Beetroot, olive & broccoli bolognaise‏

Ingredients 1 small onion, half a stick of celery, a handful of fresh or oil marinated olives - never the rubbery brined ones! 1/2 a head of broccoli, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 small beetroot, spaghetti, red wine, 100ml passata, 1 clove garlic.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 20 minutes

I have always been rather excited by raw foodism. Partly due to OCD (the idea that I am not getting EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE nutrient from my food ALL THE TIME can be somewhat crippling during my wiggier moments) and partly because HEY SO DELICIOUS. Baby Led Weaning meant that my son had a good grounding in the individual flavours of different ingredients before he experienced more complex meals and I learned to appreciate how gorgeous simple food could be. This isn't actually a raw recipe, but it's inspired by no-fuss, simple flavours working so very well together.

1) Blitz the celery, onion and garlic in your food processor and tip into a pan. Add a little olive oil and sizzle until soft) 

2) Add the broccoli and olives to the food processor and blitz until reduced to the size of breadcrumbs. Grate the beetroot (I just pull out the blade spindle and add the grater blade to my food processor so it's all contained in one bowl.) and then add to the pan of softened onions and celery.

3) I like to add a little red wine along with the passata tomatoes and herbs, but this is entirely according to taste. Cook for just as long as it takes for your spaghetti to boil (8-12 minutes depending on the type of spaghetti) and drain.

4) Add the pasta to the pan and stir through. Serve hot (with a sprinkle of parmesan if you aren't vegetarian)

Beetroot brownies

Ingredients 3 eggs, 250g salted butter, 250g dark chocolate, 250g caster sugar, 150g self-raising flour, 250g grated beetroot (approx 2 beetroots).

Serves: 10 Preparation: 1 hour

There is a saying, a very good saying; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
This is good advice, except to people who are creative. It's just not applicable! Being creative means the desire to explore and perfect an idea will never really be fulfilled, and it is with this in mind that I give you the beetroot brownie. The gungey, squidgy glory of a good brownie is a formula which needs very little tinkering with, but like making chocolate cake without grated beetroot is unthinkable to me now, so it goes with brownies. That added moisture, that depth of flavour, that incredible colour... you absolutely have to try it.

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash them and slice off the stalks and leaves. Then peel and grate into a bowl.

2) Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and set it on a pan of hot water to form a bain marie. Stir until the butter and chocolate melt completely.

3) Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until combined then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth.

4) Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold it in. Fold in the grated beetroot, then pour into a greased baking tin and smooth with a spatula.

5) Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at gas mark 4 until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with sticky crumbs. Remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool before cutting in to squares.

Spinach, feta & beetroot cannelloni

Ingredients 1 beetroot, 200ml passata, 1 leek, 1 small white onion, 1 carrot, 400g spinach, 150g feta, 50g cheddar, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, 12 cannelloni tubes, olive oil, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 glass red wine.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes (plus overnight)

Words fail me to describe just how luscious this dish was. Spinach, as you know, is my absolute favourite and I would genuinely eat it three times a day without ever getting remotely bored of it. Mmmm spinach. But even those without my passion for it, will love the combination of tangy feta and fresh juicy spinach, smothered in a rich tomato and beetroot sauce. For best results, prepare a day in advance. By allowing the pasta to rest overnight, the juices from the spinach will begin to soften it, meaning it can cook for less time in the oven and avoid that horrible "leathery" texture that can happen when the sauce isn't sufficient enough to "boil" it, as dried pasta really does require this.

1) Combine the fresh spinach, nutmeg and feta in a food processor until a thick puree has formed. Fill the cannelloni tubes using a teaspoon and a little patience and transfer to an ovenproof dish. 

2) Use the grate option on your food processor to blitz the onion, leek, carrot and beetroot together, then transfer the soffrito/mirepoix to a pan with a glug of olive oil and allow to sizzle for 5 minutes until soft and juicy. I like to add a glass of red wine for extra flavour and cook it off at this stage, but this is entirely optional.

