Beets Two Ways
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Ingredients
4-6 | Whole beets with tops |
1/4 cup | Olive oil |
Way One: Roasted
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F
- Cut two pieces of aluminium foil to match the size of a jelly roll pan
- Join the foil at the long edge with two folds
- Do not wash beets; keep them dry
- Cut tops from roots close to the junction
- Remove and discard spindly pointed ends
- Coat roots all around with a bit of olive oil
- Seal roots inside aluminium foil envelope on jelly roll pan
- Roast beets according to size:
- Raquetball size -> 1 hour
- Tennis ball -> 1:15
- Remove from oven and let cool briefly
- Open foil envelope and let beets cool to touch
- Using a butter knife, remove top, bottom and skin of each beet root
- Serve as desired: whole or cut, hot or cold
I don't worry about washing, as the outside is discarded.
I like the beets dry to let the oil adhere.
Way Two: Sauteed
- Warm a large nonstick frying pan
- Wash beet greens only if needed
- Make sure all greens are bone dry
- Cut stems from leaves
- Slice stems into 3- to 4-inch pieces
- Add olive oil to pan over medium heat
- Saute beet stems for 5 minutes
- Add beet leaves and continue the saute
- Continue until leaves turn dark green and shrink
- Remove from heat and let pan crisp bottoms of greens
If washing is called for, it can also be done after prepping the greens.
The saute can be continued for a while, if one likes the greens crispy.
Don't add salt; beet greens are naturally salty.