Beet leaves. Beet tops - description with product photo; its useful properties and calorie content; benefit and harm; use in cooking and for treatment; dish recipes. The benefits and harms of beet leaves

Beets are one of the most vitamin-rich vegetables. In fact, beet tops are even more useful, and it is she who contributes to the treatment of a large number of diseases associated with work. digestive tract, heart, blood vessels, the condition of the skin, cells and tissues of our body.

To get the maximum benefit from the use of this product, let's take a look at the beneficial properties and contraindications of beet tops.

Vitamin composition of beet tops

What is beetroot tops called? If you have previously heard the name "chard" for beet tops, you should understand that it only refers to young shoots.

In cooking, the leaves of this vegetable are also actively used today. It was this part of the product that was in demand initially, when the beets themselves had not yet been tasted. They can be chopped into a salad, added to soup, chopped - and mixed with other products.

Before dealing with the benefits and harms of beet tops, it is worth knowing its vitamin composition.

There are a lot of vitamins and useful microelements in the tops:

B vitamins help to improve metabolic processes, strengthen nerves and immunity, better job of cardio-vascular system;
vitamin A plays the role of a rejuvenating trace element, and also improves vision and digestion. The composition of beet tops includes a huge amount of this vitamin;
nicotinic acid (PP) promotes the metabolism of fats, and also delays the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood;
keep you healthy and natural minerals, such as calcium, chlorine, iron and many others;
Availability flavonoids in beet tops allows you to quickly relieve inflammation and clean the internal organs.

This is far from all useful composition product, so we can already conclude that the tops have a complex effect on our health, and it can be used both for treatment and for prevention.

Useful properties of the product

The seasonal use of these leaves is a natural helper in various diseases. To maximize the beneficial properties of beet tops, use it during the entire growth period. So you can strengthen your immune system and prepare for the cold, accompanied by exacerbation of diseases.

The numerous benefits of beet greens include the impact on work digestive organs. By using this product, you can remove toxins and toxins, clean the gastrointestinal tract.

Attention! Due to the stimulation of metabolism, weight loss is observed when using leafy greens, so eat this product and you will always look slim and beautiful!

Beneficial effect on metabolism due to the presence of betaine in the composition of beet tops. But, unlike other vegetables and fruits, where this antioxidant is present, we use beets more often and in more dishes, therefore, it is during its use that our body produces enzymes that contribute to the absorption of this microelement.

The benefits of beet tops are also associated with anti-aging properties. Due to the stimulation of the formation of new cells and tissue development, beneficial trace elements in its composition will beneficial effect to your appearance and prevent rapid aging organism. The skin will look fresh and healthy, and improved internal state will make you feel young and active.

When applied externally, you can relieve irritation skin, prevent rashes, stimulate the healing of acne marks. It is enough to knead the product and apply on the face, without touching the area around the eyes.

tops strengthens the heart and vascular walls, removes cholesterol plaques . Besides, she is effective tool with various diseases. The benefits of beet tops for the human body are manifested in the treatment of such diseases and ailments as arterial hypertension, anemia, deterioration thyroid gland, constipation and much more.

Advice: Before starting treatment with tops, consult a specialist who will tell you how to use it and what to look for.

What is useful beet tops for children? First of all, she plays the role muscle and bone growth stimulator in organism. In order for your child to be strong, healthy and develop faster, it is advisable to add this product to his regular diet.

In addition to using leafy greens as an addition to nutritious dishes, its role in traditional medicine. There are many recipes where beet tops are used in therapeutic purposes and further processed for a beneficial effect.

Contraindications for use

There is no definite answer whether it is possible to eat beet tops, because this product has a number of contraindications, and an individual approach is required for its consumption.

For example, you should abandon the tops if you have such diseases:

diarrhea or the body's tendency to this disease, as well as hemorrhoids (tops have a laxative function);
strong inflammatory processes in the kidneys and bladder(with such diseases, the tops can stimulate more urination);
cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis (a change in metabolic processes will additionally burden your liver);
gout (tops can exacerbate this disease);
because the composition of the tops includes a large number of sugar, it is not recommended for diabetics;
hypotension (when eating beet tops, blood pressure drops).

In addition, individual intolerance to the tops of the body may also occur, so it is better to first check whether this product will cause an allergic reaction.

How to choose the right beet tops

It is easy to guess that the benefits and harms of beet tops also depend on the quality of this product. Young beet tops can be purchased at the end of May.

fresh and useful product will have the following characteristics:

leaves should be resilient: this main feature freshness of tops;
leaf color is closer to dark green. The presence of yellow areas indicates dryness and insufficient freshness of the product;
choose tops only with a dense and short spine.

