I’m always coming up with new ways to do beets. These Beets are really hard to photo for me but I tried my best.  I sort of braised the beets in a sweet and sour solution with onion, garlic and cinnamon. The beets got flavorful but not too much so I used that flavorful liquid to brine the raisins. Then I made the spiced walnuts and an earthy vinaigrette. Added a little mint and where’re done. Please remember to save at least 1/3 cup of the beet braising liquid to pickle the raisins.  They came out really great and taste better than the majority of beets I eat out. Don’t use yellow beets for this recipe. Yellow beets only come out nice on the stove top.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

2 lbs beets – (just the beet) (about 6 beets)

1 cup sugar

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1 large sweet onion – cut in 8 slices

3 garlic cloves

1 cinnamon stick – break in three pieces

1/2 medium lemon – just the juice for vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – for vinaigrette

1 teaspoon cumin – for vinaigrette

1 teaspoon paprika – for vinaigrette

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt – for vinaigrette

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup of hot beet braising liquid  – (to pickle the raisins)

1 cup walnuts – (for spiced walnuts)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – (for spiced walnuts)

2 Tablespoons sugar – (for spiced walnuts)

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper – (for spiced walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon cumin – (for spiced walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon course sea salt – (for spiced walnuts)

1/4 cup mint leave – loose – and lightly torn

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pan add the beets (well scrubbed and clean), a sliced onion infant of and behind each beet. Garlic and one third of cinnamon stick in three different parts of pan.

Add sugar, vinegar, water, 1 T sea salt.

Cover pan very well and leave in the oven till beets are fork tender. Around two hours. (during this time you should be preparing the walnuts…or if not you need to turn the oven back on for when you do the walnuts.

Let the beets cool on the counter but remove about a third of a cup of the hot beet liquid to pickle the raisins.

In a small bowl whip up the vinaigrette by adding lemon juice, cumin, salt, paprika and oil together and set to the side.

Now make the Spiced Walnuts.

In a small bowl add the walnuts and to that add 2 T olive oil, sugar, Aleppo pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Spread them out evenly on a baking sheet. They only need ten minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Remove after ten minutes and set to the side.

Now you have to put it all together.

By now the beets are cool enough to handle. you either peel the skin off or use a vegetable peeler. Cut them up in whatever shape you like.

Pour the vinaigrette, drained raisins, and mint leaves over the beets. Carefully stir. WAIT to add nuts to serve so they don’t get soggy. It’s not a lot of vinaigrette for all these beets but it’s enough to be flavorful.

These beets are interesting, flavorful and do differ from others I’ve tried….