Countdown to Christmas Cookery 3: Veggie sides: Baked Beetroot with Cumin and Smoky Swede Mash

Baked beetroot with cumin is so quick and easy to make!

Fed up with boring Brussels sprouts? Tired of predictable peas?- Well here's a couple of ideas for something different to go with your main meal on Christmas Day (or New Year's Day, or any other day during the Winter festive season for that matter...)
The first side dish features beetroot, and is great because it can just be prepared then popped in the oven with whatever else you happen to be roasting in there. The cumin really raises the humble and somewhat earthy beet to divine status, along with seasalt crystals/ flakes and a dash of lemon juice. I promise you that people who wouldn't normally go for beetroot will love this one!
-Which brings me to the second veggie side of today, Smoky Swede Mash. Swede is cheap and plentiful in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, but few know how to make it really delicious. Too often swede is consigned to anonymity within a stew or casserole, but here I've given it star billing. Forget its history as animal feed- swede cooked this way is really tasty; I devised this recipe last Winter to persuade my family to eat swede, and it worked!

Baked Beetroot with Cumin (serves 4 as a side)
2 medium-sized fresh beetroot
a pinch of coarse/ flaked seasalt
a pinch of coarse black pepper
2 tsps cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tab olive oil
a dash of lemon juice to serve

• Wash,peel and slice the beetroot into 6-8mm-thick rounds/semicircles.
• Toss them in the oil,salt, pepper and cumin seeds.
• Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 200C until soft (but not leathery).
• Serve with a dash of lemon juice.

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Smoky Swede Mash

Swede has an attractive golden colour

This is another really simple side dish.The flavour of the swede is enhanced by sweet smoked paprika. For  the recipe, click here.

By the way, iInow have another blog, Vegan on a Budget, where the recipes are all priced up and exclusively vegan. You may find some recipes the same as here, and some new ones too.So far I've made one post....

This is going to the excellent Foodomania's Christmas Cook Off  event; do check out all the yummy festive recipes there...