PINK Beet Veggie Red Bean Rice

If you follow my blog/instagram, you'll probably notice already that I have a kind of obsession with vibrant and colourful food! And this dish is no exception! Rice never looked this good right?? ;)

For pink foods, I like to use beetroot for savoury, and pitaya/dragonfruit for sweet stuff! Both gives a really awesome colour boost and of course, nutrition! What are your favourite 'pink' foods?

Another advantage to vibrant, colourful food is it makes it really attractive and fun to eat (a good way to disguise vegetables!!), perfect for picky kids who hates veggies! This trick works really well with a lot of kids that I know of!

This dish is also a very well-balanced meal, lot's of rice to carb up! Vegetables for vitamins and minerals, and red beans for protein (vegans can get protein mmm has)!

Recipe

• 2 - 3 c 'cooked' rice (I used short-grain Japanese white rice but you can use any rice that you prefer, I suggest white rice for this recipe)
• 1 regular can red beans (I used canned because it's faster! Rinse the beans if using canned)
• 1 - 2 c chopped, 'cooked' vegetables (I used boiled broccoli and roasted cherry tomatoes)
• 1 medium beetroot, peel and cut into slices
• 2 tbsp ketchup/tomato paste
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar/sweetener of choice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce/tamari/low sodium soy sauce
• black pepper, salt, chill flakes, dried herbs, to taste (optional)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200 Celcius, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the beetroot slices on your baking sheet, roast for about 15 minutes until cooked through (check on them to make sure they're not burning). *you can boil the beets instead of roasting if you prefer, but I find roasting gives a better flavour*
2. Put the cooked beetroot slices in a food processor along with the ketchup, coconut sugar, soy sauce, and seasonings. Add a little water to help blend. Process until it forms a nice puree consistency.
3. Toss the cooked rice and vegetables with the pureed beetroot mixture until evenly mixed. Enjoy!