Dishes from such tops will not only be more useful, but will also delight you with their taste.

Some useful recipes for your health

Now that you know how beet tops are useful, we recommend that you find out a few options for its use. One of the most common cooking options is adding tops to salads or sandwiches.

Before using young beet tops, rinse the product under running water, or even better, pour boiling water over it: this way the tops will become extra soft, and the beet flavor of the leaves will disappear.

Advice: salads with beetroot leaves will turn out tastier if you season them with a sauce based on sunflower oil and apple, lemon juice or pomegranate. Also tops can be seasoned with sour cream, mayonnaise or yogurt.

Adding leafy greens to salads and other foods is great way prevention of atherosclerosis and support of hematopoiesis. Also, the use of dishes with tops will contribute to normal operation endocrine system.

And here are a few ways to use beet tops in traditional medicine:

make an infusion from a glass of boiling water and big spoon chopped tops. After an hour of infusion, you can start drinking the drink: if you drink it three to four times a day before meals, you will get rid of constipation;
if you are periodically tormented by headaches and migraines, you can prepare another recipe: mash the beetroot leaves and apply to the temples or head as a compress. Hold them in this position for about twenty minutes;
mash beet leaves well and apply to the eyelids to cure conjunctivitis. It will be better if you wrap them in gauze;
if every day you smear the juice of the tops of corns, calluses and cracks on the feet, you will quickly get rid of discomfort. You can also stretch the leaves - and apply at night to problem areas, carefully wrapping them with a bandage;
Another option on how to use beet tops is the treatment of mastitis. Mash the leaves well - apply to seals in the chest for about half an hour - forty minutes. This should be done daily.

A tincture of beet leaf tops can be drunk even if you do not observe signs certain diseases. As we said, this product performs great prophylactic and will saturate your body with vitamins.

The following recipe is suitable for those who follow the figure or want to lose weight. Salads can help you lose weight, for example, from tops, carrots and greens. Fill this dish better olive oil.

Also, this useful product can be added to first courses. Not only borscht, okroshka and cabbage soup are cooked from it, but also botvinya. No less popular are bean, pea and vegetarian soups with the addition of beet leaves. In addition, you can make special blanks for the winter season from the tops, so that you can maintain your health during the cold period.

Attention! Preparations for the winter are made only from young tops with petioles.

For the winter, you can ferment, freeze or pickle this product, make healthy canned food or dry the leaves. Keep in mind that the heat treatment of the product will have a significant impact on the amount of useful trace elements in the composition of the tops, so it is better not to do this again. We advise you to use preservation methods without heat treatment.

If you decide to dry the tops, you can start this activity immediately after you chop the leaves. Due to the fact that the tops contain a small proportion essential oils, dry it at a temperature of up to sixty degrees. This can be done in dedicated dryers, dehydrators, shady areas, or well ventilated areas.

For those who are going to use beets for treatment, we advise you to start drying in advance. But you can also freeze this product (for example, if you need to make haulm compresses). This procedure takes very little time: it is enough to rinse the leaves well, dry, chop - and place small portions in plastic bags. Please note that the tops in this form should be stored in the cold. After the first defrosting, the benefits of the tops will be much less.

We advise you to use at least one recipe to your taste - and soon you will see positive changes in your body. And, given that the tops make dishes not only healthy, but also tasty and fragrant, you can easily add this product to your daily diet.

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Beet - unique vegetable. In food, not only a root crop rich in vitamins is used, but also tops, the regular use of which normalizes metabolism, prevents atherosclerosis, and helps with gastritis and liver diseases.

The benefits of beetroot

Beet tops have a lot of useful properties, it contains more vitamins than the root crop. Dishes with tops are recommended to be prepared and included in the diet for people with diabetes and anemia, as well as those with problems with the heart and thyroid gland. In addition, it perfectly improves bowel function and helps to cope with constipation.

Vitamin P, which is part of the beet tops, is a good prophylactic against sclerosis and internal hemorrhages, increases the elasticity of blood vessels. Help regulate metabolism and activate hematopoiesis such beneficial trace elements contained in beet tops, such as phosphorus, calcium, manganese, potassium and iron salts.

Beetroot leaves and stems are also rich in vitamin U, which is effective in the treatment of chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenum. In addition, he is considered one of effective means that slow down the aging process.

Empirically established that beet leaves, stems and roots have antitumor activity.

