to nourish the heart~
Read Full Post »
