How many of you saw the title of this post and thought, “Beets? I’m not crazy about beets.” If that’s you, then WAIT!! I promise, this recipe is for beet-lovers and those who don’t think they love beets. The beet is an too-often ignored veg that is super healthy and super easy (can we ask for more?!). But the beet is too-often paired with goat cheese. Yes, I said it. Although goat cheese make my top ten list of favorite foods, beets are so much more than just one of goat cheese’s BFFs. Here’s a fantastic example of the versatility of beets — try it and you’ll be a convert!
Click here to download the recipe sheet: Roasted Beets with Garlic and Walnut Sauce
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min (50 min, inactive) Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 large beets, trimmed of greens and root
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts, whole or pieces
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Time to clean the beets. Beets look great on one end, with their bright red and green tops, and a bit dodgy on the other, with their long roots. Don’t worry about either — just chop them off.
After you’ve trimmed the beets, give them a good washing with warm water.
NOTE: Produce does not need any special washing cleanser — just good ‘ole warm water. Yes, it has been proven that rubbing produce with your bare hands under warm, running water is as effective as expensive rinse agents, without the potentially harmful chemical residues. Your skin is perfectly abrasive and gentle at once. This goes for any produce, all the time, period.
Place the clean beets in the center of a small piece of aluminum foil, but do not dry them — the extra moisture will help them steam.
Carefully fold the edges of the foil over the top of each beet and then roll up each side, creating a perfectly tight package.
Throw the beets onto a roasting pan or cookie sheet and place them in the oven. Leave them to roast for around 70 minutes (beets should be knife, not fork, tender after roasting, although I just assume they’re ready and never check them…). After time ends, take the beets out of the oven and allow them to cool.
NOTE: The beets can be roasted ahead of time and left for a few hours at room temperature.
While the beets are cooling, prepare the garlic and walnut sauce. Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan and toss in the peeled garlic.
Cook the garlic gently over medium-low heat. Garlic burns easily, so be sure to take it slowly. As the garlic begins to sizzle, turn the cloves multiple times so they brown on all sides. They will cook for 6-8 minutes until brown.
Once the garlic is gorgeous and your kitchen smells like heaven, pour in the walnuts and cook them, turning occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes.
After the garlic and walnuts have toasted, pour the entire mixture, including the oil, into a food processor (I have a fantastic little food processor that makes this so quick and easy).
Puree the mixture (pulsing is best) until it reaches a chunky consistency — I like to maintain a slight crunch from the walnuts, not a nut paste.
The beets should be cool and ready to peel. Peeling roasted beets is a cinch. The only detail is that the tips of your fingers may turn pink… If you’d like to avoid pink finger tips, peel the beets with a paper towel. To peel them, simply slide your fingers (with or without a paper towel) across the surface of the beet — the skin will come right off.
Continue to peel each beet until they are skinless.
Chop each beet into bite-size pieces. However large or small is up to you. I like the pieces to be big enough to chew, but small enough so I can eat multiple pieces at a time.
Place the chopped beets and the garlic and walnut sauce together in a bowl and mix gently (don’t smash the beets!).
This dish is a fantastic accompaniment to any hearty entree. I love to eat it with a juicy steak (the beets pair with the meat as well as a glass of red wine!).
CLICK HERE to download the recipe sheet.
Girata Kitchen 