Roasted Beets with Oregano

These are SO good when beets are in season. Try to use whatever beet variety looks good at your local Farmer’s market (red, orange, yellow, or striped!). Beets are a wonderfully nutritious root vegetable.

Kids tend to like beets because they are a bit sweet. I like the yellow beets because they don’t stain as badly as some of the dark red ones. When little kids eat beets, it can get a bit messy if you aren’t careful.

High in fiber, iron, folate and calcium (not to mention all of those cancer fighting phytochemicals), beets truly are a superfood. They can be stored (raw) in the refrigerator for weeks at a time. Here we are only using the root, but don’t toss those beautiful greens! Beet greens are delicious and VERY nutritious as well. Sauteed with a little garlic and red pepper flakes, beet greens are a great side dish. I usually roast the beets during the day and over the course of the day everyone picks at them so by dinner time, they are history! They can be eaten warm or cold, and SO easy to prepare.

FYI: This may sound funny, but if you eat a LOT of dark red beets in a sitting, don’t be surprised if a little later you notice that your urine is a bit pink or red. This is due to the fact that some people are unable to completely breakdown the red pigment in beets and so some of it passes through the body. So it might be worth mentioning if you have to see the doctor for a urine or stool sample within a day or two of eating them.

Okay, now here’s the recipe
1 bunch beets, rinsed, scrubbed, greens removed, and cut into 1 inch pieces
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
Leaves from 1 sprig (about 4” long) of fresh oregano (1-2 tsp. dried will work if fresh is unavailable)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Season with salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Tear off 2 pieces of aluminum foil, about 2 feet long. Place one horizontally and the other vertically over the center of the first one (making a cross)

3. Put beets in the center of the foil. Add garlic, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

4. Tightly close the top piece of foil over the beets (bring ends together and roll down to meet the beets. Repeat with other piece of foil. The tighter the seams, the less likely you are to have the beet juiced run out of the foil pouch.

5. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 40 min. or until beets are easily pierced with a fork.