3) Add the herbs and passata, then simmer for a further 10 minutes and set aside to cool down to room temperature before pouring over the cannelloni. Allow to rest in the fridge overnight.

4) Top with the cheddar cheese, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes, then serve hot.

Roast beetroot & tomato soup‏

Ingredients 1 lb tomatoes, 2 beetroots, 1 potato, 1/2 pint vegetable stock, 1/2 bulb garlic, paprika.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Tomato and beetroot are a lovely combination of sweet and tangy flavours and this soup has a wonderful silky texture. Great fired up with extra chillies!

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast, along with the tomatoes and half a bulb of garlic in a covered dish in the oven for 30 minutes.

2) Peel and dice a potato and simmer in vegetable stock until soft then strain, retaining the stock.

3) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then puree it, along with the potato, garlic and tomatoes in a blender - ensure all the roasting juices are used! Pass the mixture through a sieve and into a pan. Add a little water until the desired consistency is reached.

4) Season with salt and paprika to taste and serve hot.

Beetroot soup with mustard yoghurt

Ingredients 2 beetroots, 1 potato, 1/2 pint vegetable stock, 1 tsp mustard, 3 tbsp Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Beetroot is the perfect vehicle for spicy, tangy flavours and this combination of creamy soup and mustard yoghurt is one of the loveliest I have discovered in quite some time. I happened to be dressing a potato and beetroot salad with honey mustard dressing when suddenly inspiration struck!

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

2) Peel and dice a potato and simmer until soft in the vegetable stock. Strain the potato, retaining the stock. I like to grate a little ginger in with the potatoes to give the soup an extra kick, but this is optional.

3) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then puree it, along with the potato in a blender. Gradually add the vegetable stock until the desired consistency is reached (I think this works best as a fairly thick, creamy soup but if you want to stretch it further, or prefer it thinner that's up to you!) and return to the pan to keep warm whilst you prepare the yoghurt.

4) Stir the mustard into the yoghurt, and swirl into the soup to serve.

Beetroot, carrot & feta salad

Ingredients Garlic, walnuts, olive oil, 1 carrot, 1 beetroot, 150g feta, poppy seeds, 1 clementine

Preparation: 15 minutes

This stunning salad, using my walnut & garlic paste, is a complex mix of flavours and textures but the juicy carrot and beetroot, the tangy rich feta and the savoury garlic marry together beautifully. A wonderful quick lunch for one or a great side dish to share.

1) Peel and grate the beetroot and carrot, zest the clementine and squeeze in a little of the juice. Stir through and set aside.

2) Cut the feta into cubes and roll in a dish of poppy seeds.

3) Stir a tablespoon of walnut paste into the carrot and beetroot mix, then serve with the feta.

Roast beetroot & carrot curry

Ingredients 1 can coconut milk, 1 can chickpeas, olive oil, 1 white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 beetroot, 2 carrots, 1 tbs cumin, 1 tbs turmeric, 1 tbs coriander, chilli powder to taste.

Serves: 4 Preparation: 1 hour

Autumn to me means a glut of roasted vegetables and beetroot with its luscious silky purple juices is never far from my mind. Using roasted vegetables in curry is somewhat unusual, I know, but that magical alchemy gives a better flavour and texture and they look so beautiful without all the colour leaching away. I like to roast a job lot at the beginning of the week to put in the fridge for salads, pasties, and to make stews and soups. They're incredibly cost-effective and this curry is utterly delicious.

1) Peel the carrots and beetroot, drizzle with a little oil and roast in a covered dish for 40 minutes.

2) Peel and dice the onion and sautee in the oil until soft. Add the garlic, spices and chickpeas and stir through.

3) Spoon the thick cream which will have risen to the top of your can of coconut milk (discarding the water below) into the pan and stir through. Allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes (or until the chickpeas are soft) then add the carrot and beetroot and garnish with coriander. Serve with rice or naan.