Dishes from beet tops contribute to weight loss and remove "bad" cholesterol. This contributes strong antioxidant betaine. And thanks high content iodine and cobalt regular consumption of beet leaves and stems improves memory and helps to concentrate well.

Due to the high sugar content, the root crop tastes better than the tops, which are often bitter due to the large amount of nutrients. To soften its taste, it is recommended to pour boiling water over the tops before use.

Beet tops are used in folk medicine and cosmetology, and it has also gained popularity in cooking. Toppings for pies and pies are made from tops, salads, casseroles and first courses are prepared, and they are also prepared for future use: dried, salted, pickled and canned.

Recipes for the use of beet tops

Beet tops are quite often used for cooking first courses, they are added to borscht, okroshka, botvinya, beetroot and even fish soup.

To prepare botvinia, you need to take:

1 liter of bread kvass; - 250 milliliters of white kvass; - 3 young beets with tops; - 2 cups sorrel (scalded); - 1 glass of young nettle (scalded); - ½ lemon; - 1 tablespoon of horseradish; - 1 teaspoon of mustard; - 1 cucumber; - green onions; - fresh dill; - sugar; - salt.

First of all, very well, rinse the beet tops and root crops from all sides. Then chop the tops with a knife and pour over with boiling water. This will make it tender and soft and completely destroy the specific aftertaste that may not be to everyone's liking. After that, cut the root crop into small pieces and put it together with the tops in a small amount of water.

Finely chop pre-washed and scalded sorrel and nettle and mix with prepared tops and beets. green onion and wash the dill, chop, rub with salt and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix bread kvass with light kvass. Scald the lemon, grate the zest and sprinkle it with sugar, and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Add to kvass lemon peel and juice, put mustard and grated horseradish, as well as beets, tops with herbs and finely chopped cucumber. Mix everything well and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to infuse.

For the preparation of vitamin okroshka with beet tops need to take:

3 bunches of young beets along with tops; - 3 cucumbers; - 2 eggs; - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; - 1 liter of kefir; - 100 milliliters of sour cream; - 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill; - salt.

Separate the beet leaves from the petioles. Wash young root crops thoroughly and grate on a coarse grater. Cut beetroot stalks into cubes. Put everything in an enamel pan, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, pour hot boiled water and heat everything together for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Then remove from the stove, let it brew for 10-15 minutes.

While the broth is cooling, thoroughly rinse and cut the beet leaves into strips. Peel hard-boiled eggs and chop finely. Wash and cut cucumbers into thin strips. Then combine all prepared products and transfer to a saucepan with broth. Mix a liter of kefir with half a liter of cold boiled water, season with salt and pour vegetables with tops with this mixture.

Serve vitamin okroshka with sour cream, sprinkled with chopped dill.

Beet greens are the perfect ingredient for dietary salads. It goes well with cucumbers, radishes, spinach, nuts. Can be used as a condiment vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar

Delicious and appetizing is a pie stuffed with beet tops, for its preparation you will need:

500 grams of flour (wheat); - ½ cup of vegetable oil; - 1 cup of warm water; - 200 grams of beet tops; - 1 onion; - 2 cloves of garlic; - 150 grams of suluguni; - ground black pepper; - salt.

WHAT CAN BE PREPARED FROM BEET BOTTLE

Useful and tasty - beet tops

Late spring and early summer is the season for young vegetables. Market stalls are full of bright and juicy colors, and young beets are hard to miss, especially if these beets have juicy, bright tops. Unfortunately, many housewives are in a hurry to cut and throw away the tops, completely unaware of how useful and healing it is and that many different kinds can be prepared from beet tops. delicious meals.

Also in Soviet times medical scientists have proven that the leafy parts of many vegetables chemical composition even surpass the roots themselves. By the way, beet tops were highly valued in ancient times for the many useful substances included in its composition.
For example, beet tops, in addition to ascorbic and folic acids, vitamins B1, B2, P, PP, also have iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and iodine. And vitamin C is several times more than in the beet itself.

While a weighty beetroot has not yet formed, it is necessary to take advantage of its valuable leaves by eating them. From them you can cook a lot of delicious and healthy meals: salads, soups, meatballs, stuffing for pies, cabbage rolls, pancakes and much more. Dishes from the tops are very useful for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, anemia and people with thyroid problems.

