Recipe: Roasted Beets In Rosemary Dijon Dressing

If you've never tried beets, or just don't know how to cook them, you're in for a treat!  This time of year, beets are one of my favorite local veggies - sweet little garnet gems which can dress up a salad, add color to a stir-fry, or deliver sugary goodness when baked until soft and shriveling. I get plenty of them in my CSA this time of year, so this recipe offers yet another welcome way to prepare these tasty treats.

Tender Roasted Beets In Rosemary Dijon Dressing
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Beets! (Photo credit: Jim Carson)

3 lbs small tender beets
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 orange, juiced
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the beets well and trim leaving 1/2 inch stem and root intact.
• Place beets in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, add all the salt and pepper, then toss together to coat well.
• Place beets in a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet in a single layer, put in preheated oven and roast 40 to 45 minutes or until beets are tender; remove and set aside while you prepare the dressing.
• Make the dressing by putting into a large bowl the mustard, orange juice, sugar, and red wine vinegar, whisking to combine.  When combined, keep whisking while slowly drizzling in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and whisk until dressing thickens, then add rosemary, stir, and set aside.
• Now that you can handle the beets, rub them with paper towels to remove the skins.
• Cut the beets into quarters and put them in the bowl with the dressing, then toss to combine.
• Let the mixture stay out at room temperature for about 30 minutes so flavors combine.
• Serve at room temperature as a side dish or salad by spooning over mixed lettuce greens.

Recipe: Roasted Baby Beets with Greens and Grapefruit Salad

This unique salad idea will tantalize your tastebuds with the sweet earthiness of beets, countered by the tang of grapefruit. The beet greens are a mild, tasty addition full of vitamins. It's actually a pretty simple recipe, but is guaranteed to please the most gourmet palate! Plus it's absolutely packed with heart-healthy antioxidants and vitamins. This is a great way to use up some of those extra beets from your CSA!

Roasted Baby Beets with Greens and Grapefruit Salad

A bundle of organic beets from a local farm food co-op program. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

6 small-medium fresh beets with greens attached
1 medium ruby red grapefruit (and reserved juice)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot, minced very fine
1/3 cup light olive oil
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Trim greens off beets, trim any thick stalks, wash, dry, and coarsely chop fresh greens. Put in bowl and cover with plastic, refrigerate while preparing the rest of the salad.
• Scrub the beats, trim off any extra green tops or roots, then place them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle oil over beets to coat well, then fold the foil up to form a sealed packet around the beets. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and let cool until you can pull off the skins, then slice into wedges.
• While the beets are roasting, peel the grapefruit, making sure you remove all the white pithy coating.  With a sharp paring knife, remove each segment, making sure you do not include any of the skin.  Do this over a bowl so you can capture the juice. Set the segments and juice aside.
• Prepare the dressing by whisking together the reserved grapefruit juice, the red wine vinegar, and the shallots. When combined, start pouring in olive oil, whisking steadily until creamy, then continue whisking and add the salt, pepper, and thyme, whisking until just combined.
• To assemble the salad, place the cold beet greens on salad plates, top with beets, then with grapefruit segments. Drizzle the vinaigrette dressing over the top of each salad, then adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve immediately.

A Few Other Tasty Beet Recipes:

• Strawberry Beet Smoothie

  ---

• Wheatless Wednesday: Roasted Beets & Sauteed Greens

  ---

• Roasted Beets with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

  ---

Recipe - Quick & Easy Caramelized Beets

Okay, I know what you're thinking - beets??  Who eats those?  Actually Image via Wikipedialots of people do. Not only are they tasty, but they are absolutely FULL of amazing nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Plus they are pretty! :-)

If you are a member of a CSA, you've probably gotten some beets in your share at some point. We get them so often that even though I really like them, sometimes I am at a loss for what to do with them. They are quite tasty baked, but they take a long time to cook, and I don't want to heat up the house by running the oven for an hour (or more) in the summer. Sometimes I make refrigerator pickles with them, but it's a bit time consuming, and you have to wait a few days to eat them. Often I resort to just steaming them, which is fine, but they are a bit bland.

Here is a REALLY easy recipe I came up with the other day. Not only was it super-simple, it also tasted so amazing, this is now my new favorite way to cook beets!  (I let a friend at work try one, and he was so impressed, he said even his kids would probably like them.)

Quick & Easy Caramelized Beets:

Ingredients:
3-4 large beets (or 5-6 medium)
2 TB butter
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/3 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash beets well, scrubbing all over with a vegetable brush. 
2. Trim off root end and discard. (You may peel if desired - I just scrubbed well, and peeled off a couple of "scruffy" looking spots, but left the rest of the peel on.)
3. Slice in thin, uniform slices, about 1/4" thick. Discard stem end.
4. Melt butter in large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, until hot.
5. Add beet slices, stir well, and cover tightly. Lower heat to medium-low.
6. After about 5 minutes, remove lid, stir well, and add mustard, salt, and pepper.
7. Cover and continue to cook about 15 more minutes, stirring well every 5 minutes or so. If they seem to start to get dry, or stick, add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
8. When done, beets should be very tender, and may be starting to caramelize around the outer edges. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
9. Serve hot. 

Makes a good side-dish for stuffed squash or zucchini, grilled meats, steak, or just about anything else!

Caramelized Beets & Stuffed Patty Pan Squash