Brighten up Thanksgiving table with roasted beets
Beets are the perfect addition to bountiful fall feasts. They are satisfying without being heavy, and their rich ruby and golden tones add visual interest to any seasonal color scheme.
Plus, beets are incredibly flexible on temperature - serve them warm, room temperature or chilled - which is a huge bonus when planning food for holiday entertaining. Having a few dishes that you can make ahead can be a stress-saver when you are hosting a holiday meal.
Beets are more than just their sweet earthy flavor. They also boast ample antioxidants, fiber, folate, manganese, vitamin C, iron and pack almost as much potassium as bananas. Also, beets are what I like to call a two-for-one veggie. Buy the beets and get the beet greens (full of vitamin A) for free (rinse, chop and saute as you would chard).
Obviously, beets stain. Perhaps easiest (meaning the least beet-staining) method for cooking them is roasting them with the skin-on and wrapped in foil. Once the beets cook and cool a bit, you use a paper towel to rub away the skins (they slide off easily). The resulting roasted, peeled beets can be sliced, cubed or cut into wedges and served plain or used in any recipe calling for cooked beets.
If you roast beets until very tender, they can be blended into a dip (just add Greek yogurt, garlic and dill). You also can peel and cube the beets before roasting, but be prepared for stained fingers if you don't use gloves - washing your hands with lemon juice, baking soda or coarse salt will help to remove beet stains from skin.
Beets can be used raw for juicing, or try grating them raw for salads. Toss with grated carrots and a dab of mayo and vinaigrette for a bright coleslaw.
My holiday beet recipe uses the foil-roasting method, but to save time (if not money), you could use precooked beets you'll find in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle.
• Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the upcoming cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." Find her online at www.melissadarabian.net/