Adapted from a Whole Foods recipe. I recommend using golden beets unless you really like pink foods. I wish I had had golden beets on hand, but I’ve been getting all my fresh veg from Boston Organics lately, so I don’t get much choice! This was good and seemed to go over well at the department lunch today. I had to add the maple syrup because mine was a little bitter without it – not sure if that was from the quinoa (which can be bitter sometimes) or perhaps the rutabaga.
Ingredients
3 beets
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 carrots, chopped
3 turnips/rutabagas/radishes, chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Juice of 1 lemon (I used 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar instead)
2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock or water
A splash of sherry (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (I omitted this)
1-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 350F. Rub beets all over with 1 teaspoon of the oil, then season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil, place on a small baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, until beets are tender. Allow beets to cool and then peel and chop them. Meanwhile, toss remaining veggies in remaining 3 teaspoons oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Rinse quinoa well in a strainer. Put quinoa, lemon juice/cider, stock or water and thyme (and sherry, if using) into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool to room temperature. Put quinoa, roasted carrots and parsnips into a large bowl and toss to combine. Add beets, onions, parsley, walnuts, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, mix well and serve.
Serves 6-8