I spent my childhood picking beetroot out of hamburgers. I spent my teenage years simply stubbornly refusing to eat even the smallest piece of beetroot in any form, no matter how hard my mother tried to hide them. Then in my twenties, I tried beetroot for the first time….and well, well, well, what do you know, it turns out that I actually LIKE it. More than like, I really like it. So much that I can eat it plain, whether they be fresh ones just boiled or roasted or even straight out of the can. I also had the same revelation with avocado, couscous and blue cheese, amongst other things that kids typically refuse to eat then grow to love! “Toss these glazed beetroots with leafy greens and you’ll have an instant, self-dressing salad.” This dish is a classic example of how you can make amazing food without spending a lot and with just a few ingredients. All you need is 1 can of baby beetroots, 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar (it doesn’t need to be an expensive one) and 3 tbsp brown sugar. A sprinkle of thyme leaves is a great finishing touch if you have it – thyme and beetroot go together like tomato and basil.
“The flavour of this is so intense that you can serve it with a grilled piece of meat seasoned with just salt and pepper. The glaze doubles as a sauce too.“ Using canned beetroot is cost effective, convenient and it’s really delicious. But you can take this from really delicious to amaaaazing by making this with fresh beetroot. Either baby beetroots or large ones cut into bite size pieces, and they can either be boiled or roasted. So I’ve included directions to make this with both canned and fresh beetroots. This lasts well in the fridge for a week. After that I find the glaze gets a bit thinner. I serve it on the side of beef or lamb grilled with very simple flavours, sometimes even with just salt and pepper. The glaze is thick and sweet and has the intense flavour of balsamic vinegar so it doubles as a sauce for the meat as well. It is also great in salads, as you can imagine. You don’t even need a dressing, just toss the glazed beetroot with some leafy greens and you have an instant, self dressing salad. Hope you give it a try! It really is amazing what a splash of balsamic and sugar can do to transform a can of beetroot!
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