Moroccan Roasted Beets with Pomegranate Seeds

Beets get a festive Moroccan twist with this easy and healthy recipe. Roasted beets, with a balsamic glaze tossed with pomegranate seeds and pistachios, served warm make for a hearty side dish. Save the leftovers and toss with greens for a lovely winter salad, during the week.

What is so startling is their color. Their brilliant hues continue to surprise me. Perhaps it is because it is so unexpected. Like gemstones, their rough exteriors do a good job of disguising what lies within. I  am reminded of something I once read.  Our purpose in this life, is to let what is inside of us, the deepest part of ourselves, come out. 

It can feel so vulnerable though. Scary even. Exposing who we really are requires a good amount of  courage. Our fears of other's criticism and judgement often win this internal battle. And our fears that we are not good enough stop us in dead our tracks. But when we hide, we all loose. There is something about each one of us, something amazing and beautiful, that this world needs.

Be brave. 

Beets are beautiful, aren't they? Each one is different. Like a finger print, their lines and patterns are so unique. Their colors, ranging from golden yellows, to reds, to deep purples are rich and intense. I am often baffled and filled with such gratefulness when nature provides us not only with nourishment, but with color and symmetry and beauty. 

To peel or not to peel? When roasting beets there is much debate over whether or not to peel them, and when. Some people roast beets whole, letting them cool and slipping off their skins. To me this seems to defeat the purpose. All the yummy flavor of the olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper, gets tossed.
Out of laziness I suppose, and the hopeful idea that the skins are really nutritious, I leave the skins on. Just make sure to give them a good scrubbing. If skins are not your thing, Ina Garten suggests peeling them first with a vegetable peeler, and then roasting them. This, to me seems to be the best way. But then again, like I said, sometimes I feel a bit lazy.

Toss with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven until fork tender. You could try adding a small pinch of whole fennel seeds or cumin seeds, for interest. Or not.

Roasting beets, just like roasting most anything does something extraordinary. It intensifies flavor. The dry heat of a hot oven concentrates the flavor of what you are roasting, and creates a nice caramelization. Beets naturally have a high sugar content and when roasted, their sweetness becomes even more concentrated. 

Then there are the pomegranates. Talk about color and symmetry and beauty. Could anything be more lovely? 

Tip: If you peel a pomegranate in a bowl, under water, you won't splatter yourself with bright red juices. The pith and skin will float up to the top... and the seeds will sink to the bottom.

Pomegranates add a surprising brightness to the dish, and really play up the beets color.

Make a quick balsamic glaze. 

I put a cinnamon stick in the reducing balsamic vinegar. I am not sure if I loved this. So leave it out if you are a not a fan.




























When the beets are tender, toss them with the glaze, pomegranate seeds, pistachio, and a little orange zest. Serve immediately and save the leftovers for salad the next day.

You are a unique being. You have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it. There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world--and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent, that is the spark that creates abundance. Expressing your talents to fulfill  needs, creates unlimited abundance.

― Deepak Chopra

Moroccan Roasted Beets with Pomegranate and Balsamic Glaze

pre-heat oven to 425F

Ingredients:
3 lbs beets (Scrubbed and cut into wedges not more than 3/4 inch thick. If you prefer not to eat the peels, peel with a vegetable peeler before cutting.)
3/4tsp salt
cracked pepper
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, fennel seeds ( optional)
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1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup

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1/2 C pomegranate
1/4 C crushed roasted pistachios
1 T orange zest

Roast Beets:
Toss beets, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper in a bowl to coat well and and place on parchment lined baking sheet and roast until fork tender, stirring every 15 minutes,  about 45 minutes.


Make Balsamic Glaze:
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
Place in small pot on med low heat, and reduce 20 minutes or until you have about 3 T

When beets are done, place in a serving dish and toss with balsamic glaze, pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Garnish with orange zest.

Garnish:
1/2 C pomegranate
1/4 C crushed roasted pistachios
orange zest