Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a mainstay in Lithuanian cuisine. Who doesn’t know borscht – hot beet soup (barščiai), cold beet soup (šaltibarščiai) or beet salad (vinegretas/burokėlių mišrainė)? Most Lithuanians love it. A a vibrant and versatile root vegetable, it is tasty in its marinated form or grated, added to fried chopped onion and served hot.
Beets are highly nutritious and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds, many of which have medicinal properties. Today they are widely popular in dishes like balsamic roasted beets, hummus, fries, and salads, among many others.
In Lithuania, beets were a common garden staple, and healthy too! Grandmother was right: healthline.com tells us that beets are particularly rich in folate, a vitamin that plays a key role in growth, development, and heart health, and contain a good amount of manganese, which is involved in bone formation, nutrient metabolism, brain function, and more.
Beets have been well studied for their ability to decrease elevated blood pressure levels, a major risk factor for heart disease. Some studies show that beetroot juice could significantly lower levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Beets are also a great source of folate. Although research has turned up mixed results, several studies suggest that increasing your intake of folate could significantly lower blood pressure levels.
Several studies suggest that dietary nitrates like those found in beets may enhance athletic performance. Beets contain pigments called betalains, which possess a number of anti-inflammatory properties. This could benefit several aspects of health, as chronic inflammation has been associated with conditions like obesity, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer.
The nitrates in beets may improve brain function by promoting the dilation of blood vessels and thus increasing blood flow to the brain
Beets are low in fat and calories but high in water, which can help balance your energy intake. Increasing your intake of low calorie foods like this root vegetable has also been associated with weight loss.
Aside from Mom’s beet soups and side dishes, today in North America there are other ways to add more beets to your diet: grated in salads, blended with Greek yogurt and fresh garlic for dip, or juiced. Fresh beet-leaves can be used as you would spinach. Also newly popular are beetroot wedges tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs or spices, roast them in a 400°F oven for 15–20 minutes until they’re tender.
Here is an unusual recipe for an interesting side dish using two favourite Lithuanian vegetables:
Ingredients:
3 to 4 medium beets, boiled or roasted
3 to 4 medium potatoes, boiled or baked
1 onion
2-4 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon thyme
4 tablespoons butter
1 oz (30 g) cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Scrub beets and potatoes and bake at 350o for 1 hour, or boil until tender. Peel and slice.
- Chop onion and toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee, season with salt and pepper. Spread in the bottom of a baking pan.
- Slice plum tomatoes and layer potato, beet and tomato slices in separate stacks, season with salt and pepper. Arrange the stacks in the baking pan, allowing the stacks to overlap slightly. Sprinkle with thyme and another tablespoon of melted butter.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle the vegetables with the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake for an additional 35 minutes, uncovered, until the tomatoes are caramelized.
