Can Beets Boost Your Love Life?: Fresh Talk - Fresh Talk - Cooking

Can Beets Boost Your Love Life?: Fresh-Talk

No Comments | Written on February 9, 2012 at 5:00 pm, by Kristin Porter

The candles are lit, soft music is playing in the background and dark chocolate-dipped strawberries are waiting to be devoured for dessert. It’s dinnertime on Valentine’s Day, and you’re just pulling the entrée out of the oven: No-Stir Risotto with Heart Shaped Beets.

Beets?! On Valentine’s Day? I know, I know—just hear me out.

Beets have never been considered glamorous or sexy, let’s face it, but food lovers everywhere are starting to take notice of the humble root vegetable, and for good reason.

Beets are low in calories but high in potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Red beets and their leaves are a great source of folic acid, an essential nutrient that prevents birth defects in pregnant women, and help prevent heart disease.

Plus, calling all you lovers out there: Beets and beet juice have been considered an aphrodisiac since Roman times, as they contain high amounts of boron, which is related to the production of human sex hormones. That said, what better time to start enjoying the health and “other” benefits of beets, than on Valentine’s Day?

No-Stir Risotto with Heart-Shaped Beets begins with cooking a large beet in lightly salted boiling water, until you can easily slide a knife into the center of the beet. Drain and let the beet cool slightly, then slip off the skin. Cut the beet into slices, and use a cookie cutter to cut out heart-shaped pieces to layer on top of the smooth, creamy no-stir oven risotto they’ll sit atop.

The no-stir risotto is even easier than the beets, if you can believe it. Simply mix together short-grain rice with oregano, salt, and heart-healthy olive oil, then pour in boiling chicken broth and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes. No stirring or checking needed! Fold in smooth and creamy shredded Swiss cheese before serving, then top with the romantically red, heart-shaped beets.

Look for beets with smooth skin, and crisp, dark green leaves on top. Small to medium-size beets are a bit more tender than large ones. Beets can be found all over the country, all year long, but are great in the wintertime as they can be stored in a cool, dark place for several months after peak beet harvesting season in the late fall.