A simple beetroot salad

This beetroot salad is incredibly easy to make and yet tastes insanely delicious – plus, it’s obviously very good for you!

2 medium beetroot (washed, peeled and grated)
2 medium carrots (washed, grated)
2 cups of spinach leaves
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw pecans (broken up a little)
as much feta as your heart desires (don’t over do it!)
a good lug of olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together – that’s it!

I topped mine with some cucumber and cherry tomatoes but purely for aesthetics! The salad flavours are great as is! I also like adding sultanas, sunflower seeds and chickpeas to this concoction! I like this ingredient combination as unlike most salads, this recipe doesn’t get mushy and smelly over time: each ingredient keeps really well, staying fresh and yum.

This recipe produces a lot of salad which is great for meal prep but if you don’t want to make that much simply half the recipe.

Oh and FYI: Beetroot is a rich source of folate and manganese and also contains thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, choline, betaine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and selenium.

Beet Hummus

After the hair straightener, the food processor has to be the world’s greatest invention. With the leftover beetroot from my chocolate cake recipe (strange, but true), tonight I whipped up some beet hummus with 0 effort. If you’re wondering of the health benefits, beetroot has been linked with bettering stamina, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. In addition, a highly popular food in Roman times, beetroot was used to treat fever, constipation, wounds, skin problems and was even utilised as an aphrodisiac! (Don’t get too excited.)

In a food processor, simply chuck together and blend:

1 cooked, peeled beetroot (roughly chopped)
1 can all natural chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup organic tahini 
juice of one lemon 
2 tsp crushed garlic (2 cloves)
salt and pepper 

*gluten-free
*dairy-free
*egg-free
*vegan

If the above history has inspired you to serve this pretty pink dip as an appetiser for your next hot date (for the health benefits, of course) then maybe omit the garlic.

Decadent Beetroot Chocolate Cake

“Never trust a skinny baker” is no longer a thing. Yep, I just complimented myself (try it, it’s nice). Today I share with you my take on Jaime Oliver’s beetroot chocolate cake, only HEALTHY. I almost named it “holy crap” cake because “holy crap” were the initial words that escaped my mouth after taking my first mouthful. This cake is not only delicious but also highly nutritious. I mean, beetroot, avocado and banana? Come on! It’s basically salad but it tastes like heaven. You know what? I’mma eat the whole thing and not even bother claiming it an accident! #negativecalories #foodbaby

Sceptical about the fruit/vege and chocolate combination? If so, I’ve got two words for you: CARROT CAKE.

PS It’s naturally free from gluten, dairy and refined-sugar. And I’m pretty sure you can sub the eggs for about 4 tbsp apple sauce to make it vegan.

So go on, bake it! It’s SO easy and I guarantee your lover/kids/bff/mother will LOVE it and most importantly, benefit from it!

2 cups almond meal
2 cups raw beetroot, peeled and grated (WARNING: it’s a damn messy process)
1/2 cup oil (sunflower, coconut or olive)
3/4 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup coconut sugar (or 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup)
3 free range eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Frosting:
1/2 large avocado  or 1 whole small avocado
1/2 banana 
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Preheat oven to 160 C

Simply blend cake ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Pour into a greased cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

When the fork comes out clean, remove from oven and allow to cool completely – hate this step, just cant wait.

Blend frosting ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Spread on top of cooled cake and decorate with whatever your heart desires – I used a flower and crushed hazelnuts.