Vitamin P, which is found in beets and its tops, increases elasticity blood vessels, prevents sclerosis and internal hemorrhages. Salts of iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, cobalt, activating hematopoiesis and regulating metabolism.
It contains a lot of vitamin U, which is used in complex therapy sick peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum suffering from chronic gastritis. organic matter beets - betaine - is involved in the formation of choline.
Choline, in turn, improves the functioning of the liver and protects it from fatty degeneration, and pectin substances suppress the activity of putrefactive intestinal bacteria. And it is not for nothing that this vegetable is considered the best remedy from the aging of the body.
People's Councils

If you rub a beet leaf and apply it to your forehead with a headache, then after 15 minutes the condition will improve. Crushed leaves are useful to apply to sore eyes. Boiled with boiling water at the rate of a tablespoon of crushed leaves per glass of boiling water, the tops improve bowel activity and help to cope with constipation. The decoction is taken several times a day for a quarter cup.

The wound-healing effect of the tops is useful for those whose skin is prone to cracking: beet leaves are crushed and applied to the skin in bandages or a decoction of the tops is used for washing and compresses. By the way, such a decoction also alleviates the condition in diseases of the joints, foot baths are made from it.

Studies have shown that not only the beet root, but also its stems and leaves have an antitumor effect. Therefore, salads and beetroot greens must be included in the diet for the treatment and prevention of cancer.
Beet tops in cooking

The tops are used for food in different countries differently. In Russia, tops are put in borscht, which is popularly called summer. Below is the borscht recipe.
500 g of young beets with tops, 4 potatoes, 300 g of zucchini, 2-3 tomatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1-2 onions, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of 3% vinegar, 1 teaspoon of oil; sour cream and salt to taste.

Rinse the beets thoroughly, cut off the tops, peel, put in boiling water, add the diced potatoes and boil the beets with potatoes. 10-15 minutes before readiness, put finely chopped beet tops, fried onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, salt, add vinegar and sugar. 5 minutes before serving, take out the beetroot, grate it on a coarse grater, put it back into the borscht. Serve with sour cream.
In Georgia, they cook from tops cold appetizer called "phali". The appetizer is generously flavored with spices, and beet tops give the appetizer not only a pleasant taste, but also a beautiful, appetizing look.
Beet tops - 1 kg, nuts - 200-300 g, onions - 1 medium, garlic - 2-3 cloves, Imereti saffron, utsho suneli - 1 teaspoon each, cilantro seeds - 1/2 teaspoon dry ground, cilantro greens - 1 large bunch, vinegar, salt, spicy red ground pepper- taste.
Slightly boil beet tops in a small amount of water. Put on a sieve and let the water drain. Then squeeze well with your hands. Finely chop the well-squeezed beet tops with a knife or scroll in a meat grinder with a frequent one.
Prepare the walnut dressing. Grind nuts as finely as possible. Chop the onion into very thin half rings. Sprinkle the onions with salt and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then squeeze the bitterness out of it. Grind the garlic into a bowl. Chop the greens very finely or scroll in a meat grinder after the tops.
Add onions, garlic, herbs, utskho suneli, Imeretian saffron, dry nuts to the nuts ground seeds cilantro, vinegar, red hot ground pepper, salt. Mix everything well until smooth. Roll the mass into balls, put on a serving dish, cool before serving.
In Karachay-Cherkessia, unleavened dough pies are prepared with beet tops. The tops give the filling juiciness.
wheat flour -170 g, homemade cheese - 175 g, green onion - 15 g, beet tops - 300 g, butter - 20 g, salt - to taste.
Sort young beet leaves, rinse, finely chop, squeeze the juice. Add shredded homemade cheese and mix thoroughly. Knead uncooked unleavened dough. Cut into equal parts, roll each part to the size of the pan. Grease the pan with oil, put one layer of dough, minced meat on it, cover with another layer and pinch the edges. Bake in the oven. Take out the finished cake, make a hole on top and put butter. When it melts, cut the pie and serve.

Beetroot ragout

Ingredients: 0.5 kg of young beet tops, 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 onions, bell pepper 1 piece, cheese 100 g, salt, pepper, sweet paprika to taste, olive or vegetable oil.

Method of preparation: Pour oil into a frying pan with high sides. Onion, Bell pepper and finely chop the garlic, put in oil and fry until golden brown. Rinse the tops thoroughly under running water, shake off excess water, cut into pieces. Put to the onion and garlic, mix and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. Pour in a little cold water, mix, lay out the spices. Grate the cheese. Put the hot stew on a plate, sprinkle with cheese and serve. We recommend serving black bread toasts with garlic for the stew.

