Red Velvet Smoothie

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine and taken from Hungry Woman by Pauline Cox (Ebury Press).

This delicious and different beetroot-infused smoothie comes from qualified functional nutritionist Pauline Cox, author of Hungry Woman, a hormone-balancing cookbook for women of all ages. She says: ‘Nitrate rich foods such as beetroot are incredibly important for building nitric oxide, a key compound for increasing blood flow to the skin, vagina and pelvic organs, which optimises cardiovascular health, mental clarity, healing and recovery from injury’.

Ingredients:
5-6 wedges of cold, roasted beetroot
A handful of frozen raspberries
2 tbsp cacao powder
400ml unsweetened nut milk
1 tsp mushroom powder, such as Lion’s Mane (optional)
1 tbsp collagen peptides (optional)
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
Seeds and crushed nuts of your choice, to serve

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a blender and combine until smooth. Finish with some seeds and crushed nuts of your choice on top. (Pecans work well!)

Super Snack Tip : Asma’s Beet Brownies

Recipe taken from Psychologies Magazine (October 2015)

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained (approx. 480g)
80ml melted coconut oil
4 eggs
1 cup cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
4 tblsp beetroot powder
Seeds of one vanilla pod
12 dates
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Step One : Preheat oven to 170oC. Grease the bottom of a 13 1/2 x 8 x 1 inch brownie pan with coconut oil.

Step Two : Add all the ingredients to a large food processor and blend until smooth.

Step Three : Spoon into the pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes until you can see slight cracking on the top, and it is springy to the touch.

Step Four : Leave to cool fully before cutting into squares.

Beetballs

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (April 2019) and taken from Cooking on a Bootstrap by Jack Monroe.

These are based on a beetroot burger recipe from Lee Watson’s vegan recipe book, Peace and Parsnips. For a gluten-free version, replace the bread with a tablespoon or two of your preferred gluten-free flour.

Makes : 20

Ingredients:
200g dried red lentils
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, finely sliced
150g cooked beetroot (not the kind in vinegar; go for cheaper, vacuum-packed beets), finely diced
2 tblsp oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 tsp cumin or coriander, seeds or ground
1 slice of bread or a pitta
A pinch of salt
1 tblsp lemon juice, fresh or bottled

Step One : Thoroughly rinse the lentils under a cold tap, then pop into a pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil; do not add any salt at this stage or the lentils may ‘seize’ and never soften. Sad, but true. Reduce to a simmer and cook for around 15 minutes, until very soft, swollen and translucent.

Step Two : Meanwhile, put the oil, onion and garlic into a pan. Add the finely diced beetroot and the spice of your choice, and soften over a medium heat, stirring regularly to stop the ingredients from sticking and burning.

Step Three : Skim any scum from the top of the lentils using a spoon, then drain and rinse them thoroughly. Tip into a mixing bowl along with the onion, garlic and beetroot, and mash to a pulp. An ordinary jug blender, or any kind of food processor, will make this job easier, but it’s not essential; a fork or masher and a good dollop of elbow grease will yield a pretty satisfying result, too.

Step Four : When it’s rough pulp, grate the bread into crumbs and mix through, with a pinch of salt and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Cover the mixture and chill it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.

Step Five : When firm to the touch, preheat the oven to 180oC / 350oF / Gas mark 4. Shape the mixture into small balls and place them on a lightly greased baking tray. Drizzle the top of the balls with a little extra oil, or brush each one if you can be bothered, and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, turning over halfway through. Serve immediately.

Other great cookbooks that help you keep an eye on the pennies:-

Beetroot Juice Pancakes

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine, taken from Dirty Vegan by Matt Pritchard.

Beetroot has been proven to boost stamina. These delicious pancakes can provide a much-needed burst of energy. Try them topped with fresh fruit.

beetroot juice pancakes

Makes: 16

Ingredients:-
350g porridge oats
250ml plant-based milk (oat milk)
250ml beetroot juice
2 bananas
1 tsp baking powder
Coconut oil, for frying

To serve:
Blueberries, strawberries or any fruit of your choice
Oat cream
Maple syrup

Step One : Make the batter for these pancakes in a blender. Put the oats into your blender and blitz to a flour-like consistency. Now add the milk and the beetroot juice and blend, then add the bananas and baking powder and blitz again until the mixture resembles pancake batter.

Step Two : Put a frying pan over medium heat and melt 1 tsp of coconut oil in it. Scoop 1 tblsp batter into the pan for each pancake and cook for 2 1/2 minutes on the first side, until slightly golden. Flip and cook for a further 2 minutes on the second side.

Step Three : Once cooked, transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven while you make the remaining pancakes in the same way. Keep adding to the plate, piling them high. Add your favourite fruit, drizzle with the oat cream and maple syrup and serve immediately.