In the past week I've had a slight obsession with cooking beetroot. Just counting off the top of my head, since Tuesday I've managed 5 meals with it (of 2 variations). Tuesday I made some roasted beetroot, cauliflower and coriander fritters (not as crispy as I'd like, but still a nice new addition to my favourite food group - the "fried fritter"). This served as a hearty side dish for (count: three nights). Then Friday - in preparation for the snow I whipped up a beetroot puree and used it as a base added to some home-made pizza dough...and then topped that off with feta, caramelised onions, grilled chicken and broccoli (count: two nights).
That leaves me to an hour ago - about to head downstairs to the gym I did a quick scurry of my fridge to grab anything "past date" to throw in the trash. That's when I noticed two lonely little beets that had rolled into the back of the fridge. Sad and with only each other for company - I thought I'd take them out to see if they were in any state for a good scrubbing or if in fact - they were destined for the basement bins.
After giving them a wash and a little squeeze I thought they had just enough life in them left - but what to do?
For one I just peeled and cut into pieces for a bit of roasting alongside my baked sweet potato fries I'd scheduled for tonight's pre-Superbowl festivities. But the other? This is where things got exciting...
I'd been meaning to use up some dried figs this weekend and figured that what better place than a "healthy" cookie. Packed with oats (dietary fibre - YAY!), dates (potassium - BOOYAH!), and dark chocolate (an antioxidant POWERHOUSE I say!) I thought that certainly that would balance out the minimal requirements of butter and sugar. First things first though...was that above mentioned trip to the gym. That is of course - until I got distracted by that lone last beetroot. Cunning fellow. Can you see why I love him so much? He artfully manipulates me baking cookies over a visit to the elliptical machine.
Inspired by the last beetroot I decided to whip up these SUPERFOOD cookies (have I convinced you yet?) and set to the task at hand. After creaming the butter and sugars (brown and granulated), I went to town healthifying these guys up. In went the fibre, the potassium, and the antioxidant POWERHOUSE... clearly you can see where this is going?
I used that last little beet and grated it up and added it to the cookie dough mixture (IRON, VITAMINS A, B6, C, FOLIC ACID, more FIBRE!). So what that my countertop looked like the forensic site of a mass murder? All in the name of health!
And let's be serious. The best bit? My cookies are PINK!
I can't believe this website exists, but I love it. Just a little sad I didn't come up with it first: http://www.lovebeetroot.co.uk/