Baking lovers can try to bake pies and even pies stuffed with beet tops, while adherents healthy eating- cook original meatballs. To do this, take big leaves beets, rinse them well, finely chop (the smaller the better), add a raw egg and flour (based on 6 leaves - one egg and two or three tablespoons of flour), salt, pepper and mix. Form small cutlets from the resulting mass and, rolling in flour, fry in a heated frying pan in vegetable oil. Serve hot with sour cream. From beet leaves you can cook not only dishes for every day, but also gourmet holiday snacks, for example with nuts - we dare to assure you, it will become a worthy decoration of your table.

Pie with beet tops

Ingredients: flour about 300 g, butter 150 g, egg 1 pc., 2 tbsp. l. water, a pinch of salt. For the filling, we need: young tops 1 kg, butter 30-50 g, minced chicken 400 g, garlic 1-2 cloves, 1 bunch of parsley, spices to taste.

Method of preparation: First, prepare shortbread dough. To do this, pour flour into a container with a slide, make a recess. Pour the egg, water and salt into the well. Knead the dough, cover with a towel, refrigerate. Rinse the tops thoroughly under running water, shake off excess water, cut and boil for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a frying pan, fry the minced chicken with garlic and chopped parsley. Drain excess water from the tops, add to minced meat, simmer for another 5 minutes. Roll out the dough into two layers. Put the first one in a greased mold, pierce with a fork. Lay out the filling, cover with a second cake, pinch the edges. Put in the oven and bake at 180-200 degrees for about an hour.

How to make beetroot salad?

Beet greens have long been used to make delicious green salads.

Before preparing the salad, the beetroot leaves should be washed well, finely chopped and poured over with boiling water (then the leaves will be softer and more tender, the specific taste will disappear). Beetroot leaves pair well with cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, dill, parsley, cilantro, eggs, and nuts.

It is better to fill salads with beet tops with vegetable or olive oil, which can be mixed with lemon, apple or pomegranate juice. Optionally, you can dress the salad with sour cream or mayonnaise.

Salad of beet leaves and walnuts.

200 g beet greens
garlic clove,
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil,
parsley, cilantro, dill,
1/4 cup kernels walnuts,
lemon juice,
salt to taste.

Rinse and finely chop the beetroot leaves, boil in salted water (approx. 10 minutes), drain in a colander. Rub with a wooden spoon and pour over a mixture of vegetable oil and garlic, crushed and pounded with salt.
Sprinkle the salad with parsley, cilantro, dill, crushed walnut kernels on top. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Egg and Beetroot Salad

200 g fresh beetroot,
50 g green salad,
dill, parsley,
50 g sunflower oil,
1 egg
salt,
lemon juice

beet leaves, green salad, dill and parsley finely chopped, season with vegetable oil.
Add chopped boiled egg, salt and drizzle with lemon juice.

Pkhali from beet tops

Beet tops - 1 bunch; garlic - 1 clove; cilantro - 1 bunch; walnuts(shredded) - 1 cup; hot red pepper, salt - to taste; vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.
Tops from one bunch of beets.
Boil in salt water.
5 cloves of garlic, a bunch of cilantro, 1 cup of walnuts - twist everything in a meat grinder. Add salt to taste, hot red pepper and 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar. I used balsamic (tastier). Build meatballs. Got 8 patties. I liked it very much....

late spring and early summer- the season of young vegetables. The counters at this time are full of rich colors, among which it is difficult not to notice young beets, especially if they are sold along with juicy tops. Unfortunately, many housewives immediately cut and throw away the leaves, not at all understanding how useful they are and how many delicious dishes you can cook from them.

Beneficial features

The first question that housewives often ask is: "Why cook from beet tops at all?" Scientists gave the answer to this question a long time ago, proving that the leaves of this plant contain no less useful substances than the roots. Beet tops are rich in ascorbic and folic acids, vitamins of groups B and P, such trace elements as calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C in the leaves is many times more than in the root crop.

Dishes from this vegetable are useful for people with heart and thyroid problems, patients with diabetes and anemia. Scientists noted huge content substances that inhibit the growth of cancer cells, so oncologists recommend to patients that beet tops be included in their diet. What to cook from this vegetable depends on the culinary preferences of the person. But the abundance of recipes allows absolutely everyone to find something to their liking.

Role in world culinary

In many countries of the world, dishes are prepared from juicy beet leaves. In Russia, they cook borsch from it, in America they cook stew, Georgians love pkhali, and Armenians wrap meat and cereals in beet leaves, like in cabbage rolls. Beet tops, recipes for which have been passed down from generation to generation, are famous in almost all parts of the world. Do you want to try cooking a national Russian dish or an overseas delicacy in your own kitchen? Dare! A few simple recipes will help with this.

