Beets for your sweets! Beet hearts for your sweet hearts!
My friends and family are all like, "Holy Smokes McGee! Why is C-money Self posting about Valentine's Day?" Just kidding, only I say Holy Smokes McGee. I do sometimes introduce myself with that moniker though. Sorry.
I'm normally not one to post/talk/blog about love holidays and such, primarily because, well, you know, all of these things. It is what it is, and it isn't going anywhere, so I just ask that you teach your kids (especially the daughters, if I may feed into society a bit) to, you know, be cool about it instead of being insecure about it. And to also EAT BEET CHIPS.
Beet chips are for the beet lover and beet hater alike. And these hearts are pretty fun for Valentine's Day meals. A good way to get beets into a fussy eater's diet? I think so. I actually considered naming this: "How to Inhale 6 Beets." Cause I almost did that. I didn't even like beets before making them into chips last year in Peru. I'm a CONVERT.
YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS HERE.
Option 1: Cut beets with a knife. You're probably only going to get them about ¼-inch thick if that's the way you do it. (Unless you're super skilled!) So you need to cook those babies on about 300 (F) for 45 minutes to an hour. Yup, sorry. Try your darndest to get them all the same size.
Option 2: Thinnest mandoline setting. Details in the recipe below.
They shrink up considerably when cooked, but they're still heart-shaped!
Roasted Beet Chips
Ingredients
- 6 medium-large beets the larger the better
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- optional: ½ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes for spice
Instructions
- Peel beets. Cut off bottom, but keep top attached to use as a handle.
- Slice beets on mandoline to thinnest possible setting (about 1/16th of an inch). *For heart-shape, cut a triangular chunk from the top and slice a smaller chunk from each side near bottom to make a triangle on the bottom, then slice on mandoline. Alternatively, you could slice, then use a cookie cutter to shape into hearts.*
- Add beets to bowl with olive oil, then add salt, pepper, and optional spice. Coat with oil and spices, then place flat on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. (Or use a silpat.)
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes on 350 degrees, checking about every 10 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning. EAT immediately.
Nutrition