4 Beautiful Beetroot Recipes

Over the past week I've shared with you four delicious, beautiful beetroot recipes, including both sweet and savory delights.

The week started on "Meatless Monday" with a nourishing Beetroot, Coconut and Tofu Risotto.

I fed the risotto to Mr 21 months as part of an inviting Muffin Tin Meal, which is a brilliant method of introducing new foods to a fussy eater.

Next we had Beetroot and Lamb Burgers, the beetroot really brought out the sweet notes of the lamb and has been dubbed "The Best Burgers EVER" by Mr Yummy!

Moving onto the sweeter side, these Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins were a hit with the kids. They elicited a slew of "Yummy's" and "Mmmmmmm's" from my fussy Mr 3.

And finally, I shared a recipe for luminously pink Mini Beetroot Pancakes. They were tummy, though the color says it all really!

As you can see, these Beetroot Recipes celebrate the vegetable's versatility and may just introduce your kids, and maybe even you, to a new flavor. 

Mini Beetroot Pancakes

Last week's Sweet Potato Pancakes were such a success, I thought I'd tweak the recipe to include Beetroot Mini Pancakes in this week's Beetroot Cooking Adventures. These Beetroot Mini Pancakes weren't quite as refined looking - but they makes up for their rustic look with a glorious bright color and delicious flavor.

 

As mentioned in the recipes from earlier in the week for Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins, Beetroot and Lamb Burgers and Beetroot, Coconut and Tofu Risotto, when peeling and grating Beetroot, make sure you have wear disposable gloves to avoid staining your hands and fingers.  

Beetroot Mini Pancakes
100g Beetroot, finely grated
1/2 Cup Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs
Oil, for frying

1. Combine together all ingredients (except oil) and whisk together until thick and smooth.
2. Place batter in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan. When hot, drop a tablespoonful of batter for each pancake.
4. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip the pancake over and cook the other side.
5. You may need to cook the pancakes in batches.
6. Once all are cooked serve with honey, cream cheese or a little homemade jam.

Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins

Earlier in the week I did promise you another Beetroot Recipe. It's taken me a couple of attempts to get this recipe just right, so it's taken an extra few days to bring the Beetroot Recipe to you. I've come to the conclusion that equal volumes of chocolate and beetroot (as opposed to more beetroot than chocolate or vice-versa) is the perfect recipe for Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins. I can now confidently share this delicious recipe with you, knowing that the results are even fussy-eater approved.

The melted chocolate really masks the beetroot, so it's just the deep color which gives some clue that there is a secret ingredient hidden within. I'm not condoning deceiving your children though, I do believe it's important to teach them to openly eat their fruit and vegetables - and Mr 3 knowingly will eat raw carrots each and every day. He simply turns his nose up at other vegetables and refuses to (knowingly) put most other vegetables to his lips.  It doesn't stop me trying. While experimenting with vegetables I show them to him raw and we chat about where they grow and why they are good for you. (still doesn't mean he'll eat them, but I like to educate!)

That's where muffins like these Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins and my Bran & Sweet Potato Muffins from last week come in handy. The muffins mean that as part of his daily snack, he's consuming vegetables containing a wider variety of nutrients thank he normally would.

As mentioned in the recipes for Beetroot and Lamb Burgers and Beetroot, Coconut and Tofu Risotto, when peeling and grating Beetroot, make sure you have your disposable gloves on. I have forgotten, well, been lazy, a couple of times during my Beetroot experimentation and have paid the consequences with pink-stained fingers!

Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
100g Beetroot, peeled and finely grated
100g Chocolate, Melted
1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Milk
1 and 3/4 Cups Self Raising Flour

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners. 
2. In  large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the beetroot, chocolate, oil and milk.
4. Pour the Beetroot and Chocolate Mixture over the Eggs and beat until combined.
5. Sift the flour over the Beetroot and Chocolate Mixture and quickly fold through until just combined.
6. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin liners and place in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm. 
7. Serve spread with a little Homemade Jam or Cream Cheese. 