Borsch

Let's start with borscht. To prepare it, you will need a pound of young beets along with leaves, 4 potatoes, 2 small young zucchini, 3 ripe tomatoes, carrots and onions. In addition, we will prepare the oil for frying the frying and a little vinegar. And to add flavor to the dish, we use seasonings. What - you decide. Any favorite spice will do. Well, you can’t do without sour cream, it is used when serving.

This dish is lean, it is suitable for vegetarians and those who are on a diet. But it is quite acceptable to cook it with meat, and add chopped lard to the frying.

Let's start cooking by grinding the ingredients. The first to go to our future borscht is beets, cut into small slices. It is followed by cubes of potatoes. While the vegetables, carrots, tomatoes and zucchini are fried in oil, add a little vinegar and simmer. As soon as the vegetables become soft, we overload the frying into the pan and send the tops cut into strips there. Cook for another 15 minutes, add spices and salt. And when the borscht is cooked, it needs to brew - for this it is best to wrap the pan with a towel and leave it on the switched off stove for at least 30 minutes.

Love sharper? Feel free to add pepper and crushed garlic to the borscht!

tops

The birthplace of this recipe is Karachay-Cherkessia. To make a pie, we need the following products:

flour - 200 g;
homemade soft cheese (brynza, suluguni) - 170 g;
onion feathers;
beet tops - a bunch;
salt.

Wash the raw leaves and cut into smaller pieces, add cheese and onions to them, mix thoroughly. Knead a soft dough from flour, salt and water. Roll out several circles, according to the size of the pan. Now we form pies: put a layer of dough on a greased pan, distribute the filling on top. We will bake in the oven. tops are served to the table, cut into pieces.

Stew

Very popular product for cooking vegetable stew- beet tops. The recipes for this dish are supplemented with ingredients such as: potatoes, peppers, legumes, spinach, carrots, cauliflower and much more. Let's try to cook stew in one of the most common ways. To do this, take a large bunch of tops, an onion, a few ripe bell peppers (preferably multi-colored), oil, herbs and seasonings. Now fry the chopped vegetables separately, transfer to a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Before serving, season with garlic and seasonings.

Vegetarian cutlets

Such a dish can please not only those who observe strict post or does not eat meat for some reason. Beetroot cutlets can be a wonderful side dish! They go well with smoked bacon and bacon, fried sausages, salted fat, ham. You can also serve them as an independent dish, for example, with sauce or adjika. This dish turns out to be very juicy and fragrant, you can’t immediately say that it is based on beet tops. What to cook for cutlets and how to serve them is up to you. So let's get started.

Wash beet leaves (big bunch) and cut into smaller pieces. We drive in a raw egg, sprinkle with flour. The amount of flour and eggs depends on the juiciness of the greens, and on its quantity. The result should be a dense mass that allows you to form cutlets. They need to be fried in hot oil.

Soup

This vegetable is often used for cooking first courses. Let's try, for example, to cook soup with beet tops. For this we weld light chicken broth, add to it finely chopped potatoes, grated carrots and onions fried in oil. When the vegetables are cooked, put the tops cut into thin long strips into the broth. Boiled eggs are also very suitable for this recipe, quail eggs look especially impressive in plates. This soup can be served with croutons or crackers.

vitamin salad

Recipes with beet tops do not always involve heat treatment. Very popular and salads from fresh leaves, storing a maximum of vitamins and useful trace elements. The only impact high temperature- this is a second immersion in boiling water, necessary for the tops to become soft. Beetroot leaves in salads go well with cucumbers, radishes and radishes, cabbage, watercress, spinach, lettuce, herbs. Can add boiled eggs, roasted nuts, olives, flaxseed or sesame seeds. Scalded raisins give a completely unusual taste to such salads.

For dressing, vegetable oil is often used, seasoned with fruit vinegar, lemon or pomegranate juice. Sour cream or mayonnaise is also great.

Dolma

In the East, the word "dolma" refers to any dish consisting of vegetable base stuffed with a mixture of rice and meat. And the usual Bulgarian pepper with minced meat, and cabbage rolls in grape leaves, and even considered options. Of course, among all the variety there was a place for the option with beet tops.

For the preparation of phali, young beet leaves with cut legs are used. There is no strict recipe for the preparation of the filling (as, indeed, for the dish as a whole). In order to make minced meat, beef, lamb, pork or poultry meat is used, as well as their mixture. Be sure to add finely chopped or grated onions. In the East, it is customary to put quite a bit of rice in the filling, no more than a quarter in volume.

