The BEST way to cook turnips? Roasted! These ruby red beets are oven roasted until sweet and caramelized, then tossed with orange zest and a balsamic glaze. So good!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Every Saturday my dad goes to the local farmer’s market and, when the season is right, comes home with a big bunch of turnips, which he then scrubs clean, boils, quarters, and marinates in oil and vinegar.
However, I can’t count the number of people over the years who have tried to get me to roast beets instead of boiling them. They have insisted that roasted beets simply taste better than cooked.
I have roast beets. Honestly, I couldn’t tell that much of a difference from cooked.
Until now.
The trick to great-tasting beets
Now I understand it. These beets are great! The long roasting caramelizes the sugars in the beets and adds all sorts of awesome flavors.
- Firstmake sure the beets are wrapped in foil to keep them from drying out.
- Second, cook them 20 to 30 minutes longer than you think you should.
I forgot to set the timer and when I took these beets out of the oven, they had roasted for a full hour and 45 minutes. There was so much caramelization that the shells were like candy. They were a little trickier to peel but wow was it worth it.
The orange zest and the balsamic glaze? double wow Like a firework of oranges and beets and balsamic in the mouth. These turnips are addicting. Pace yourself.
Store roasted beets
Store these roasted beets with their glaze in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Eat them cold or at room temperature.
What else to serve with roasted beets
Want to make it into a meal or serve those beets as a side dish? You can make an easy light lunch by simply adding some mixed veggies and poached chicken to your bowl.
As a side dish, these beets go wonderfully with roast chicken or pork chops. Enjoy!
More ways to enjoy beets
- borscht
- Beet Hummus
- Arugula salad with beets and goat cheese
- Red Flannel Hash
- Moroccan salad with grated carrots and beets
Roasted beets with balsamic glaze
ingredients
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2 lb beetrootmedium sized, scrubbed clean, green tips removed (See beet greens recipe for what to do with beet greens)
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2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
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Salt
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1/2 Cup balsamic vinegar
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2 teaspoon sugar
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1 teaspoon grated Orange peel
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Fresh ground black pepper
method
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Preheat oven to 400°F and line pan with aluminum foil
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Prepare turnips:
Put the beets in the pan. Rub olive oil over the beets and sprinkle with salt. Cover the beets with another sheet of aluminum foil.
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Roast beets:
Depending on the size and age of the beets, roast for 1 to 2 hours. After 1 hour, test every 15 minutes by pricking a beet with the tines of a fork. Once the forks go in easily, the beets are tender and done. Take out of the oven.
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Prepare the balsamic glaze:
While the beets are cooling, prepare the balsamic glaze. In a small, shallow skillet, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Heat on high until the vinegar has reduced to a syrupy consistency. Remove from stove.
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Peel and cut boiled beets:
After the beets have cooled for a few minutes but are still warm to the touch, peel and discard the outer skins. Cut the beets into quarters or bite-sized pieces.
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Pour the glaze over the beets:
Place beets in a serving bowl. Pour the balsamic glaze over the beets. Stir in the grated orange zest and season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with a little orange zest to serve.
Links:
Do they hate or love beets? by White on Rice Couple
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 78 | calories |
| 1g | Fat |
| 15g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
