Roasted Beets, Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola by Gabriel Avila-Mooney

There is nothing quite like the ease and flavor of roasting beets. Robust, earthy and sweet, beets are a nutritious addition to your diet with a large variety of health benefits. One of the easiest vegetables to cook, beets can be roasted, steamed, boiled or even eaten raw.

Steaming and boiling
Many recipes call for steaming and boiling beets. Although these are quick ways to soften this delicious root vegetable, boiling can remove many of the beets nutritional benefits and steaming doesn’t bring out the beets natural sweetness.

Eating them raw
If you’d like to retain all of the beets amazing nutritional powers eating raw can be an option. Try this delicious Beet, Carrot and Citrus Salad recipe to get an idea of one colorful raw beet salad.

Roasting beets
The easiest thing to do when you get beets, whether from the store or in your weekly Full Circle organic produce delivery box, is wrap them in aluminum foil and toss them in a 350° oven. Cook them until a skewer or knife will just slide through with little resistance. Depending on the size of your beets they can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

For a quicker option, chop beets into 1-inch squares, toss in oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast these until tender, about 15-25 minutes. More surface area will give the beets an even more caramelized flavor. A great flavor that will go well with the recipe below.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 2-4 servings

Make this salad your own. Not a huge fan of stinky blues? Use a creamy goat cheese instead. Try substituting hazelnuts for almonds, walnuts or chopped pistachios. If using a milder cheese, try using a spicier green like arugula or mizuna.

Ingredients

3 medium sized beets
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup mild gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
4 cups salad greens, arugula, spring mix or spinach

Instructions

1. Cut raw beets into 1-inch cubes. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place on baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees.
3. Roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool until warm.
5. Toss with nuts, cheese and parsley.
6. Drizzle with vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
7. Place over a bed of salad greens to serve.

Notes:
To avoid beet staining your hands or cutting board, rub with oil prior to handling.

Source: Roasted Beets, Hazelnut and Gorgonzola – Full Circle