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Why beets
Beets are not only delicious and super-nutritious, they are beautifully colored and a feast for the eyes. From the deep purple to the golden yellow variety, they are sweet and earthy. Roasted beets can brighten any salad or other recipe you want to use them in.
Why roasting
As I was growing up in France, my mother would buy pre-cooked beets at the farmer’s market. A small bundle of sweet goodness that was ready to peel and eat as is… It’s not until I moved to the US that I discovered you could buy raw beets!… I imagined the pre-cooked version I ate growing up resulted from complex magic the farmer performed behind closed doors.
At first I tried canned and jarred beets. They were disgusting to me, and very far from the taste I was used to. Then I researched cooking methods. I experimented on a few bunches of raw beets until I found the best method for me: simply roasting!
Other methods include boiling or steaming, but I find they lose some of the taste and nutrients. Roasting locks in the flavors and concentrates the sweetness. Plus it’s super easy.
How to eat beets
You can eat beets raw, shredded or sliced very thin. They are crunchy and not as sweet as roasted beets, but equally interesting.
Roasted beets keep very well in the refrigerator (a week or more), and freeze well too.
My favorite way to eat roasted beets is with a simple vinaigrette. A bit of shallots or red onion and a bit of parsley or chives. Another classic combination is to toss them with greens, fruit, cheese and nuts. For example Belgian endives or arugula, an apple or pear, feta or blue cheese, and walnuts or pecans.
Or you can try this Warm Kale Salad: a Nutritious Winter Meal.
Tip: If you buy a bunch of beets with leaves attached, make sure you save the greens. You can eat them too, they’re an excellent leafy green. A quick sauté in olive oil is my favorite.
Give it a try!
Check out these other recipes:
Warm Kale Salad: a Nutritious Winter Meal
Roasted beets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb red beets raw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
- Scrub beets clean, cut the stalks close to their base and cut the thin root if it is too long.
- Wrap each beet in aluminum foil, placing the cut stalk side at the bottom for stability and to ensure even roasting, if possible.
- Place aluminum packets on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. If your beets are larger than 2" diameter, you may need to increase the cooking time to 1 h 15 min or more.
- Once the aluminum packets are cool enough to handle, you can either use the beets now or transfer them to the refrigerator in their foil. Make sure your foil packets do not leak any liquids before doing that, and place them on a plate or in an airtight container to prevent any leaks in your refrigerator.
- When ready to use, unwrap and peel. The peel should come off very easily with your fingers or with a knife. (I recommend using gloves to handle beets otherwise your hands might be stained for days…)
- Use in your favorite recipe…
Another way for cooking the beets : slow cooker! Alone or with other root vegetables ( carrots, onions, potatoes, turnip, …) or pumpkin, or mushrooms, as you like, with salt, pepper, thym, and 1tbls olive oil …. Fantastic autumn smell …. and good serving with pork, turkey, chiken,….
Great ideas! Carrots or pumpkin sound particularly interesting as they would create a gorgeous color combination!
Another way to eat beets, especially in the summer,fresh from the garden. Wash them well and peel them raw.(.Like a potato or carrot) Slice them thin. if you soak them in cold water they will “bleed” and there is white streaks in them. I usually don’t soak them, Add them to a relish tray with carrots,celery ,etc, They are crunchy and have a sweetness. My aunt introduceed us to this back in the 50’s. Love them that way also. When I cook beets for beet pickles I always have to snitch one and cut it up with butter and salt and pepper.So Good.
I love raw beets too, I usually shred them and let them soften with a bit of salt and vinegar.
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