Super Natural Beet & Lavender Sorbet - SOS Kitchen Challenge

When superfoods are mentioned, most people think of goji berries and other exotic edibles that come from faraway lands. Well I have some news for you folks: beets are a superfood too! And a versatile one since you can have beets raw or cooked, sweet or savory and warm or cold...

"Beets contain vitamins A, B and C as well as iron, calcium, manganese, potassium, zinc, asparagine, betaine (a substance that regulates gastric pH and facilitates digestion), bioflavonoids & natural sugars. Beets are also known for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxifying, immuno-stimulant (by improving cell respiration and tissue oxygenation) & rejuvenating properties. Beets also help stabilize the body's pH (acid-alkaline balance), can help treat chronic infections, skin problems, cancer (particularly leukemia), inflammatory bowel disease and liver disease. Beets may help prevent and treat heart diseases and rheumatoid arthritis."

From "The Complete Guide to Nutritional Health" by Pierre Jean Cousin & Kirsten Hartvig

Here's my humble contribution to the SOS Kitchen Challenge:

SUPER NATURAL BEET & LAVENDER SORBET
(grain free, dairy free, nut free, egg free and sugar free)
Makes 4-6 popsicles (depending on the size of your molds)

Ingredients:

• 1 decent size organic red beet (or 2 smaller ones)
• 1 cup boiled water
• 1 or 2 tsp pesticide free/organic dried lavender (food grade)
• 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1 or 2 tbsp raw honey

1. Wash, peel and cut the beet(s) into pieces. Steam for about 15-20 min or until tender, then let it cool a few minutes.
2. Prepare a tea with the lavender by infusing 1 or 2 tsp of lavender with 1 cup of boiled water for 5-10 minutes (depending on how strong you like it). Then strain the tea.
3. Put the beet pieces and the lavender tea in a large bowl and puree thoroughly with a hand blender.
4. Add the vanilla and 1 or 2 tbsp of honey and puree some more until everything is well blended (give it a little taste to adjust the sweetness if necessary).
5. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze the sorbet for a few hours.
6. Enjoy ;)!

Tips & Tricks:

• Make sure that you're using fresh beets. Older beets will have a more earthy and even slightly bitter taste.
• I used 2 tbsp of honey and found the sorbet very sweet.
• The sorbet tastes a little different once frozen: the sweetness is noticeable, the lavender (and its slight bitterness as a strong tea) is toned down as well as the earthiness of the beet.

To find out more about the SOS Kitchen Challenge, go to: http://www.affairsofliving.com/sos-kitchen-challenge/