Personally, I love beets, and they are a staple in my repertoire of seasonally based home-cooked foods. The simple combination of thinly sliced roasted beets, drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh chopped herbs or homemade fresh mint pesto, is a delicious summer treat.

Beets are a root vegetable that have a distinct earthy-sweet taste. ­An anti-inflammatory, high-water food, beets are a good source of vitamins, like folate (vitamin B9), vitamins C and K, and minerals, like potassium and iron. They are also a good source of fiber.

When consumed regularly (not just once or twice a year!), beets may help with weight management (as a high-water and high-fiber food, they can promote satiety and a feeling of fullness). Beets can help lower blood pressure, improve athletic performance, help prevent constipation and support heart health.

Beets do contain sugar; in fact, white table sugar often comes from sugar beets. Beets are considered a medium glycemic vegetable; however, their glycemic load is 5, which is considered low. If you struggle with blood sugar issues, it is best to eat beets in smaller amounts compared to non-starchy vegetables, like leafy greens, broccoli or zucchini, which are considered “unlimited” foods.

It is also important to know that beets are a source of fructans, a type of storage carbohydrate made up of a chain of fructose molecules. The fructose that makes up fructans is one type of FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols).  If you have IBS; or you have been diagnosed with fructan intolerance; or you are following a low-FODMAP eating plan, beets may not be an ideal food for you to consume. Again, this depends on your level of sensitivity.

A unique phenomenon of eating beets is that you may experience beeturia, when the dark red pigments in beets (which also stain your hands!) turns the color of your pee or poop red or pink after you eat beets. Your stool may have a dark red-black color up to 2 days after eating beets.

For delicious and natural whole food summer sweetness, try this simple roasted beets recipe.

Roasted Beets with Fresh Mint Pesto
Serves: 2 to 4

1 to 2 bunches beets

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a heavy-bottomed rimmed 9″x 13″ baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut off the beet greens (if attached). Trim ends of beets (on both sides). Wash beets well; then, pat dry with paper towels. Use either a knife to create small diagonal slices on beets OR a fork to puncture beets all over to create “air holes” that allow steam to escape during the roasting process.  Wrap beets in parchment paper, then wrap in aluminum foil. (Do not wrap aluminum foil directly over the beets as aluminum is  heavy metal and neurotoxin).

Place wrapped beets on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Place baking sheet on center rack in oven and roast 30 minutes. Turn baking sheet around (for even cooking) and roast another 30 minutes. Turn baking sheet around once more and roast another 15 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in each beet slides out easily. As a general rule, small beets take approximately 75 minutes to roast; medium to larger beets take 90 minutes or longer.

When cool enough to handle, peel skin from the beets and slice thinly. Arrange beet slices on a serving plate. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season judiciously with Celtic sea salt.  You can then top beets with fresh chopped mint or thinly sliced scallion rounds.

You can also top beets with fresh mint pesto (See recipe below).

Mint Pesto
Yield: Apx. 1 cup

4 cups mint leaves, washed and spun dry
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place mint leaves, garlic, Celtic sea salt and lime juice in a large food processor bowl. Pulse, while drizzling in the olive oil, pulsing until smooth, creamy and well blended.

One of my favorite healthy fats is extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, but is primarily a monosaturated fat. Diets high in monosaturated fats are associated with lower LDL, lower triglycerides and higher HDL. High quality, extra virgin olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Pestos, using herbs from the garden, are one of my favorite vehicles for enjoying olive oil. Herbs, like basil and mint, contain an abundance of polyphenols, plant compounds with significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. My pestos, by the way, are both dairy-free and nut-free; the combination of olive oil + herbs + allium (scallions and garlic) makes this pesto a potent anti-inflammatory food.

Experts disagree—and you may with me!—on whether cooking with olive oil is “healthy”. Personally, I do NOT cook with olive oil. I only use olive oil RAW…in pestos, vinaigrettes or drizzling over food after it has been cooked—to maximize my nutritional bang for the buck.

Olive oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, but is primarily a monosaturated fat. Diets high in monosaturated fats are associated with lower LDL, lower triglycerides and higher HDL. High quality, extra virgin olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

If the price of a bottle of olive oil seems too good to be true (less than, say, $10), trust your instincts! You get what you pay for… Unfortunately, olive oil fraud is rampant. Up to 70% of olive oil sold, worldwide, is watered down with cheap, inflammation-causing oils, like soybean, canola or sunflower oil.

What I look for when buying high quality olive oil:

• Is it extra-virgin? (This is the only kind I buy.)
• Is it cold-pressed, ideally, “first cold press”?
• Is there a seal from the International Olive Oil Council?
• Is the olive oil in a dark glass bottle (this prevents oxidation)?
• Is there a harvest date listed?
• Is there a Non-GMO Verified seal?
• Is there a seal certifying that it’s “extra virgin”?

