Roasted Beets

Beets are one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. We eat beets in my house about once a week in wintertime. I either boil them or roast them in the oven.
We eat them plain and also love them on salads. There is a restaurant that we go to, that has a salad with pear slices, roasted beets, goat cheese, glazed walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that is so delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3  Medium Golden Beet
• 3 Medium Red Beet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Clean and cut the ends off the beets. Make sure scrubbing well to remove any dirt.

Wrapped Beets

Golden and Red Beets

Center beets on aluminum foil and fold the ends and sides of foil to make a pocket. Place in a baking dish. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Check them after 45 minutes. (you can check by piercing a fork through the foil). Continue testing until the beets are cooked through. The time will vary greatly on the size and freshness of the beets.

When they’re cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to scrape off the skins. May be served warm or cold. They are the perfect ‘ready-to-serve’ salad topper, side dish or health snack.

You can transfer the beets to an airtight container and keep chilled until needed, up to a week.

Facts for Beets: Beets are low in calories; a cup of cooked beets contains only 50 calories. Beets are also an excellent source of Vitamin C, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Folate, Potassium and Manganese. They also contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers like colon cancer.

Beets come in all types of colors including red, yellow and of course, that well known purple color. The medium sized beets are more tender and tasty than the large beets. Try to buy beets that still have their green leafy tops attached, as they will remain fresher. The greens are sign of freshness of the beets. Choose the one with small leaves that are not yellowing.

Before storing your beets, trim the leaves 2 inches from the root. Do not trim the tail. Store the leaves unwashed in a separate plastic bag and use within 4-5 days. Wash when ready to use.  The root bulbs should also be bagged and can be stored in the refrigerator up to two weeks.

As the beet greens are very nutritious, cook them as you would fresh spinach leaves. Steam and serve as a side dish, or chop and add to soup.

Tips: To remove beet juice from fingers, rub with wet salt and lemon juice and then wash with soap and cold water.

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