Roasted Balsamic Vinegar Glazed Beets

Aren't beets awesome? Look at them, aren't they the most beautiful colour? Anyway, I love beets and I made them for dinner tonight. Here's one of the ways I like to make them - roasted with a balsamic vinegar glaze

^ I can't get over their colour! and all that colour means they are high in antioxidants! ^ 

^ hot chillies, olive oil, fresh rosemary and balsamic vinegar ^ 

^ fresh whole beets ^ 

^ coated and ready to pop in the oven ^  

Recipe:
6 whole fresh beets
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a sprig of fresh rosemary
hot chillies to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

First, peel and slice the beets. Toss with olive oil, hot chillies, rosemary and salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees F in the oven for 40 minutes. While the beets are roasting, reduce your balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the beets are done, coat them with the balsamic vinegar reduction and serve. A lot of recipes for roasted veggies recommend roasting them in aluminum foil; I have found that roasting them in an oven safe pot (I used a cast iron pot) gives you the same results, but helps save money and the environment too!

Beets are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I eat them roasted like this, boiled, raw over a salad, and I even add them to my smoothies. I wanted to add a beet "fun-fact" to conclude this post, but I didn't come up with anything... however, I did find out that beets are thought to be an aphrodisiac... who knows if this is actually true, but it's pretty interesting- eat your beets people!

-M

Balsamic Vinegar Coated Brussel Sprouts

I am not fond of brussel sprouts at all! I have avoided them since I was a child but, recently, I found a package of brussel sprouts in my fridge, and decided to try this recipe inspired by Barefoot Contessa; now I am the biggest fan! Brussel sprouts are a great addition to your meal plans, as they are a cruciferous vegetable that are high in nutrients but low in calories. Brussel sprouts also have a high sulfur content, which is an important component in one of the stages of detoxification in the body.  

Although Brussel sprouts are very nutritious, people on anticoagulation medication, need to be careful when incorporating them into their diet as they are high in Vitamin K, which can interact with their medication.

After making this recipe several times, I have altered it slightly, to remove some of the salt and oil content. You may start to notice that in many of the recipes I will be posting that I substitute olive oil with grapeseed oil when I am cooking at high temperatures. This is because grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can withstand higher temperatures before it starts to break down, and lose its nutritional value.

Ingredients:

One bag of brussel sprouts (around 40 brussel sprouts)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

⅛ tsp of Kosher salt

Black Pepper to taste

3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

4 tbsp of chopped back bacon

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 2: Chop the back bacon into small cubes

Step 3: Wash the Brussel sprouts and cut them in half

 Step 4: Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and mix the bacon and brussel sprouts

Step 5: Add the salt and pepper

Step 6: Cook for 25 minutes or until the brussel sprouts have turned a slightly darker green and softened

*Try not to overcook brussel sprouts as this can contribute to more of a bitter taste due to the sulfur content*

Step 7: Remove from the oven and toss with the balsamic vinegar

Another way I like to make this recipe is by removing the bacon and crumbling on feta cheese after the brussel sprouts are finished baking (as I said, I looove cheese!)

-A