Recipe #27
Updated: Mar 13, 2021
Friday, October 16th
* Hot-Pink Beet Protein Smoothie *
The First Mess
I was expecting beets to be much smaller in size than the ones I got. Maybe these beets were on the larger side, but I'm not sure because this was my first time using them. Each of the three beets in the bunch I ordered fit into two of my hands!
Since I had three of these beets, I had to search up the best way to store them so they would last until I am able to use them all. According to PureWow, "The secret to keeping beets fresh for longer is to remove the greens, which accelerate their trajectory towards rot." I chopped off the greens, and stored the two leftover beets in separate ziploc bags in the fridge (I tried my best to get all the air out of the bags, but gave up because that was impossible). Also: don't wash the beets until you are ready to use them! They should last around 2 weeks stored this way.
The third beet I washed and peeled. I made a rookie mistake of chopping off the ends before peeling it, which made it trickier to grip. Chop the ends off AFTER peeling! I did peel it (very slowly...), and I chopped it up a bit so it would be easier to blend. (see pic above)
My hands were absolutely covered in the bloody beet juice, and both the kitchen sink, knife, and cutting board looked like where a crime scene had occurred. I've been warned that beet juice can stain a cutting board permanently if it isn't washed off immediately (it's always important to wash off the knife immediately after using it as well) — so be religious about it.
Inside scoop: I took this picture while everything was in the process of blending!
It had to blend for a good two minutes, and probably because of the heat from the grinding of the blade, it turned out slightly warm. That sucked, because that was the day I really needed a cold smoothie. At 4pm it was over 88 degrees! I put it in the fridge and went on a quick walk, hoping it would get cold.
Turns out, it takes longer than 10 minutes for this smoothie to become cold. And since I was hungry, I had to content myself with a room temperature smoothie :(.
The smoothie made two glasses full (see above pic), so I have saved one glass in the fridge for tomorrow (I will get a chance to have it cold).
The smoothie turned out truly gorgeous. It smelled and tasted wonderfully earthy, and a touch sweet.
Try it for yourself:
Laura posted this recipe from her cookbook on her blog, the exact same!
Let me know what you think in the comments! Maybe this is your first time using beets as well? I'd love to hear...