Dolma wrapped in leaves is pre-fried in a frying pan, baked in the oven until half cooked or immediately placed in a large cauldron. To prepare the gravy, a mixture of fried vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic) seasoned with tomato can be used.

Dolma is served on a large platter, along with gravy.

Beet (not beet!) is a plant of the amaranth family, usually biennial, but most often cultivated as an annual. Valued for tasty and healthy root crops, as well as no less tasty and healthy leaves.

Beetroot not only delicious vegetable on the table, but also a whole storehouse healing substances to maintain our health. Let's try to understand how beets are useful for the human body.

The benefits of beets

No other vegetable contains such a rich set of useful substances as root vegetables and beet leaves:

Vitamins C, P, PP, U, group B, provitamin A. Beets are especially rich in folic acid (vitamin B 9).
Bioflavonoids;
Amino acids (lysine, betaine, valine, agrinine, histidine and others).
Organic acids (citric, malic, oxalic).
Trace elements (copper, iron, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, calcium, zinc, iodine, phosphorus, sodium, cobalt, cesium, rubidium, manganese).
Small amount of proteins and fats.
Vegetable fibers and cellulose.

Thanks to the use of beets in our body, there are:

Stabilization of digestion. Organic acids help better digestion of food in the stomach, normalize the production of gastric juice. Fiber enhances intestinal peristalsis, cleanses its walls. Pectin destroys putrefactive bacteria. Beetroot has a mild laxative effect and helps treat chronic constipation.
Regulation fat metabolism in the liver. Betaine does not allow fats to linger in the liver cells. According to recent studies, betaine resists the formation malignant tumors.
Treatment of hypertension and atherosclerosis. Beets, due to the large amount of magnesium, help strengthen the walls of blood vessels and normalize blood composition. Regular consumption of beets with honey can increase hemoglobin and dissolve blood clots.
Normalization of the activity of the thyroid gland, since beets contain a large amount of iodine.
Supports brain function and improves mental condition person, protect him from the impact heavy metals. Increases the overall tone and vitality of the body.
Prevention of SARS. During epidemics of influenza and SARS for prevention and initial stages diseases it is useful to take beet juice. With a runny nose, a few drops of juice can be dripped into the nose. During a sore throat, it is useful to rinse with beetroot juice inflamed tonsils.
Allergy treatment. Beets contain antihistamines.
Prevention of male and women's health . Men are advised to eat beets to maintain sexual activity. For women, beets are especially useful in " critical days", as well as during menopause. It improves well-being and reduces pain syndrome. Also limited use beet is useful during pregnancy.
Weight loss. The calorie content of beets is only 42 kilocalories and therefore it is part of many popular diets. The use of beets helps to normalize metabolic processes in the body, which helps to get rid of excess fat, as well as remove from it excess liquid.
Body rejuvenation. Folic acid is involved in the formation of new cells. The longer our body can produce young cells, the slower its aging will begin.

It must be remembered that beets contain substances that block the absorption of calcium in the intestines. Therefore, dishes from it should be eaten with caution by people with calcium deficiency and pregnant women. food, rich in calcium, should not be consumed simultaneously with beets. But at the same time, beets contain a lot of folic acid, which is essential during pregnancy.

Now let's talk in more detail about the benefits and harms of raw and boiled beets for the body.

IN fresh beets can be consumed in the form of salads, desserts, as well as juice. beetroot juice it is useful to mix with fresh apple juice or puree, as well as carrot juice. The cake remaining after juicing can also be used as food. It is rich in ballast substances and a sufficient amount of vitamins.

Beneficial features beetroot juice and fresh salads can not be overestimated:

Beet juice helps to improve the tone of the body. Athletes use this effectively. It is useful for anemia. Replenishes the iodine requirement of the body.
Beetroot juice binds and removes salts of heavy metals and radionuclides from the body.
Beetroot juice will help restore complexion and skin health.
Beetroot juice can be applied externally in the form of lotions: it heals abscesses and ulcers on the skin well, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
The betaine found in raw beets, capable of resisting cancer cells. Betaine regulates the hematopoietic system, strengthens capillaries and vascular walls, counteracts atherosclerosis. When heated, betaine is half destroyed.
Salads made from grated beets or beet pulp are useful for people who want to lose weight. Betaine contained in beetroot normalizes lipid metabolism in the liver, and fiber improves bowel function.

