Steamed Beet Greens Recipes

SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beet greens, and cook uncovered until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the greens are cold, drain well, and coarsely chop.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens until oil and garlic is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot; serve with lemon wedges.

SAUTEED BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a medium saute pan coated with oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the beet greens and garlic, and toss until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and lemon zest and juice, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

HOW TO COOK BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Trim the beet greens from the beets. Leave a good inch of stem attached to the beets because that's best for roasting beets (it stops the beets from bleeding red as much if you don't actually cut into their flesh). Set beets aside for another use.
• Cut the stems and leave into 2 inch pieces. Put the pieces into a colander and rinse them really well. Often there is a lot of sandy, grainy dirt on the stems and leaves and you want to get rid of that.
• Put about an inch of water into a medium sauce pan and bring it to a boil.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir it in.
• Add your stems and leaves to the sauce pan.
• Bring back to a boil over high heat and then stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes until a stem is very soft when pierced with a fork.
• Drain the beet greens. Be sure to use a clean colander. You don't want the dirt from before to end up on your cooked greens.
• Return the beet greens and stems to the sauce pan or a serving dish and add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Stir and taste. Add salt if desired.

BEET GREENS WITH BACON AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon in olive oil until starting to lightly brown, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add chopped onion and continue to cook until onion is translucent and starts to brown lightly, another 3- 4 minutes.
• Add beet greens and roasted beets (if using), water and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens start to wilt.
• Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until greens have wilted, about another 3-4 minutes and liquid has evaporated slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to serving bowl and offer additional balsamic at the table, if desired.

SAUTéED BEET GREENS WITH GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens and wash the leaves in 2 rinses of water. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the greens. Blanch for 2 minutes, until tender. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze the water out from its leaves. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and hot red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and translucent, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the greens. Stir for a couple of minutes, until the greens are nicely seasoned with garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and serve.

STEAMED BEET GREENS

Steps:

• To steam, wash beet greens thoroughly, discarding any that are dried or have thick stalks. Rinse and drain lightly. Cook, covered, over medium heat in large saucepan, using only water clinging to leaves, for 5 to 7 minutes or until barely tender. Drain, season with butter (may substitute with bacon fat) and vinegar (may substitute with lemon juice). If desired, cook small beets separately and slice into cooked greens heat and serve with vinegar or lemon juice.

STEAMED OR ROASTED BEETS AND BEET GREENS WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut greens away from beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub beets with vegetable brush. To steam beets, place in a steamer above 2 inches water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cover. Turn down heat to medium. Steam small and medium beets for 30 minutes and large beets for 40 minutes, until you can pierce the beet to the middle with a knife or skewer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. To roast, preheat oven to 425ºF and place beets in a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole). Add 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (3 ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (8 ounces) 50 to 60 minutes, until they are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish.
• When beets have cooled, cut away ends and slip off skins. Slice in rounds or cut into wedges or half-moons.
• Blanch greens in salted boiling water for about 1 minute, just until they wilt. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture, taking up the greens by the handful. Alternatively, steam for 2 minutes, using tongs to flip the greens over top to bottom halfway through, for 2 minutes, or until wilted. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely.
• To make sauce, purée garlic cloves with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle, or put through a garlic press. Transfer to a bowl or measuring cup and whisk in sesame tahini. Whisk in lemon juice, beginning with smaller amount. The mix will stiffen up. Gradually whisk in up to 1/4 cup water, until sauce has consistency of thick cream or runny yogurt. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice.
• Line a platter with the beet greens and arrange beets on top and around greens. Drizzle on tahini sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve.