Oregano Olive Oil Beet Chips. Vegan. GF.

The unofficial start of fall is here and I seriously was going to post a pumpkin recipe but I opted to share a recipe that I made this weekend and my whole family kept snacking on until gone.

First, wasn’t it just Friday?  A three day weekend and it flew by at warp speed.  We had a lot of fun and I’ll share pics below but back to food.  Beets have hit the farmer’s market hard and they are one of my favorites.  Plus they are a wonderful anti-inflamatory food which is important to me right now with so much training.  But I digress, the beet chips will convert even the most vehemently beet opposed (including my husband).

Benefits to eating beets includes lower blood pressure, fighting inflammation, boosts stamina, breaks down toxins in the body and rich in vitamin C, fiber and potassium.  Just to name a few.  Food is so powerful.  A good key to remember, the darker and richer food in color the more vitamin-packed it is…. raw beets photos below with color so deep you just know they are good for you.
First warning… if you eat a lot of beets, like I do, be warned that urine and bowel movements make take on a reddish color and this is totally normal but needs to be shared as it can be quite alarming when it happens.  Okay so off of that topic and onto the recipe.

Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized beets, washed and trimmed (tops and bottoms) but leave the skin on
1/3 cup olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh oregano
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Place a cooling rack onto your baking sheet (this allows air to flow evenly around the beets).

Using a mandolin and the guide to protect your hand– turn the dial to the second setting.

And start slicing your beets with the skin on.  Then place them in a single layer on your cooling rack.  You need to work in batches so they evenly bake.

Once all of the beets are sliced and placed on your baking sheets, whisk your olive oil, fresh oregano and fresh cracked pepper.  Brush onto the tops of the beets facing up and then sprinkle with salt.  Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes to check.  I flip then add more olive oil to the opposite side.  Bake again until crispy, about 25 minutes.  You need to watch these as they reach the cooking time.  I remove each chip as it gets browned up and leave the chips that require extra time – inevitably they all don’t cook evenly and at the same time.  Then remove and add to a platter lined with a paper towel to absorb any extra oil that remains.  Sprinkle with additional salt.  Serve immediately.

So wrapping up last week with 53.01 training miles.  It was a bit higher than I was supposed to do but somehow it happened.  I took Saturday off to head to the farmer’s market and hang out with my husband.

So Sunday we got up super early and got some miles in together with a nice low heart rate.  I was quite happy.  Before the sun came up, we returned and got showers and headed off to the beach.  We hit up a favorite vegan restaurant in Avon by the Sea, NJ and then went to the beach to soak up the last of summer.  Sadly this was the 3rd time I had actually laid out and relaxed this summer.

Training this week thus far…
Sunday: 6 outdoor miles at my lower heart rate zone.
Monday: 14 outdoor miles
Tuesday: 5 progressive run and strength/core
Wednesday:  planned rest day

After my run/gym sesh I grabbed a shower and hit a farmer’s market that I haven’t been to in quite some time.  I had $25 in my pocket and headed out.  I managed to get two full grocery bags filled with fruit and veggies for $21.89.  Loved that.  Buying local, in-season food is healthier and budget friendly.  For the win.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t share my dinner on the grill from Labor Day.  It was so good, not to mention beautiful.

That’s about it for now. I  do plan on doing a product review on my Garmin Fenix 3 this week as I’ve experienced some quirky issues that I think have been remediated through a software update this weekend.

Oh and brace yourself… pumpkin recipes are coming.

oxo

— Knead to Cook