The testing and re-testing for this recipe resulted in an abundance of Beetroot in my kitchen, so I ended up experimenting with other Beetroot Recipes. Stay tuned to discover the next Beetroot installment.  

"Beetroot and Chocolate Muffins bring kids closer to eating a daily rainbow of vegetables." (<–Tweet This)

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Bento Lunchbox - Egg Mold Tutorial

It can sometimes be a little tricky to convince the kids to eat hard boiled eggs. That's where these cute egg mold's come in and bring a boring looking egg to life, and usually end up being eaten.

Here is the fish egg mold that I used, they come in a set of two:


To use your egg mold, first you need to hard boil some eggs. Ideally the egg should still be warm when you mold it, it is more pliable the warmer it is.

Here is a close up of the mold, open and ready for the egg, you can see how much detail is in the grooves that become the shape of the molded egg.

Place a few drops of water around the inside of the mold, to prevent the egg sticking and then pop the egg inside the mold.

Shut the egg mold and close tightly. You may find a little of the white squeezes out of the edges, this is ok, you can clean it up later.

Place the egg mold in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. If you find that your little fish floats, then just weigh it down with a spoon.

After 10 minutes, remove your egg mold from the water and carefully open the mold to reveal your eggy fish (or is that a fishy egg?!)

Simply use a sharp knife to clean up any messy edges.

I served this egg in a Bento Lunch for Mr 21 months with peas in Star Molds with Silly Faces Food Picks, pasta and apple, cut into Cute Bears.

Now that you know how to make an egg mold, you can make your kids a fish, car, rabbit, bear, star or heart shaped hard boiled egg:

Disclosure - this post contains affiliate links.

Chocolate Dipped Fruit - Wordless Wednesday

It was my Wedding Anniversary a few days ago. As a surprise for my Husband, I made him these little Eiffel Towers of Orange Rockmelon/Cantaloupe and Watermelon and then dipped the spires in melted dark chocolate. He proposed to me in front of the Eiffel Tower (yes, a cliche, I know!) so the structure holds special meaning for our relationship. Of course Chocolate & a Sweet Fruit are a delectable combination, so the surprise was a much enjoyed treat.

Why not try dipping fruit in a little antioxidant rich dark chocolate? May encourage the kids to try new and unusual fruit varieties!

See what others are up to this Wordless Wednesday.

Beetroot and Lamb Burgers

Today's Beetroot and Lamb Burgers couldn't be further from yesterday's Beetroot Recipe of a Meatless Beetroot, Coconut and Tofu Risotto. Vegetarians - sorry, it's best you look away now!

Beetroot are packed full of nutritional goodness, so these burgers are an excellent way to include the vegetable in your children's diet, particularly if they aren't too keen on vegetables usually.

These Beetroot and Lamb Burgers are deeply rich in both color and flavor. They are the most amazing fuchsia pink color when they are formed into burgers and standing together on their tray waiting to be cooked.

The beetroot used in this recipe were roasted in a 180°C oven for 45 minutes, so they were perfectly tender for using in the burgers.  As mentioned in yesterday's recipe - when peeling and chopping beetroot, it's best to wear kitchen gloves to avoid staining your fingers.

I like to mix my own breadcrumbs by placing stale crusts into the food processor and mixing them to a fine crumb. I store the breadcrumbs in the freezer in a bag to use when needed - they last really well stored in this way. 

Beetroot and Lamb Burgers
2 Beetroot, roasted, peeled and grated
500g Lamb Mince
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Oil, for frying
Rosemary

1. Wearing gloves, use your hands to combine the beetroot, mince, egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning (to taste) really well, in a large bowl.
2. Form the mixture into patties and place onto a baking tray lined with foil or a large plate.
3. Place the burgers into the fridge for at least half an hour to set.
4. When ready, heat a little oil in a large frying pan. When the pan is hot, fry the burger patties, sprinkling over a little rosemary as you go.  
5. Cook the burgers until browned on both sides and cooked through.
6. Serve in a burger bun or sandwiched in some grainy bread. 

