Why Not Roast Those Beets? (recipe)

This is a great time of year to embrace the root vegetables in season. Yeah, we all know about the spud... in his many shapes, sizes and colors... but what about the beet?

If you are about to move on to another article, just give me a minute of your time. I think you might enjoy the humble beet. He has so much to offer you!

• One cup has only 58 calories!
• Beets are used for their detoxifying properties
• They are great source of folate, which is so necessary for healthy fetal development and for a healthy cardiovascular system. 

My grandfather used to eat by the color palate. He instilled in me a great love of a colorful dinner plate of food, and as colorful foods go... beets are on the top of the heap!

You are probably thinking, canned beets... blech! Well, unless it is the homemade pickled variety, I am right there with ya. My all time favorite way to serve beets is simply roasted. This method is both simple and really brings out the natural flavor and sugar of the vegetable.

Find beets that are relatively uniform in size. I prefer the smaller ones, because I think they have a deeper flavor. Just give them a little scrub, but don't remove the stem or root. If the greens are still attached, feel free to separate them for another purpose. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Make yourself a little foil pouch and put the beets inside in a single layer. Drizzle with a few Tbs of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Toss the beets to coat. Start checking your beets at 30 minutes. Your fork should easily go into the largest beet. Baking time will vary, but they will be finished before the hour mark.

Now the messy part! Beets stain, so prepare your work area. If you have plastic cutting boards, cover it with plastic wrap and a paper towel. I like to cut the tops and bottoms off my beets and then use a paper towel to rub the skin off. Easy! The skin should come off easily where you cut the top and bottom.

Now the topping... I enjoy drizzling a little low fat plain yogurt. I have so far made two I enjoy. One had mint and thyme mixed into the yogurt, and the other contains a more complex mix of flavors. I use a splash of lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and cardamom. It has a very aromatic and savory flavor.


Okay, now that is a good way to enjoy beets!