Hi Folks! Ok, I know, not my typical blog topic but I’m a serious whole foods cook/foodie and I’ve just gotta share this recipe ’cause my daughter raved about it for hours after dinner last night. And because it’s super easy. And because it has beets and they’re just a weird food to so many people but SOOOOOOOO delish and SOOOOOOOOO healthy.
As an aside, I grew up decidedly NOT eating the beets that so frequently accompanied my Jewish grandmother’s meals which she so lovingly prepared (Borscht and pickled beets with herring and sour cream were especially popular with my grandfather). They just looked, as my 18 yo said over dinner last night, “fleshy.” But now, I love ‘em (still haven’t gotten around to trying the herring and not a fan of sour cream, but love them beets)! Admittedly, this dish may be for adult palettes, and if you do serve it to your kids, remember beets stain clothing, table cloths, urine and pooh!
Super Simple Beets-a-’Licious with Balsamic Vinegar
- Wash 6 beets or however many you want to prepare
- Cut them into either 8 crescent/wedge shaped pieces each (i.e. cut ‘em in half the long way and cut each half into quarters the long way) or quarter-inch slices
- Put them in a pot filled with cold water
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender but not mushy (a fork should spear one pretty easily)
- Drain and put the beets into a shallow bowl; Cover with enough balsamic vinegar to cover the beets to half their height
- Let sit at room temp for about an hour, tossing them every 15 minutes or so to fully coat them in vinegar
- Strain the extra vinegar off (you can use the now beet-colored vinegar in a salad dressing for that meal – salad is a great accompaniment to the beets.
- Arrange in a lovely glass dish that shows off their color! Serve warm or chill first.
For variety you can: crush a clove of garlic over the beets; add a pinch of salt, use a bit of fresh rosemary, or try other vinegars, i.e. raspberry vinegar.
Sweet and sour and SO good!
Bon appetit!
If you like getting recipes from my kitchen, give me a shout out and I will post more.
I thought I hated beets when I was younger, but It turns out the ones I had jus hadn’t been prepared well. Since becoming a mama and a whole foods foodie, as well, i’ve found that I love them. I juice them often with carrots, apples, and ginger and they are just delish. I will be giving this recipe a try. Super simple and quick is my kind of recipe these days. Please do keep sharing! ~Kim
Beets are sooooo underrated. I’m so happy to meet fellow beet lovers. At the (real) market in Paris, one can buy parboiled beets, ready to prepare in so many delicious ways. Thanks for the great recipe
yes post more recipes!!
Delicious!! I have added scallions & sesame seeds too;)
Yes, please post more recipes! Thank you!
Love your recepes and your descriptions with them. I read them to my boyfriend and we pick which one we want to try next. We’re both overweight and are trying to retrain our eating habits and find your blog very inspirational. It’s not just the food, its your conversations, too that are helpful. Keep ‘me coming!