I got some beets earlier this week at the farmers market. Beets are a root vegetable, so that's why they are also called beetroots. Did you know that beet juice is often used a red food coloring? I also love that beetroots come in different colors, some come in red to purple, while I've also gotten yellow to orange beetroots.
One of my favorite ways to prepare beats is to roast them. You can also boil them too, either way cooking them will make peeling the skin off easier. Sometimes beets are served warm with butter, or cold as a salad, or even pickling them. I believe that pickled beets are more of a southern dish. I have yet to try borscht, a beet soup popular in Eastern Europe. I suppose I will have to try to make it one day. Hope you try beets if you haven't already before, I have found out that I really enjoy them in salads with goat cheese.
Roasted Beets
Ingredients
beets
olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the tops (greens) and the roots of the beets. Wash and scrub the whole beets to clean
off any dirt.
You do not need to peel them.
Place beets on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil over the beets
and toss lightly.
Wrap beets with aluminum foil to cover into a pouch. Place aluminum wrapped beet pouch on
top of a baking sheet. This will
make cleanup easier if any beet juices are released.
Roast in the preheated oven for about 1 to 1 ½ hours or
until beets are tender.
Remove from oven and unwrap foil carefully. Allow beets to cool.
When beets are cool enough to handle, you can easily peel
the skin off by hand. I just peel
them over the sink with the water running.
You can serve the beets warm or cold. Cut each beet into slices, serve cold
in salads or warm with butter as a side dish. I love beets and goat cheese together too.
Enjoy!
