{"id":1425,"date":"2013-03-15T14:13:31","date_gmt":"2013-03-15T21:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/?p=1425"},"modified":"2024-08-30T03:12:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T10:12:00","slug":"weight-loss-appetizer-recipe-beets-with-tzatziki-sauce-and-walnuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/weight-loss-appetizer-recipe-beets-with-tzatziki-sauce-and-walnuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight Loss Appetizer Recipe: Beets with Tzatziki Sauce and Walnuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Appetizer<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Beets<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Beets are\u00a0a wonderfully versatile\u00a0vegetable.\u00a0They can be roasted, boiled,\u00a0pickled, sauteed or juiced.\u00a0The tops can be eaten, much like you would spinach. Served hot or cold, beets\u00a0are a\u00a0great source of iron and folic acid, which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells (especially good for anyone undergoing physical healing). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Studies have also shown that beets guard against cancer, especially colon cancer and help protect you against heart disease. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Both Beets and Tzatziki are great weight loss food choices. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek appetizer that is a mixture of yogurt, cucumbers and garlic, all of which are good for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Try\u00a0some today! – Yum!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For this recipe you can boil or roast the beets but we suggest the roasting method since they take on a sweeter flavor. You’ll probably end up with extra Tzatziki sauce but try it on some crackers,\u00a0or\u00a0over meats and other vegetables. It makes a refreshing dip. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Both the beets and Tzatziki can be\u00a0made in advance. Just keep them in the fridge and\u00a0assemble right before serving.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

RECIPE:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1 pound beets, stems removed<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tzatziki Sauce (recipe below)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Walnuts for garnish (optional, you can also garnish with a sprig of mint or dill)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fine quality extra-virgin olive oil (optional) for drizzling.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

DIRECTIONS FOR BEET PREPARATION:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Cook the beets using one of the two methods below:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Option 1 – ROASTING:<\/em> wrap the whole, unpeeled beets tightly in aluminum foil. Roast in a 425F oven until they are tender when pierced with a fork (approximatley 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets). Remove from the oven and allow to cool while still wrapped in the foil.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Option 2 – <\/em>BOILING: <\/em>put the whoe, unpeeled beets in a pot and add enough water just to cover them. Bring to a boil then cover the pot with a lid\u00a0and turn down to a simmer. Cook the beets until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Peel the cooled beets using your fingers to slip off the peels. If they are fully cooked, the skin should come off easily or if\u00a0needed,\u00a0use a butter knife to gently scrap any stubborn skin off. (If you are making ahead\u00a0to use later, put them in a covered container and keep in the fridge. Proceed to step three right before assembly for serving.)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Slice the beets into 1\/2 to 1 inch rounds with a knife.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

TZATZIKI RECIPE:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1- 32 ounce container plain low-fat Greek yogurt<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1\/2 English cucumber, peeled and grated<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2 tablespoons lemon juice<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (optional)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (mint, oregano or parsley may be substituded; use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1 tablespoon salt<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

DIRECTIONS FOR TZATZIKI PREPARATION:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1 Place the cucumber in a strainer and toss\u00a0with the salt. Allow 10-15 minutes for some of the extra moisture to draw out and drain.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. In a medium bowl stir together yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Add lemon zest, dill, pepper and whisk until smooth. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Squeeze some of the extra moisture from the cucumber and stir into yogurt\u00a0mixture, mixing thoroughly.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5. At this point you can use immediately or place in a covered bowl\u00a0in the\u00a0refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ASSEMBLY:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Place beet slices on a serving platter in a single layer. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Top with approximately 1 tablespoon prepared Tzatziki sauce.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Garnish with walnuts and drizzle with a little fine quality extra-virgin olive oil. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Serve and enjoy!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beets are\u00a0a wonderfully versatile\u00a0vegetable.\u00a0They can be roasted, boiled,\u00a0pickled, sauteed or juiced.\u00a0The tops can be eaten, much like you would spinach. Served hot or cold, beets\u00a0are a\u00a0great source of iron and folic acid, which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells (especially good for anyone undergoing physical healing). Studies have also shown that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[91,90,29,92,19,28],"class_list":["post-1425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-healthy-appetizer-recipe","tag-healthy-appetizers","tag-healthy-recipe","tag-tzatziki-sauce","tag-weight-loss-2","tag-weight-loss-recipe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1425"}],"version-history":[{"count":68,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10559,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1425\/revisions\/10559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliteweight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}