Cupcake Burgers: Beetroot, chilli & ginger

Ingredients Burger: 400g beef mince, 1/2 white onion, 2 portobello mushrooms, butter Frosting: 4 Maris Piper potatoes, 1 small beetroot, ginger, chilli flakes

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour 30 minutes

This is possibly one of the weirdest of my creations, but I'm actually really proud of the way it has worked out! Cupcakes persist in being ridiculously hot in popular culture and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and decorations come flooding in. But what about people who don't like cake, or can't have sugar? Why should they suffer? Enter... the Cupcake Burger.
I have done a series of different "frostings" - this fabulous coloured and zingy mash is wonderful. If you'd rather try a different burger, including one of my vegetarian or vegan options... check out these ideas.

1) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 

2) Peel and cut the potatoes, then boil in hot salted water for 20 minutes and strain away the water.

3) Finely dice the onion and mushroom and fry off in a very little butter until the juice from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the mixture to a blender along with the beef mince. Pulse to combine and then separate into rough patties.

4) Press firmly into the cupcake tins, remembering the burgers will shrink a little when cooked, so be generous and pack it in tight. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

5) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife and grate into your blender along with a teaspoon of powdered ginger and dried chilli flakes to taste

6) Spoon the mash into a piping bag and top the burgers with a swirl of "frosting" just like a cupcake!

Beetroot, apple & feta tart

Ingredients 2 Beetroots, 100g feta, 1 apple, 1 leek, 3 eggs, 50ml double cream, 4oz plain flour, 2oz butter.

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour

To describe this tart, oh where do I begin!? Is it the salty, creamy tang of feta and leek, the earthy beetroot or the sweetness of the apple that makes it so utterly delicious? Chances are it's all of them! Just trust me when I say that the combination of crisp, buttery pastry and the silky tang of the filling makes this one fabulous autumn treat.

1) To make the shortcrust pastry measure 4oz of plain flour and 2oz of cold butter. Cut the butter into small cubes and drop along with the flour into a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drip in 2-3 tablespoons of cold water until the mixture quickly forms a ball. Wrap this in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once chilled, roll out and press firmly into a pastry case. Bake blind for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.

2) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife and set aside to cool.

3) Slice the leeks and peel, core and dice the apple. Sautee in a little butter for 5 minutes until soft, then spoon onto the pastry case and spread evenly.

4) Slice the beetroot and feta into even chunks and arrange over the leeks and apples.

5) Whisk the eggs and cream and pour over the other ingredients, then bake for 12 minutes on a medium heat. Serve hot and cold.

Beetroot hummus

Ingredients 1 beetroot, 1 can chickpeas, 1 clove garlic, orange juice, orange zest, Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt.

Preparation: 35 minutes (plus soaking time if using dried chickpeas)

I adore hummus, Adam Sandler's Zohan has NOTHING on me! I had thought until recently that my ginger hummus was the best adaptation, but this beetroot hummus is absolutely marvellous and really does have the most fabulously exotic colour. 

1) If you are using dried chickpeas leave them to soak in cold water for a minimum of 6 hours (ideally 10-12) and cook them for 1 1/2 hours, changing the water frequently to avoid a bitter aftertaste.

2) If using canned chickpeas drain them and rinse well with cold water. It's entirely your choice whether you shell the chickpeas first - personally I prefer a bit of texture - but to shell them - Pour over boiling water and let them sit for 1 minute before straining, then pinching them gently to slide the chickpea from the shell.

3) To prepare the beetroot, wash it and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife.

4) Roast one clove of garlic in the oven for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the pureed garlic from the skin.

5) Place your chickpeas into a blender along with 1 tablespoon of greek yoghurt, a tablespoon of orange juice, salt and black pepper, the beetroot and the garlic and pulse thoroughly.

6) After blending thoroughly, stir through a little orange zest.

Beetroot, apple & cheddar fritters

Ingredients Beetroot, apple, rice flour/ polenta, eggs, cheddar, poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Preparation: 40 minutes

Fritters are traditionally a sort of savoury doughnut, but thin like a pancake full of stuff, but like potato cakes - I like to make mine a bit thicker. Beetroot and apple are a fabulous and virtuous combination, and cheddar goes perfectly with both so this crispy yet juicy fritter with a melting centre makes and excellent vegetarian version of a burger, and by using rice flour or polenta it's great for those with intolerances too!.

