Carrot and Beet Pancakes

I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more beets into our weekly meals when staying with my father. Parkinson’s is a challenging disease; one of the ways I deal with impotence of the disease is trying to boost nutrition into my dad’s daily life.

Beets help blood flow and are brain-healthy. So beets go into breakfast smoothies and raw grated beets go into salads. These pancakes are a new way to use beets.

The first time I made them, I served them with a potato, turnip and pumpkin puree (spiced with tumeric and cumin). Yum!
And an arugula, tomato salad with green onion and CMF vinaigrette.

I’ve since made them for teatime, which is my dad’s favorite late afternoon interlude and oftentimes he wants tea rather than dinner.

I think they’d also be a lovely brunch option.

Variations:

  • Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to give spice them up
  • Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or puree the yogurt with a clove of garlic and ¼ cup of cilantro, mint, or parsley.
  • Serve with sweet potato puree, a cauliflower and potato puree
Carrot and Beet Pancakes
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Carrot and Beet Pancakes
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Peel and grate beets (should be about 1 1/3 cup). Put in a mixing bowl.
  3. Peel and grate carrots (1 cup). Add to beets. Mix in egg, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
  4. Add flour; stir to blend well.
  5. Generously brush a baking sheet with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Recipe Notes

Variations:

  • Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to give spice them up
  • Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or puree the yogurt with a clove of garlic and ¼ cup of cilantro, mint, or parsley.
  • Serve with sweet potato puree, a cauliflower and potato puree
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Meatless or Not Lentil Chili

Make it vegan by leaving out the beef. It’s also an easy way to make a dinner for both omnivores and non-vegans. Cook the ground beef separately, set aside. Once the chili is cooked split it into two pots and add the cooked beef into one of the pots. I’ve made it vegan, with ground turkey, bison or beef.

It pairs wonderfully with cornbread.

Serve with Mixed Green Salad with Cranberries and Orange and dinner is complete.

My favorite cornbread is the Skillet Cornbread from 100daysofrealfood.com

Lentil Beef Chili
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Servings Prep Time
6 - 8 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 1/2 hour
Servings Prep Time
6 - 8 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 1/2 hour
Lentil Beef Chili
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
6 - 8 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 1/2 hour
Servings Prep Time
6 - 8 30 minutes
Cook Time
1 1/2 hour
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef is brown, crumbling with fork about 5 minutes. Drain well, and put in separate dish. Cover and set aside.
  2. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high. Add onion, leeks, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, marjoram, oregano and basil and cook 2 -3 more minutes. Add beef, lentils, tomatoes, water, chili salt and pepper and mix in. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Place cheese, onion, parsley and yogurt in small bowls. Ladle lentil chili into bowls and let everyone top off their chili with cheese, onion, parsley and/or yogurt to their liking.
Recipe Notes

Modified from
Epicurious: Lentil Beef Chili

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Dijon Chicken Breasts

This is a quick recipe. You can double it and use left over chicken for sandwiches the next day—cut thin slices and replace processed ham or turkey. Or make a chicken salad with a nice crunch of bell peppers or celery.

Dijon Chicken Breasts
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Dijon Chicken Breasts
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy large skillet.
  2. Bring to gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  3. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and poach about 15 minutes. Add spinach and cook another 5 minutes until chicken is just cooked through.
  4. Transfer chicken to platter. Boil liquid in skillet until reduced to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from Epicurious: Dijon Chicken Breasts

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Grated Carrot and Beet Salad

[su_expanding_quote_without_link alignment=”right” source=”The Healthy Mind Cookbook” full_quote=”Beets are brain food of the first order. They’re high in nitrates, which have been shown to increase blood flow in parts of the brain related to executive functioning. They’ve got lots of folate, or vitamin B9 which may aid cognitive functioning and delay a descent into dementia as we age. Beets are also rich in carotenoids, especially the ones called betalains. These may help boost brain functioning and stave off depression. ” short_quote=”Beets are brain food of the first order.”]

Beets seem to be a vegetable people either hate or love. If you don’t currently like it, you might have a new experience with beets when you eat them fresh, crunchy and raw. The color is spectacular and the health benefits are excellent.

Variations: add one or more of the following

  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 grated green apple
  • 1/2 cup grated broccoli or cauliflower

 

Grated Carrot and Beet Salad
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Grated Carrot and Beet Salad
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Lime vinaigrette
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place salt in small bowl, add lime juice and whisk until salt dissolves. Mix in water.
  2. Pour olive oil in a stream into the bowl whisking the whole time to emulsify.
  3. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes

*If you don’t have limes, you can use apple cider vinegar

A Color My Food original recipe

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Arugula Peach Salad

Arugula Peach Salad
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Arugula Peach Salad
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Ingredients
Salad
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place arugula in a bowl.
  2. Cut the peaches into slices and add to arugula. Add chopped cauliflower and half of sunflower seeds.
  3. Pour balsamic vinaigrette over salad just before serving and toss.
  4. Sprinkle remaining sunflower seeds on top.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
  1. Place salt in a small bowl.
  2. Add balsamic vinegar and water; stir with a small whisk or fork to dissolve salt.
  3. Pour extra virgin olive oil in a stream into vinegar, mixing the whole time to emulsify.
Recipe Notes

Variations:

  • Can use mango or pear instead of peach
  • Add one peeled and diced avocado
  • Use chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans…) instead of seeds

    • Color My Food Original Recipe

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