Health Nut Challenge 3:Healing Foods. Beet Greens and Vegetable Soup

"Healing is the act or process of curing or of restoring to health."
Why is good food diet recommended while recovering from a sickness, be it common cold or cancer? because good food heals,rejuvenates,comforts,helps the body regain its strength.

For the third Health Nut Challenge :

1.Cook with any one or more of the following or any other healing foods you know of.Create any meal course - Appetizer,Soup,salad,drink,main entree or dessert.Avoid any such cooking method as deep frying or over cooking that will kill the nutrients in the foods.And use only healthy cooking oils like Extra virgin olive oil,Virgin pressed coconut oil,canola oil or any vegetable oil.
* Acai berries ,goji berries ,blue berries ,Cranberries or any berries.
*Citrus fruits - Oranges,Lemons,Grape fruits etc.
* Apples
* Avocados
* Beets
* Broccoli
* Okra
* Cauliflower
* Mushrooms
* Dark Leafy Greens (Kale,Chard,Collards,Turnip greens,Mustard greens,Beet greens,radish greens,spinach and others)
* Beans,lentils and legumes[Red kidney beans,Soy beans etc]
* Tomatoes
* Whole grains(Barley,Oats,Brown rice,Buckwheat,Quinoa,Freekah or any other)
* Pomegranates
* Figs
* Turkey
* Salmon
* Sweet Potatoes
* Pumpkins and Squashes
* Carrots
* Almonds
* Flax seed
* Sesame Seeds
* Garlic
* Ginger
* Sprouts
* Chili peppers
* Turmeric

2.Write about the healing properties or the health benefits of the food.Also mention the source were you found the information about the food.

3.No limit to the number of entries.Link your post to this announcement page.Mail me the entries to YasmeenHealthnut@gmail.com by January 10 ,2010 with following details :
**Your Name and blog\Website(if you have one)
**Recipe link(Non-bloggers include the complete recipe)
**A Picture of the food(adjust to 300 pixels width)
**Your Location

Beet Greens and Vegetable Soup

For all the beets I eat the beet greens always have to be used.I like them in sambhar or just sauteed with other vegetables.Or a soup like this can be completely healing.

Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup chopped beet greens and stalks
2 cups chopped vegetables[Carrots,broccoli,beans or others]
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,minced
Sea Salt and pepper(freshly ground) as per your taste.
3 cups of water or vegetable broth or chicken broth

Method
In a pot with water or broth bring all the ingredients to a gentle boil,cook for 15-20 minutes until tender.Season with salt and pepper.Serve warm with crusty bread or crackers.

I'm recovering from a bad case of seasonal flu,that also kept me away from blogging for most of the week.Hope to post the round up of the Guilt free snacks by start of next week.So far so good,thanks for all your support and response to the Health Nut Challenges.

The previous Health nut Challenges :
* Well balanced 3 Course Meals
* Guilt-free Snacks

Beet Greens Sambar

It was ridiculously naive of me to have discarded the beautiful Beet greens in the past.Well ,not any more,I've become very fond of this antioxidant rich wonder green.Isn't it strange earlier people ate exclusively the beet greens and not the roots.It's quite the opposite today,many know only the roots as the edible part.

While talking to mom the other day ,She asked me "what's cooking?".I said "Beet greens in dal" and asked her "Ammi does the subzi-wala(Vegetable Vendor) at your place sell beets with or without leaves on?" I was surprised to hear the answer as NO.Listen up subzi walas and others who carelessly throw away the beet greens in trash,you need some enlightenment about these Beet greens.Its next only to spinach,kale and chard in its nutritional value.No fair beet greens don't get just as much promotion as spinach.Beet greens can be used in cooking just as any of your favorite green.It can be sauteed or pureed ,to make a healthy addition to a meal.


Thanks to sweta of Bonne Nutrition,I borrowed her brilliant idea of using the beet greens in my everyday sambar.Sambar is the South Indian spicy lentil soup that goes great with rice.The beet greens should be just as good in any kind of lentil\vegetable stew\soup.Beet Greens Sambar is part of my Beet full meal ideas series.Pleased to be sending this over to Weekend Herb Blogging,hosted this week by Ivy of Kopiaste ...to greek hospitality.

Recipe :Beet Greens Sambar.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Yellow Split Lentil(Toor Dal)
1 cup beet greens with stems,washed and chopped
1 Medium sized Carrot sliced
1 medium Plum Tomato chopped
1 cup green pumpkin or squash or zucchini cut in cubes
1/2 onion or 2 shallots
1 big Clove of Garlic
1/2 inch Ginger root or use 1/2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste.
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon each of Cumin and coriander powder or use 1 teaspoon sambar powder
1 tablespoon of tamarind paste in 11/2 cups of water
1 sprig of Curry leaves
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(Methi)
1 teaspoon Salt

Method
Cook the Lentils
Wash and Soak lentil for 10minutes.
Wash and soak the lentil for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water,transfer in a pressure cooker or small saucepan with lid.Add 1 cups of water ,season with salt,1/4 tsp each of turmeric and chilli powder.Add the greens, cover and let cook on medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes in pressure cooker and 45-50 minutes in the saucepan until soft.When cooked mash or blend it to smooth paste.
Cook the veggies and mix in the mashed Lentils
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium high .Slice the onion and saute for a minute along with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add minced ginger and garlic saute for another minute before adding rest of the spices ,vegetables and tamarind juice. Simmer till vegetables are tender,about 15 minutes, then mix in the cooked mashed lentils. Simmer for another 5 minutes.Serve warm with rice.

Beet Health Fact
Unfortunately beets are not for people with kidney or gall bladder problems because of the concentration of oxalates in beets.

Roasted Beets and Beet greens Curry

The sweet flavor of beets often tempts us to use it in cakes and sweets. But a curry is equally tasty and with its crisp texture and unique flavor.Beets leaves are edible and taste lot like spinach. Don't throw away the beet leaves next time you buy beets bunch.Fresh beets are very good source of Potassium and folate. The greens are rich in iron,beta-carotene and Calcium.

Ingredients Needed
2 small Beets
8-10 beet leaves washed.
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste.
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
Sea Salt as per taste
2 table spoon Olive oil
Cilantro for Garnish

Method
Roast the Beets
Preheat Oven to 400F.
Wash the beets to get rid of any mud. Lay beets on a sheet lined with aluminum foil and coat a table spoon of olive oil over them and let bake for about 35-40 minutes until tender. Let cool for 10 minutes then peel and chop the beets.
Make the Curry
Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onions, cumin seeds and let saute for a minute. Add the ginger garlic paste and other spices. roast for a minute before adding the chopped beet leaves. Mix in the chopped roasted beets and cover. Let cook for another 8-10 minutes. Serve with any Bread ,Flat bread or Rice .

This is my entry for WHB hosted this week by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all Seasons