Beetroot

We substitute chia/water for egg.

I often use aqua fava when making falafel but chia seed/water sounds good because I guess it would be quite gluey.

Thanks for the tip.

Pickled beetroot in a white bread sandwich is my post Christmas treat - we only buy pickled beetroot at Christmas but fresh beetroot as often as we can. Thanks for the falafel recipe merlotgran.

I love beetroot, unfortunately, school dinners put DH off it for life. It was supplied boiled with stew and he would be kept in the dining room all through the lunch play time, until he ate it.

merlotgran

Beetroot Falafel

500g raw beetroot, peeled and grated.
1 tbspn olive oil.
2 onions - chopped.
1 tin chickpeas.
1 tin Borlotti beans
1 tbspn tahini paste.
100g fresh breadcrumbs.
2 tspns ground cumin.
1 tspn ground coriander.
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper.
1 tspn dried parsley.
1 egg.

Fry chopped onions - soft not coloured.
Add spices.
Place in food processor with drained chickpeas, beans, 2/3 of grated beetroot, breadcrumbs, parsley, beaten egg and tahini. Whizz to rough paste, stir in remaining beetroot, season.
Shape into balls - approx 20, chill. Brush with oil and bake on parchment 200C 20-25 mins or fry in wok in batches.

Thank you. We make falafel often, and have never added beetroot. We substitute chia/water for egg.

Here is the link to Michael Mosley's programme in text form.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5lW3wSs4pzs08Td7QyZqkb6/can-eating-beetroot-help-you-run-faster

NotSpaghetti beetroots are full of nitrAtes, not nitrItes. 'A' are good. 'I' s are not, at least, as I understand it.

A cheese and pickled beetroot sarnie, mmmmmn.

I luuuurve pickled beetroot and also the cooked vacuum packed beetroot😍

It's in our shops the bigger supermarkets Sainsbury's Tesco.

Cant find any raw beetroot in any of the supermarkets. Is it out of season?

Beetroot is eaten in every form possible in my house I do grow it but it’s not great my DD grows fabulous beetroots. We eat the leaves too I often make a batch of borscht latkes to freeze and veggie balls to go with pasta. I make a gorgeous tart tatin with beetroot a River Cottage recipe.

Beetroot is lovely in an omelette and grated in to salads. I make a curry and chutney and houmous with beetroot it is delicious especially homemade you know exactly what’s in it. It’s something I pickle a lot it’s lovely with an oily fish like mackerel and a plate of Scouse.

My DH grows it in the garden. I love it when it's fresh. It can go a bit rubbery after a while though. Can't believe it's not good for you. However if the nitrate content is high perhaps it's not. Who knows?

I use the same recipe to make burgers for the freezer swapping the tahini paste for peanut butter and oats instead of breadcrumbs.

Thank you very much merlotgran

Beetroot Falafel

500g raw beetroot, peeled and grated.
1 tbspn olive oil.
2 onions - chopped.
1 tin chickpeas.
1 tin Borlotti beans
1 tbspn tahini paste.
100g fresh breadcrumbs.
2 tspns ground cumin.
1 tspn ground coriander.
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper.
1 tspn dried parsley.
1 egg.

Fry chopped onions - soft not coloured.
Add spices.
Place in food processor with drained chickpeas, beans, 2/3 of grated beetroot, breadcrumbs, parsley, beaten egg and tahini. Whizz to rough paste, stir in remaining beetroot, season.
Shape into balls - approx 20, chill. Brush with oil and bake on parchment 200C 20-25 mins or fry in wok in batches.

Sarah75

Article on the benefits and dangers of nitrates and nitrites here - www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful

A helpful article. It seems to imply that nitrates in vegetables are a positive, and inhibit the growth of cancer. But nitrates in processed meat are carcinogenic.

Poppyred

merlotgran

One of my all time favourites is home made beetroot falafel.

The same mix can be shaped into burgers and frozen.

Can you share your recipe please?

👍 Thank you.

I’ll look it out tomorrow, Poppyred

Article on the benefits and dangers of nitrates and nitrites here - www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful

merlotgran

One of my all time favourites is home made beetroot falafel.

The same mix can be shaped into burgers and frozen.

Can you share your recipe please?

When I looked up problems with beetroot, it mentioned nitrites, the same as the reason that put me off using gravy granules.
Now I’m puzzled.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016ppn

I drink a glass of beetroot juice daily (approx 150-200ml) to control blood pressure, and this helps me to reduce BP medications (which have lots of side effects).

It seems the best way to control nitrates is to have the beetroot juice fresh (ie no longer than 4-5 days in fridge once opened) which helps keep the vitamin C level high and the nitrate level low: f1000research.com/articles/7-1899

I really dislike the taste of beetroot and add in a splash of cranberry juice to mask the flavour.

When I was young I hated parsnips but I think they are a great now. Very expensive here, they mustn’t grow well in our climate.

Hate it...just saying and parsnips.

I like it roasted with roast potatoes and pumpkin. Also used to like it when they included it with a MacOz but I don’t think they have them anymore. That was the only one I liked.