1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool, grate into a bowl.

2) Peel and core the apple, then grate the apple into the beetroot. Add the polenta/rice flour a little at a time along with the poppy and sesame seeds, until the mixture is a little more dry.

3) Whisk an egg and stir into the mixture.

4) Form a patty around a chunk of cheddar and drop onto a lightly oiled pan. Sizzle for 2-3 minutes on each side then serve, or bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes.

Ruby salad

Ingredients Rocket, radish, pomegranate, red bell pepper, feta, beetroot, lime, basil oil, pumpkin seeds.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 35 minutes

This salad is not only absolutely beautiful to look at, it's marvellously healthy and absolutely delicious. The peppery hit of radish and rocket, the sweet juicey pomegranate and the sharp tang of the feta and lime really does make this one of those salads that can't quite ever be boring. Should you be in the mood for red-themed valentines treats, this should get you in the mood for love.

1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice thinly.

2) Slice the top from the bell pepper and remove the core and seeds. Slice between the membrane segments (usually leaves 3 or 4 slices of pepper) and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until slightly blackened.

3) Slice the pomegranate in half and hold over a bowl, fruit side down. Bang sharply with a wooden spoon to release the jewels. Alternatively, if the pomegranate is very ripe, it's sometimes as quick to just break it in half and peel off the membrane.

4) Finely slice the radish and add the rocket to a bowl and squeeze over the juice of 1 small lime and a drizzle of basil oil. Toss and transfer to your serving dish.

5) Dice the feta and layer with the beetroot and roast pepper, then sprinkle over the pomegranate and sunflower seeds.

Beetroot, orange & olive salad

Ingredients 2 oranges, 1 beetroot, 10 kamalata olives, Peashoots, Spinach, salad leaves, white wine vinegar, olive oil.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 5 minutes


I have been going nuts for olives recently and when toying with creating an orange and beetroot salad I wanted something really savoury to cut through the sweetness, that wouldn't change the texture like a nut would. Olive seemed the natural choice and I am in love with the results. Give this a try, it's sinfully moreish!


1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice in half, and then into segments. 


2) Peel the orange carefully with a sharp knife, then slice into each section to release the segments, free of pith.


3) Squeeze the remains of the oranges to release any juice into a bowl. Mix equal parts of white wine vinegar and olive oil with the orange juice to form a dressing, then season with salt and black pepper.


4) Toss the salad leaves in the dressing, then arrange the orange and beetroot on the plate. Pit the olives and add to the salad and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Beetroot & goats cheese salad

Ingredients  Beetroot, goats cheese, balsamic glaze, pine nuts, Spinach leaves, salad leaves, basil oil.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5


I love salad. After the indulgence of Christmas this is just what I need to feel a little bit virtuous.


1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice into matchsticks.


2) Toss the salad leaves in basil oil and add the beetroot.


3) Crumble the goats cheese into the salad and add the pine nuts. It's entirely up to you whether you prefer them toasted or not. Personally in this salad I prefer them not to be toasted.

Vegetable crisps

Ingredients Sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, parsnip, olive oil

Preparation: 20 minutes

I'm not much of a crisp person - I tend to only eat them if I've made dips and need something to scoop up the gloriousness with, and since I discovered Fudge's I've been straying from what I call "posh crisps" (Kettle chips) and been using their nummy flatbreads instead. Now that it's autumn I'm very into flame coloured foods and root vegetables in particular and these vegetable crisps just make me feel like a kid kicking through crunchy leaves in wellingtons.

1) It's entirely up to you whether you peel the vegetables or not. I'm not a big fan of carrot or parsnip peel but I love potato peel so as you can see, mine are a mixture. You do need to peel the beetroot...
To get those thin, ribbons I use the potato peeler to peel the vegetables into strips. You could use a mandolin slicer if you wish but for best effect - go for the peeler.

