Caramelized Ginger & Olive Oil Roasted Beets

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When I was at the farmers market last weekend I saw some awesome looking beets.

beets

I had fun standing at the table and snapping pictures of beets.

beets

Oh yes, that’s me, with my big honkin’ camera, just taking pictures of dirty root vegetables.  Fun times!

I took all the pictures very fast. On the fly in less than 30 seconds because I haven’t lost all shame.  Plus, I didn’t want to “hog” the area from other shoppers in case they wanted to get rooty.

beetsBut aren’t these pretty?  

Many of you told me when I posted about Beet Juice the other day that you had never tried beets, or only had tried canned beets and weren’t impressed.  Nor should you be.   Canned beets scare me.

It’s time to channel your inner beet lover and turn you all into beet fans with this recipe.

 

 

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Caramelized Ginger & Olive Oil Roasted Beets

Peel 4 to 6 beets with a vegetable peeler (wear rubber gloves unless you enjoy the reddish pink cuticles and fingerprint look for a week).

Note: Some people roast their beets with the skin on.  I do not because I never feel like I can get beets clean enough and I’d rather peel them than eat dirt.  My personal preference, only.

Slice the beets into wedges about the size of an apple wedge.  Raw beets are very firm.  Much firmer than an apple.  More like a sweet potato so use a sharp knife and be careful.

Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and place the beet wedges in the pan.  Don’t skip the foil.  Clean up will go from an epic chore to easy-peasy by using foil.

Drizzle with olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp) or if you like coconut oil, use that!  Hemp seed, grapeseed, canola, and other oils may work also.

Sprinkle 1 tsp ground ginger over the top of the beets (optional but recommended)

Add salt and pepper, to taste (optional)

Roast at 350F for 75 minutes (possibly a bit longer), flipping once halfway through.  It is a bit tedious to flip them over one-by-one but you will get a nicer carmelization on each edge and it will be worth it.  If the beets seem dry mid-way through cooking when you’re flipping them, add a bit more oil.

You will know the beets are done when they have carmelized, are a bit black-ish or dark around the edges, and are fork tender (like a cooked potato or cooked carrot).

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Remember, don’t skip the rubber gloves when you’re working with beets.

Some holistically-minded moms I know who refuse to buy Easter egg coloring dye simply dye their eggs with beet juice.  Yes, strong stuff.

Red hands though may be worth it because beets that have been roasted this way are so naturally sweet you think you’re eating candy.   In that sense, beets remind me of dates and my Date Recipes Post, i.e. Nature’s Candy, because of both of their natural sweetness.

Beets prepared this way are easy, fool-proof, and are similar texture-wise to a roasted a potato, turnip, or carrot (texture-wise) and are nothing like the strange, jiggly-ish, slimy texture of canned beets.  Shudder.

Still not convinced you want to try beets on their own?

Mix them into this Ginger Roasted Tri-Color Potatoes recipe and break yourself in slowly.  You’ll probably end up picking out the beets and eating them first because they are sweeter and blow potatoes away, in my opinion.

Ginger Roasted Tri-Color Potatoes

Or add beets to Ginger Coconut Roasted Fennel & Mixed Vegetables

Ginger Coconut Roasted Fennel & Mixed Vegetables stacked in container

 

 

From my last post, Naturally Sweet, I like hearing what everyone’s been eating lately that’s sweet naturally.  Like pineapple and mulberries.   And lots of pineapple fans, too, apparently.

Questions:

1. Do you like beets?

I asked that question recently, and some of you said yes you love them!

And other people said you haven’t tried them.

And others said you’ve only tried canned and were skeeved out.

I really think roasting is a great way to break yourself into beets if you haven’t had them much previously.

2. Fave way to eat beets?

I prefer most vegetables raw rather than cooked (it’s a texture thing, mostly) but beets are one veggie that I prefer cooked.

I am “okay” with them raw and sliced thinly in a salad (thinly sliced raw beets, thinly sliced raw fennel, and dressed with a citrus vinaigrette like Orange Spice Vinaigrette is a common way to eat them) but I prefer their flavor when cooked and caramelized.

3. Weekend plans? Any Father’s Day plans?

Not sure what we’re doing yet for Father’s Day.

I do have to work all weekend but there will still be time for family fun, some workouts, hopefully some time in the kitchen, and maybe a photography date with my camera.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. Beets are one of my favourite vegetables. I LOVE them.

    I was away on Father’s day, so the hubby and I are taking my dad out for breakfast or lunch this coming weekend, and getting him a gift … I guess I better figure out what we are getting him!

  2. I really liked beets when I was really little, but now I’m not too fond of them. I’ll eat them mixed with other things, but I used to be able to eat them plain(!)

  3. this sounds delicious! beets are fantastic — I love beet juice. But beets with ginger is the ultimate combination. I love making beet chips drizzled with powdered ginger in the winter. but this recipe has made me want them now!

  4. Just yesterday I discovered my new fave way of eating beets:) I put them raw through my spiralizer and topped them with a basil cashew cream sauce. Very fresh and light. I really love golden beets but can almost never find them in my market:( will definitely try this recipe!

  5. Those beets look amazing! I really want to try to make them.
    My mom makes roasted roots (including beets) for Thanksgiving and they’re always a big hit.

    Your pictures look great!

  6. I’m off to the Farmer’s Market tomorrow, and was already planning on getting some beets… I love them roasted over salad, but I’ve been itching to try them in a dessert recipe too… I heard they’re fantastic in chocolate cake!

    P.S. your avocado banana ice cream was eaten in my house in like .5 seconds. SOOO good.

    1. good info about avo banana ice cream :) glad it was a hit!

      beets in cake…well many people who are adverse to using white/cane sugar, use beet sugar. I know too that you can use the whole beet, that adds lots of bulk/mass but yes, I bet they’re good!

  7. I do like beets but have never made them fresh. Your post has inspired me to try especially after seeing the gorgeous finished product!

    1. Oh you will love them. You are such a great cook, these will be a snap and you will never buy pre-made ones again!

  8. The only way I’ve ever had beets is the pickled beets that come in a jar. That’s so pathetic haha, I really need to give it a try and make some of my own!!