Basil-Mint Pesto

3 packed cups organic basil leaves
2-1/2 cups mint leaves
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced rounds
4 medium-sized garlic cloves
Juice of 1 large organic lemon (apx. 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, plus a pinch or two, to taste
3/4 cup high-quality extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until creamy.

Enjoy!

Genovese basil is the Italian variety with which we’re most familiar, and it is a rich source of antioxidants, magnesium and vitamins. There are, however, 35 varieties of basil, but it is holy basil, or tulsi, a.k.a. ocimum sanctum L that has received the most scientific attention.

Herbs, including basil, are often overlooked as a source of green food nutrition.

Basil, specifically, tulsi, has been used as a medicinal herb in India for thousands of years. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, tulsi—in the form of teas, tonics and ointments—has been used to treat colds, coughs and the flu. It has been used to cleanse toxins from the respiratory tract and to alleviate digestive issues, such as flatulence and bloating.

Studies also show that holy basil can help boost mood.

Tulsi has anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and anti-depression effects. A powerful adaptogen—an herbal treatment that helps the body adapt to stress and become more stress-resilient—tulsi is commonly available as a tea or capsule supplement. Studies have shown tulsi to help alleviate physical stress and metabolic stress (for example, reduce blood glucose levels, improve blood pressure and reduce diabetic symptoms), as well as mental stress, especially anxiety and depression. Regular consumption of tulsi can have a calming effect on the body, as well as promote focus and clarity.  Tulsi has a distinctly sharp sweet-spicy flavor, hinting at clove, licorice and mint (it is a  member of the mint family).

Containing anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, tulsi also helps protect against infections, which is likely why basil extract is included in homemade and more natural plant-based brands of household cleaners and dental care products.

Basil pesto is delicious any way you choose to use it, whether tossed with zoodles (zucchini noodles), spooned over a tomato salad, on a burger or generously drizzled over grilled fish or vegetables.

One essential kitchen appliance for making pesto is a food processor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “cook”, consider investing in a large (11-cup or 14-cup) food processor. If you’re busy and unable (or not willing) to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, a food processor is a worthwhile splurge, especialy if you want to prepare real food “no cook” meals at home. A food processor saves you hours of painstaking chopping, slicing, grinding or pureeing. Anything that I need to mince or chop, like onion, carrots, peppers, I toss into the food processor. You can easily blend ingredients for a raw or cooked soup or whip up a bean dip in no time.

I’ve used my food processor to make countless seasonal pestos. My version of pesto is hypoallergenic, containing no dairy (as in no parmesan or romano cheese) and no nuts (like pine nuts or walnuts). The star ingredient is the basil, itself.
 

Holy Basil Pesto

This recipe calls for holy basil, but any variety of basil will work. I’ve even combined several varieties, like Genovese basil, lemon basil and African basil, into one pesto. Taste as you go along. You may need more—or less—garlic, sea salt or olive oil, depending on how large your bunches of basil are and your personal preference for a thicker or thinner pesto.

3 medium bunches of basil, leaves only (discard thick or woody stems)
2-3 large garlic cloves (or 4-6 small cloves)
Juice of 1 large organic lemon
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil

Place basil leaves, garlic cloves, lemon juice and Celtic sea salt in the bowl of food processor. Pulse ingredients together, slowly drizzling in the olive oil (stop 2 or 3 times to scrape down the bowl). Continue processing all the ingredients until smooth and well blended. Use immediately.

If made in advance, store in a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid and refrigerate.

Fresh cilantro, also known as Chinese parsley, looks like flat-leafed parsley. This herb contains an impressive array of phytonutrients and antioxidants. It’s an excellent source of Vitamin K and a good source of Vitamins A and C. Cilantro contains several antibacterial compounds and can help prevent urinary tract infections. Cilantro is a digestive aid. It is also commonly used as a cleansing agent to help detoxify heavy metals from the body.

People tend to love or hate the taste of cilantro. The haters describe its taste as “soapy”. I love cilantro’s piquant, sweet fragrance and the fresh, bright taste it imparts.

Right now, cilantro pesto is a welcome spot of green as we lurch into spring.  You can mix it with roasted vegetables or quinoa.  It’s a lovely accompaniment to poached chicken, cast-iron skillet seared lamb shoulder blade, or poached wild Coho salmon…I always add generous dollops of it!
 

Cilantro Pesto

1 large bunch cilantro (or 2 medium bunches); ends trimmed, roughly chopped, rinsed well and spun dry
Juice of 1 large organic lemon or 3 limes (apx. 1/3 cup)
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil

Pat cilantro dry, or use salad spinner to dry. Place chopped cilantro in food processor. Add the lemon (or lime) juice, garlic clove, Celtic sea salt and hemp seed (if using).  *If you use one small bunch of cilantro, modify by using  the juice of half a lemon, 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Pulse food processor, gradually drizzling the olive oil in. Pulse until the pesto is well blended and creamy.
Transfer pesto to a ramekin and serve. Or store in a glass jar and refrigerate.