The red carrots are vegetables that can give great satisfaction in the kitchen. These are tubers that we can use in many recipes, both sweet and savory. The red turnips are also very versatile and we can use them to prepare first courses, salads, side dishes, sauces, soups, and even desserts! Another point in favor of red carrots lies in the fact that we can consume them both raw and cooked and they are also very good for your health.
How red carrots are cooked
If you are wondering how to cook red carrots, you are in the right place and you will be amazed at the thousand and one ways to cook them! You can, in fact, cook them in a pan, in foil, in the oven, in the microwave, and steamed, but if you want, you can also eat them raw. On the market, however, we can find both fresh red beets, therefore to be cleaned and cooked, and pre-cooked ones, certainly more practical, for those in a hurry.
How to cook and season red carrots
The dressing for our red turnips will depend a lot on the final destination of the recipe. If we simply want to add to the salad, for example, a thin oil, salt, vinegar (or lemon) will be more than enough. But red carrots can also be combined with other vegetables, cheeses, meats, and fruit, so our dressing must be well balanced; if, for example, we combine them with cheeses (such as Greek feta), maybe we will avoid adding lemon or vinegar that go well with them.
Red carrots can also be served raw, such as carpaccio, as long as they are thinly sliced and seasoned with chopped parsley, oil, lemon, or vinegar. We can also use our red turnips to prepare delicious smoothies and centrifuged them, using them alone or together with other vegetables, such as carrots, and fruit, to be served as a tasty summer snack, after having sweetened and maybe added some orange juice. or milk. You can also use blended beets to dress pasta or risotto, or prepare delicious beetroot creams, creams and hummus to serve as accompanying sauces.
Maybe you have never thought about it, but the beautiful color of turnips can be used as a natural colorant, for whipped cream for example or to prepare homemade bread, gnocchi or tagliatelle, just like I did on various occasions. . Generally one is led to think that with turnips, you can only prepare salads or traditional Russian dishes such as the scuba salad, which I also tried to make, but in reality, the fields of use of this greedy tuber are truly infinite. ! In fact, you can prepare pizzas, focaccias, savory pies and even delicious desserts, like the one I prepared with beets and chocolate, try it and then you will tell me!
How to cook fresh red carrots
First, we need to clean these vegetables before cooking them. We should use gloves as beets have a deep red color, which could stain both the skin and clothing. It starts by cutting the roots of the beet, then rinsed and left to soak in warm water to remove all traces of soil. Once cleaned, we will need to cook the red carrots, preferably whole. As mentioned, we can also eat them raw, perhaps thinly sliced or grated, but if you prefer cooking, boil them in boiling water for about thirty minutes, in this way, you can easily remove the outer, harder part.
How to cook pre-cooked red carrots
If you love the practicality and don’t have much time to cook, you can buy pre-cooked red carrots, easily available at the supermarket. These pre-cooked red turnips are vacuum-packed in plastic. Since they are already cooked, you simply have to season them or use them for the final recipe.
How to cook red carrots in a pan
The red turnips cooked in a pan are a perfect side dish for meat or fish dishes and their vaguely earthy and sweet taste will surprise you. To cook them, we must first remove the roots, wash them to remove any traces of earth, and then cut them into slices or wedges. Boil them in boiling water for 30 minutes (or steam them). Meanwhile, in a pan, pour some olive oil and when it is hot, add the chopped onion and let it brown. At this point, add the turnips and let them brown on all sides for a few minutes, then season with salt and pepper and add a sprig of rosemary or other spices you like. In all, they will have to cook for about ten minutes before being served.
How to steam red carrots
As mentioned, turnips are a concentrate of nutrients that are beneficial to health, and the best way to exploit these benefits is consumed raw or steamed, which leaves the organoleptic properties of the ingredients almost unchanged. Steamed red beets are very easy to prepare, in fact, you just need to use the special metal basket to be placed in a pot containing boiling water. The beets are steamed for about 30 minutes from the moment of boiling. It is also possible to use an electric steamer, a bamboo basket, or special pots for steaming in the microwave. After cooking, using a potato peeler, remove the outer “skin” of the turnips and use them in many tasty recipes.
How to microwave red carrots
It is possible to cook the red carrots in the microwave, in order to shorten the time. You will need to use a container suitable for microwave cooking. After washing the turnips and removing the roots, place them in the container, preferably whole, and cook at 700 watts for about 20 minutes. To shorten the time, you could wrap them in microwave film and pierce them with a fork, or use the steaming pans in the microwave. Once cooked, let them cool and peel them, using a potato peeler.
How to cook red carrots in the oven
Red carrots are tubers and just like potatoes, among other ways, they can also be cooked in the oven. For example, we can prepare delicious beetroot chips, which will make you lick your mustache, in fact, they are reminiscent of French fries. You will have to cut the roots of the beets, wash them, peel them and slice them thinly, then season them with oil, salt, and aromatic herbs, mix and transfer them to a baking sheet, on which we will have put some paper, then cook at 180 ° for 20 minutes. Alternatively, we can cook them in the oven, cut into wedges or cubes, either alone or together with other vegetables, just like we would do to cook potatoes, also if desired in combination with sausages or fish.
Baked red carrots
It is possible to cook red carrots, even in foil. We must, as always, remove the roots and peel them, in the meantime, we preheat the oven. Now wrap the turnips sprinkled with oil, salt, and spices in aluminum foil (whole or in wedges), lay them on the baking sheet, and cook them at 200 degrees for half an hour. Once ready, we open the packet carefully so as not to burn ourselves and serve as well.
