Nothing beats beets

Are you feeling unsatisfied with your current grilled cheese situation? Fret no more, this beet and arugula grilled cheese recipe is bound to spice up your life.

Beets are loaded with nutritional value. They contain minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and iron, not to mention vitamins A, B & C. Not only will this grilled cheese recipe leave you feeling energized, you’ll likely feel at ease after consuming this marvelous sandwich. Beets contain tryptophan, an amino acid known to relax the mind and create a sense of well-being. A grilled cheese that can improve your mental health is a sandwich for the recipe books.

Still not convinced that this is the grilled cheese for you? Like beets, arugula is also in season, and the following recipe tastefully incorporates this healthy green. Arugula can help to prevent DNA and liver damage from aflatoxins, which are carcinogenic substances sometimes found in corn, peanuts and some tree nuts.

If you’re feeling particularly daring, feel free to dress up this grilled cheese and substitute the mozzarella cheese with goat cheese. You can also substitute balsamic vinegar for sherry or red wine, which would add extra flavour.

Both beets and arugula can be purchased at the Kingston Public Market, located right behind Kingston’s City Hall. The market operates Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from April through November.

Serving: Makes 1-2 grilled cheeses.

Time: Approximately 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Beets

• Olive Oil

• Arugula

• Mozzarella (1-2 slices)

• Butter

• French Bread (Regular bread will work well too)

• Balsamic Vinegar (Or 1/2 ounce sherry or red wine).

• Salt

Notes: Be sure to wash and peel your beets. I’d also recommend that you wear plastic gloves when peeling and slicing the beets to prevent your hands from turning red.

Instructions:

1) Turn the oven on to 375 °F.

2) Slice beets into even sized pieces (about an inch thick).

3) Place the beets in a baking pan with some olive oil drizzled on top. Then, sprinkle some salt on them and slide them into the oven. Be sure to flip the beets over after about ten minutes.

4) Once the beets have cooked to your desired tenderness (I waited for a full thirty minutes), take them out of the oven. You can test their tenderness by poking them with a fork.

5) In a pan on medium-high heat, fry them with about ½ ounce of balsamic vinegar. After about a minute or two, toss in a small amount of arugula and continue frying until it starts to wilt. If you’re frying with sherry or wine, fry until the liquid has evaporated.

6) Once you have finished frying the beets, slice up your bread and then butter each side.

7) Put the bread in the frying pan, and then lay down some arugula and mozzarella cheese. Then, add your beets, some more mozzarella and slap it together.

8) Fry the sandwich in a pan on medium heat until each side is golden brown.

9) Sit back and admire your work.

This grilled cheese, with its impressive nutritional value, is bound to leave a mark on your memory. Unlike your regular grilled cheese, you can walk away from this masterpiece of a sandwich knowing that your overall health has benefited from a perfect combination of beets and arugula.

Tags

Cooking, Health

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