Beet

A touch of horseradish gives this cured salmon recipe warmth and a bit of bite, while the beets give it earthy sweetness and vibrant color.

This two-part cooking technique adds layers of texture – a creamy inside and a crisp outside.

This recipe is a variant of Color Me Pink and is a great way to add variety to a weight-loss program. Beets are substituted for the raspberries here. Trust me, it tastes great. The beet tops are not used in this recipe, but save them for another juice.

Boost your detox with some potent and bright beet juice. I love the pretty color of beets and their sweet and earthy flavor. The ginger adds a kick and some anti-inflammatory benefits. The lemon makes it all come together. And don't worry; I didn't forget about the greens either. A cup of kale should round things off perfectly. To good health!

This juice is a real energy boost, and it's great when you need a pick-me-up or when you need to fuel a workout. The fruit provides energy, while the beet increases endurance, and the celery and fennel push out toxins.

This robust, vibrant-color juice is packed with big flavors and energy-boosting nutrients to get you going in the morning.

Rather than fussily cutting the grapefruit into neat segments, Mattos cuts them crosswise into disks; he likes the slightly bitter flavor of the membrane itself.

A sparkling drink made blush with a tart beet granita. Ruby-skinned beets are an unexpected but welcome ingredient in cocktails: their high sugar content and bright hue make them an excellent, all-natural way to add a pop of color and flavor. Here, the beets are pureed into a granita, with spicy star anise and allspice to complement their earthy undertones, and then topped with a refreshing dose of prosecco.

This salad's secret? Combining raw and roasted beets delivers two textures from one ingredient.

The salty-sweet-sour umeboshi complement the earthy notes in the beets.

"This looks impressive, but it's simple to whip up," Bemis says. "It goes great with crusty bread and champagne."

McFadden always dresses his salads with the acidic components first so the produce can absorb some of those flavors before being coated with oil.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of FOX's MasterChef.

Effort Level: Plan Ahead While olives come in a diverse range of colors, shapes, and flavors, they all have a common denominator: a salty, tangy brine, that perks up milder ingredients like fish, chicken, and greens. So I challenged myself to find a low-sodium olive substitute for an olive-heavy dish. And I found the answer in pickled beets. Get ready to pucker up.

Burrata is a type of fresh mozzarella with an oozy, creamy center (its name refers to this buttery filling). Let it come to room temperature before serving.

Beets' red hue is pretty, but the stains—not so much. Scrub cutting board ASAP with hot, soapy water.

Scoop up this vibrant condiment with wedges of warm pita.

Meatless doesn't mean dainty. When making a veggie-centric sandwich, load up on aggressive flavors and contrasting textures, and be sure to add something substantial to sink your teeth into, like roasted vegetables, sliced hardboiled eggs, or mashed beans. This vegetarian powerhouse from Brooklyn's Saltie balances salty feta and olives with a salad-like mix of fresh herbs. Plenty of pickled, vinegary ingredients (this one uses capers and pickled beets, but any pickled veg would work) keep the full-flavored components bright.

This dish is a perfect side for roast chicken; or crumble feta on top for a vegetarian lunch. Quinoa freezes well, so cook a big batch, let cool, and freeze in resealable plastic bags until ready to use.