Red beet mash, an alternative way to eat your beautiful red beets, mashed. And why not? They are a root vegetable just like a potato is, and we mash them. But mashed red beets will have more tenxture to them than potatoes, and that is what makes them more intereseting. They also provide a beautiful, festive, red color to your plate.

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets  Betanin  has  been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Beets  also demonstrate their antioxidant uniqueness by getting their red color primarily from betalain antioxidant pigments.  Beets are also a very good source of the antioxidant manganese and a good source of the antioxidant vitamin C. This colorful root vegetable also  contains powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.

My suggestion is, nect time you are in the mood for a “root” vegetable, reach for the red-red beets! Enjoy!

Red Beet Mash

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 4 medium red beets, peeled and cubed
• salt to season
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation:

Peel and cube the red beets into 2 inch cubes. Place in a large pot of salted cold water. The water should come about 1/2 inch over the beets.

Bring the water to a boil and boil for about 15 minutes. Drain. (You can save the red beet water for a smoothie) Add the butter and mash.