Recipe – Roasted Balsamic Beets

Beets – something you have probably heard of, possibly tried, but never considered preparing at home. At least, that was my experience until last week when I received some unbeatable beets in the mail! Thanks to Pacific Coast Harvest, I receive a weekly delivery of fruits and vegetables that are grown here in Washington. It is so exciting to try new foods and recipes that I otherwise wold not buy on my own. This week I tried my hand at roasting beets.

Beets are an edible root of the beetroot plant. They pack in a lot of nutritional benefit. They are a good source of vitamin C (an antioxidant), iron, and magnesium, and a very good source of folate, potassium, and manganese. These nutrients within beets help lower blood pressure, aid in blood clotting, and impact brain health and nerve function. People monitoring potassium intake should avoid a high intake of beets at one.

The flavor is earthy with a hint of sweetness as beets contain 9 grams of naturally occurring sugar (per cup). One cup contains 3.8 grams of dietary fiber. They are a beautiful deep red and purple color but beware! Betanin, the pigment responsible for beets’ coloring, can cause your urine and stool to be tinged with red. This phenomenon is called “beeturia.” They will also dye your hands as you work with them. If you’re looking for a natural reddish purple colored dye, beets are a great option!

Roasted Balsamic Beets

This recipe only requires 3 ingredients: beets, balsamic vinegar, and honey!

Preheat your oven to 400*F. Begin by cleaning your beets. You will likely need a vegetable scrubber to remove all of the dirt and soil. I did not have a vegetable scrubber, so I opted to peel my beets first.

Cover each beet individually in foil and arrange on a baking sheet.

Place beets in the oven and roast for 40 minutes. Remove and allow beets to cool. During that time, you can start heating the glaze. Here you have 2 options. You can heat the balsamic vinegar and honey on the stove over medium-high heat until it boils then reduce heat and simmer until it is thick and bubbly, stirring occasionally. Or you can heat the balsamic vinegar and honey in the microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring every 15 minutes. Either way you will produce a delicious glaze.

Once the beets have cooled to a manageable level, cut off any remaining stems and roots. Slice them up and plate them. Top with balsamic glaze, season with salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy!

And there you have it! Delicious roasted beets. Despite a minor mess, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the flavor and texture of this recipe. My beets were honestly good enough that they didn’t really need a glaze. These earthy tasting beets had a bit of sweetness that the sourness of balsamic really brought out. This dish is fairly low calorie. For those who are looking to monitor their carbohydrate intake, use sugar-free syrup instead of honey.

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Roasted Balsamic Beets

Ingredients

• 4-6 small beets
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
2. Clean beets by scrubbing them and running them under water.
3. Peel all the beets. Consider using gloves to avoid staining your hands reddish pink.
4. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Once done, remove and allow to cool about 10-15 minutes until you can handle them with your hands.
5. As the beets cool, bring the balsamic vinegar and honey or maple syrup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer until has thickened. You may also heat the vinegar and honey in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
6. Chop off any stems and roots. Slice and plate. Top with glaze. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 2-3 servings