Makes 8 Beetroot and Lamb Burgers

Tuna and Sweet Potato Burgers

Today is the final day of The Sweet Potato Recipes Adventure. Over the course of this week, I've share Sweet Potato Recipes using part of a kilo of Sweet Potato Mash in Sweet Potato French Toast, Bran & Sweet Potato Muffins and Sweet Potato Pancakes.The recipe which included the bulk of Sweet Potato Mash is today's Tuna and Sweet Potato Burgers.

Tuna, Sweet Potato and Sweetcorn are a delicious combination - meaning these burgers are irresistible - even for fussy eaters!   

They are so simple to prepare. You just mix the Tuna and Sweet Potato together...

Add sweetcorn, egg and seasoning...

Form into patties - I made mostly regular sized for the adults and a few smaller ones for the kids.

Then you place them in the fridge to set.

Once set, pop in a preheated oven to cook to a nice golden color.

Leftovers are AMAZING sandwiched between two slices of Multi-grain bread and toasted with cheese.

I served a couple of Tuna and Sweet Potato Burgers for lunch for Mr 20 months, along with some nutritious vegetables and presented in a cute Bento Lunch Box, complete with a selection of Animal Food Picks. He loved the burgers and kept asking for "more,more"! Just what a Mother wants!

Tuna and Sweet Potato Burgers
1 Large (425g) Tin Tuna
2 Cups Sweet Potato Mash
1 Cup Sweetcorn
1 Egg, beaten
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. Line a baking tray with Aluminum Foil and lightly grease it so the burgers don't stick.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potato mash and tuna. Add the sweetcorn, egg and seasoning.
3. Form the mixture into burger patties and then place them onto the lined baking tray.
4. Place the tray into the fridge for at least half an hour so the burgers firm up and set. The setting time reduces the risk of the burgers crumbling when cooked.
5. Once the burgers have had their fridge time, preheat the oven to 180°C and place the burgers in the oven when the oven has reached the temperature.
6. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from the oven, turn the burgers over and return to the oven for another 15 minutes to brown the other side. The burgers are cooked when both sides are golden brown.
7. Serve in a burger bun with fresh lettuce and tomato, in a bento lunchbox or a toasted sandwich, as shown above.

If you'd like to add some cute Animal Picks to your collection, you can find them here:

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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Today is day 3 of the Sweet Potato Adventure. So far, I've used part of a kilo of Sweet Potato Mash in Sweet Potato French Toast and Bran & Sweet Potato Muffins. The third recipe I prepared using the Sweet Potato Mash was Sweet Potato Pancakes.

The Sweet Potato Pancakes were included in lunch for Mr 20 Months, and Hubby & I indulged in the rest. Mr 20 months had his without any topping, and Hubby & I had some with honey and the rest with jam. I prefer the jam myself! 

It's a really quick batter to throw together, you could whisk up the batter in the evening and then fry them up and serve the pancakes for breakfast. Fittingly, the Sweet Potato Pancake batter looks like a glowing sun with a soft orange hue - the perfect sight to wake up to!

Sweet Potato Pancakes
1/2 Cup Sweet Potato Mash
2/3 Cup Plain Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 Cup Milk
Oil, for frying

1. In a bowl, beat together all of the ingredients (except the oil) to form a smooth batter.
2. Place the batter in the fridge for at least half an hour to achieve the fluffiest pancakes.
3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and when hot, drop tablespoons of the batter into the pan.
4. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip the pancakes over and brown the other side.
5. When browned on both sides, remove to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
6. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
7. Serve as is or with a drizzle of honey or spread with a little jam.

Makes about 12 Small Sweet Potato Pancakes

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