Roasting beets intensifies their flavor, brings out their earthy sweetness, and makes their peels as easy to peel off as an over-sized sweater. Like roasting any vegetable, it’s pretty simple.
OK… to peel or not to peel, that is the question.
To Peel,the pros- Your done with the preparation, the olive oil and the pepper absorbs into the beets better.
To Not to Peel-the con’s- Your hand get don’t get nice and stained red. The skins can be tough to peel.
Here’s my easy roasting guide that will make you an expert.
1. Start With Fresh, Firm Beets
Start with beets that are firm. If the beets came with their greens still attached, as pictured above, cut off the greens and the root end and wash them, some folks keep the greens for other uses.
Rinse any dirt from the beets—some beets may need to be scrubbed clean
2.Drizzle Beets With Oil and Cracked Pepper Before Roasting
Drizzle the beets with a bit of oil before roasting. I like to use olive oil but grapeseed oil or canola oil work just fine, too. Sprinkle the beets with pepper too, if you like.
4. Make a Foil Packet for Roasting Beets
For an even roasting of the beets, fold the foil over them and crimp to seal the sides closed. This helps keep them moist, it also helps contain the staining juices make clean-up a snap.
Roast beets until tender. The amount of time this will take can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors:
- The size of the beets
- How beets there are
- If other things are in the oven
- How fresh the beets are (fresher beets cook up faster)
For smaller beets, start checking them for tenderness after they’ve been roasting for about 25 minutes. Larger and older beets can take up to an hour.
5.Let Beets Cool
Remove the beets from the oven when they’re tender (you should be able to easily pierce them with a knife). Open up the foil packet and let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle.
Roasted Beets, Ready to Serve!
The Method!
6 medium beets scrubbed, leaves trimmed (red or gold)
DIRECTIONS
Deconstructed Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad
Honey Balsamic Dressing
1 past balsamic vinegar
1-2 parts olive oil
3 tbl honey
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
In large bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar and honey. Add the pepper, mustard and garlic whisk until well blended. While continuing to whisk, slowly add the olive oil. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
The Salad
4 oz. fresh arugula
4 oz fresh spinach
¼ cup Honey Balsamic Dressing
3 cups fresh roasted beets (diced)
2 avocadoes, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries
10 oz. goat cheese
5 oz. walnuts, sugar glazed
Cracked black pepper
Separate goat cheese into 10 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball and flatten to create patties; coat each goat cheese patty with chopped walnuts. Arrange the greens on a large platter; evenly drizzle Honey Balsamic Dressing over arugula. Spread the fresh roasted beets, avocado and cranberries evenly across to top of the arugula.
Place the pieces of goat cheese down the center of the plate. Garnish with cracked black pepper and serve.
Sugar Glazed Walnuts
Ingredients for Candied Walnuts:
1 cup walnut halves/pieces (you can also use this recipe for candied pecans)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar (not coarse sugar)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
How To Make 5 Minute Candied Walnuts:
1. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp butter.
2. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently (with a heat proof non-plastic spatula) so your mixture doesn’t burn (especially towards the end). When the sugar mixture starts melting, stir constantly until all sugar is melted and nuts are coated.
3. Transfer immediately onto a sheet of parchment paper and separate the nuts right away. Using two spatulas will make this task go faster.
You don’t want to give the nuts a chance to turn into a wad of inseparable delicious goodness unless you are the only person who will be enjoying the wad ;). Seriously, move quickly from the time the nuts are coated until they are separated out on the parchment paper.
Once the coating hardens (5-7 minutes), you can transfer them to a bowl and either inhale them right then and there or save ’em for a salad or something.
