This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
My Mother-In-Law also gave me a good way to cook beetroot: Leaving the tail and 2″ of stalks (and reserving leaves for salads) prick each beetroot two or three times, put them in china or glass bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water, cover with clingfilm, pierce, then blast for 4 – 9 minutes depending on size.