2) Pat the vegetables dry with some kitchen roll, tedious I know but it really does make all the difference.

3) Either brush the strips with olive oil or pour a little in a bowl and toss them until coated and arrange them on a baking tray.

4) Bake in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes at 200 degrees. Carrot and beetroot will only need 5 minutes but the potatoes and parsnips will need 10.

5) Serve! These are fabulous as croutons in soup or to scoop up some dip. Some suggestions are: cheese & chive, Wensleydale & cranberry, Basil dip, roast pepper & goats cheese, spinach dip, rose tzatziki, avocado tzatziki, aioli, baked camembert, basil hummus and hummus.

Beetroot coleslaw

Ingredients   White cabbage, carrot, beetroot, eggs, mayonnaise: 4 eggs, lemon juice/white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, 1 pint vegetable oil

I have a confession to make... I LOATHE onions. I cannot eat them raw, they do not belong in salad or sandwiches and when I cook with them they are only ever the base of a sauce or soup for example... never an "active" ingredient. I do dearly love coleslaw though and think it is vastly improved from the acidic, randid, pungent slop once the onions are removed!

1) To make the mayonnaise: separate 4 egg yolks from the whites (discard the whites) and put in a large clean bowl to whisk (or use the whisk attachment on your blender if you have one). Add the lemon juice/vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly, adding the oil ONE DROP at a time until the mayonnaise is thick and glossy. You don't have to use all the oil - I like it quite thick but if it's too thick you can always add a little warm water to thin it back down again.

2) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice into matchsticks.

3) Peel the carrot and slice it into matchsticks (I cut it in half, then into slices, then slice the slices into individual matchsticks.

4) Slice 3 cabbage leaves into fine strips about the length of the carrot matchsticks.

5) Stir mayonnaise into the carrot, beetroot and cabbage with a spatula and serve!

Butternut squash & beetroot kebabs

Ingredients    Butternut squash, halloumi, beetroot,   1lb plums, 50g sugar, 3 cloves garlic, 4 scotch bonnet chillis, ginger root, lime juice

Following on from my soba noodles with plum sauce recipe - if you have any leftover plum sauce it makes a fabulously sticky kebab marinade!


1) Slice the butternut squash in half, remove the seeds and slice out the flesh. Cut into chunks and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, drizzled with plum sauce.


2) Once the squash has part cooked, slide onto kebab skewers along with chunks of beetroot and halloumi. Drizzle with a generous proportion of the plum sauce and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Beetroot & ginger salsa

Ingredients Ginger, beetroot, lemon, red onion, honey, olive oil, red wine.

1) Peel and finely dice 1 red onion and 3 thumb lengths of ginger root.

2) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Lay the chopped red onion in a roasting dish, pour half a glass of red wine over the onion and lay the 5 (small, plum sized) beetroots on top. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

3) Whilst the beetroot is roasting, put the finely diced ginger in a pan with the juice of 1 lemon and a glug of olive oil. Keep on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the beetroot is cooked.

4) Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, dice it and add to the pan of ginger with the onions and red wine. Add a generous squeeze of honey and if necessary a little more wine and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

This salsa will have enough heat from the ginger and pepperiness of the beetroot but if like me you are hopelessly addicted to spicy food then add as much diced chilli to the pan during the last 20 minutes as you can handle.
It's wonderfully versatile so watch out for a few recipes coming up which utilise this recipe. My personal favourite is shown here - spooned on top of a burger with a generous portion of warm goats cheese.

Beetroot and ginger soup

Ingredients 2 cooked beetroots, 1 sweet potato, fresh ginger, vegetable stock, orange zest, black pepper Optional coconut milk

1) peel and finely chop the beetroot, sweet potato and ginger and add into a hot pan with a knob of butter.

2) Grate orange zest, stir and pour in the vegetable stock

3) Simmer on a low heat until the vegetables are soft and parse through a sieve until the mixture is smooth.

4) This is gorgeous with a splash of coconut milk to cut the heat - personally I like mine the hotter the better so lots of ginger and black pepper to bring out the heat of the cooked beetroot.