Mashed Potatoes? Mashed Beets!

I've been experimenting with alternatives to using mashed potatoes as the starch to anchor a meal. I eat a lot of rice and quinoa these days, and quite frankly I get bored with them at times. Mashed beets are not in fact a starch, but for me they satisfy that craving. The consistency is somewhere in between a puree and a mash; if you wanted this thicker, you could omit or lessen the dairy ingredients. I suspect that the addition of a heartier root vegetable (turnips, parsnips) might allow for a thicker dish as well.

My husband is not a huge fan of plain roasted beets, so this was my attempt to make them more palatable for him. The dairy is totally unnecessary but renders a creamy, buttery consistency without making this totally unhealthy. My husband ended up eating two helpings!


Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 beets, cleaned and peeled, then cut into 1" pieces
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. milk (add to your taste)
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. Greek yogurt (add to your taste)
• 1 T. melted butter (optional)
• 1/2 c. finely diced fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. I chose to boil the beets on the stove in order to soften them, but I picked this method because I was short on time. Generally I prefer roasting vegetables because the boiling method removes a lot of healthy vitamins and nutrients. If you choose to roast, I suggest laying the beets across an oiled cookie tray and baking at 450 degrees until soft (roughly 30 min). 
2. Once the beets are softened, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the milk and yogurt gradually while you mash the beets, tasting as you go. I used an immersion blender for this part because I own neither a masher nor a food processor. Any of those three tools will work fine for this task. 
3. Add the butter and parsley and continue to mix.
4. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the dairy components if desired. I served this hot along with pan-seared pork chops and steamed broccoli. It's also good cold the next day, straight out of the refrigerator.