BEETROOT is fun to cook – and its dark-red flesh can be used as a natural food colouring. It will stain your hands as you prepare this root vegetable, and if you eat lots of it you may even get pink pee.
One of the least messy ways to prepare beetroot is to bake it in a medium-hot oven (190¼C/gas 5) and then allow the beetroot to cool before peeling the skin off.
You can also boil it. Cut off the stalk, but be careful not to tear the skin (leav
e the peel on), and place it in hot water.
If you peel raw beetroot and then grate it, it adds colour to salads – but not as much as cooked beetroot, which will turn everything pink as its juices bleed into the other ingredients.
My nephew thought this recipe would be brilliant for a Barbie or princess party – but our boys enjoyed eating it too.
BEETROOT MASHServes four
150g beetroot
600g potatoes
15g butter
Freshly grated pepper
75ml–100ml milk
Boil the beetroot in water for 40 to 60 minutes or bake for 90 minutes to two hours, depending on size. Remove the skin and cut the beetroot into rough chunks.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal-sized chunks. Boil in water for ten to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft (test with a knife). Add the chopped, cooked beetroot for the last two minutes of the cooking time. (You can use ready-prepared beetroot if you are short of time).
Strain the vegetables and return them to the pan. Use a masher to mash the potato and beetroot together. Add the butter, freshly ground pepper and enough milk to make a creamy, pink mash.
Always have a grown-up in the kitchen with you when you cook.
(www.stirrinstuff.org)
The full article contains 311 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
