recipe: beets two ways

[Red stained fingers from the beets]

If you saw my recent Instagram photo of dinner ideas, you may be surprised by the photo above. I do have some big plans for later this week and as a result, I wanted to get my veggies in early. I have two recipes that make the most of fresh fruits and vegetables before spring is officially here. The first is an adaptation of Bon Appétit's Blood Orange, Beet, and Fennel Salad while the other is more a cooking technique than formal recipe. I couldn't stand to throw out the lovely greens that came attached to the beets. Turns out they taste almost identical to swiss chard! The stalk does leach a little red, though. 

Blood Orange, Beet, and Fennel Salad
For this salad, I most followed the prepareation according to the recipe, but changed the proportions. I felt the recommended amount of several ingredients, most notably the beets, is not nearly enough for two people, much less the 4-6 it is suppose to serve. My grocery only had mini golden beets so I used all red beets but mix it up if you can. I also changed the final step to serve the salad in a bowl instead of plated.


5 medium red beets, tops trimmed
5 medium golden beets, tops trimmed
3 blood oranges
2 medium navel oranges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 1/3 cup)
Good-quality extra-virgin olive, pumpkin seed, or walnut oil (for drizzling)
Coarse sea salt,  freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves


Cut beets from leaves, set leaves aside for second recipe. Wash beets and wrap in foil, leaving some water on the beets. Bake at 400 for an hour. 


Juice two of the blood oranges. Add the juice of the blood oranges, lemon and lime to a bowl. Slice the other oranges, cutting away the white pitch and/or peel and use as wedges*. Add to the bowl. Once beets are done roasting, peel. Add the beets, fennel, and onion to the bowl of oranges. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Stir. Allow to sit for a few minutes then serve.  To store leftovers, transfer to covered container with only minimal dressing. 


*Mixing slices and wedges adds interesting textures to the salad and are visually fun. Slice the beets in a combination of wedges and slices as well. 

Sautéed Beet Greens 
leftover beet greens from 10 beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

Cut the leafy greens away from the thick stalks and roughly chop. Wash and dry. 

[You only need to remove the thickest part of the stalk]

Heat oil in large saute pan and add red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add greens. Add one or two tablespoons water and cover, stirring occasionally. 

[Cover the greens to get them to wilt]

Cook for about 8 minutes, to desired texture. I like to leave them just wilted but you can cook them longer if you prefer.