Raw beets contain a small amount of saccharides, which makes products from it dietary. diabetes. The adsorbing capacity of raw dietary fibers is several times higher than that of boiled ones. And most importantly: in dishes and juice from raw beets, all vitamins are preserved as much as possible.

You need to gradually switch to the regular use of raw beets, starting with a few teaspoons of salads or juice. Otherwise, immediately after a large dose, bloating may occur.

Raw beets are very useful. The benefits and harm to the body brought by it, of course, are incomparable. TO harmful factors can be attributed to the possible individual intolerance raw beets. Therefore, before including it in your diet, you need to taste it in a small dose.

There are a number of other contraindications to the use of beets:

Hypotension.
Pancreatitis.
Cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis.
chronic diarrhea.
Urolithiasis disease.
Osteoporosis.
With caution - during pregnancy.

Boiled beets almost completely retain the entire set of useful mineral salts and vitamins. Although in boiled beets useful components slightly less, while they are absorbed by the body much better. This is due to the fact that many substances in raw beets are in indigestible compounds that are destroyed during cooking. Betaine and vitamins C, B 5 and B 9 are also destroyed. Almost completely destroyed alimentary fiber and excreted in a decoction of nitrates. These properties make beets dietary product for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In boiled beets, the amount of saccharides increases. Therefore, it should not be eaten by people with diabetes. Excessive consumption of boiled beets can provoke strong appetite and call sudden jump blood sugar levels.

Boil the average beets for about 40 minutes, in a peel, without cutting off the tail. With this processing, all useful material remain inside the root crop. If digested, then the vitamins will begin to wash out into the broth. The larger the root crop, the longer it needs to be boiled. It is impossible to cut beets to speed up cooking, so as not to lose its useful components. Beets can be used in most variety of dishes: salads, soups, vegetable hodgepodges, desserts.

Useful properties of boiled beets:

Like raw, it strengthens blood vessels and capillaries, improves blood formation.
Relieves manifestations of allergies.
Stabilizes the health of women and men in the intimate sphere.
Treats anemia.
Normalizes digestion.
Treats constipation.
Promotes weight loss.
Replenishes the reserves of trace elements in the body.

Boiled beets are contraindicated in the following cases:

Diabetes.
Osteoporosis.
Pancreatitis.
gastritis with hyperacidity, gastrointestinal ulcers.
Liver diseases.
Urolithiasis disease.
Chronic diarrhea.

As we can see, the benefits and harms to the body of boiled and raw beets are somewhat different. Nevertheless, useful properties still prevail. If you do not suffer from the ailments listed above, then you can safely include this wonderful root crop in your diet.

Beetroot leaves: useful properties and contraindications

Separately, a few words must be said about the benefits and harms of the aerial part of the beet - its leaves. In food, you can use not only tops from root crops, but also special leaf varieties of beets (chard).

Beet leaves according to the content of individual useful elements even richer than root crops. They contain:

Carotene.
Ascorbic acid.
folic acid and other B vitamins.
Vitamins P, PP,
Potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, iodine, phosphorus, manganese, cobalt.

Beet leaves contain less saccharides than root vegetables, so the leaves are not as pleasant to taste. To get rid of the specific aftertaste, the tops are doused with boiling water before cooking. Use it in fresh salads, okroshka, soups, side dishes, as a shell for cabbage rolls and stuffing for pies. An old Russian dish - botvinya is prepared from beet tops.

Useful properties and contraindications of beet tops are basically similar to the same properties as for root crops.

Beet tops are useful:

For hematopoiesis and strengthening of blood vessels and capillaries.
With diabetes, because it contains almost no sugars.
With anemia.
With diseases of the thyroid gland.
At chronic constipation.
How anticancer agent.
With atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Beet tops are contraindicated in the following cases:

Tendency to diarrhea.
Acute inflammation urinary system and urolithiasis disease.
Gout.
Pancreatitis.
Cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis.
Hypotension.
Individual intolerance.

Beetroot leaves can also be used as an external remedy:

For migraine, a beetroot leaf should be applied to a sore spot on the head and held for 15-20 minutes.
With conjunctivitis, a pounded beet leaf should be applied to the eyelids.
Juice, pureed paste, as well as a decoction of fresh beet leaves are used as wound healing agent, as well as for the healing of cracks in the soles of the feet.
For the treatment of mastitis, crushed leaves are applied to seals on the mammary gland.

As we can see, only in a small number of cases beet tops can be harmful. The benefits of beet tops are obvious. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to include this extremely healthy vegetable into your daily diet.