Curtis Stone’s Oven-Roasted Baby Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

The earthiness of beets provides a nice counterbalance or alternative to a traditional, sweet cranberry sauce, and the vinaigrette with orange brightens up the dish. The beets can be roasted and the vinaigrette prepared ahead so that you can pull together all the components once you pull your turkey out of the oven.

Oven Roasted Baby Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

(Makes 4 servings)

• 2 bunches baby red beets, scrubbed, stems trimmed
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups (not packed) baby arugula

Vinaigrette:

• 2 oranges
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

To roast beets: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place beets, thyme, garlic, and shallot in center of large piece of aluminum foil, then fold up sides of foil to form pouch, leaving open at top. Pour oil and water over the beets and season with salt and pepper. Roast beets for 25 to 30 minutes, or until small paring knife can be inserted into center of a beet with no resistance. Set aside to cool slightly.

To make vinaigrette: Into medium bowl, finely grate orange zest from 1 orange. Cut off tops and bottoms of 2 oranges. Using small sharp knife, cut away peel and white pith from oranges, following curve of oranges from top to bottom. Holding 1 orange in your hand and working over bowl, make 2 cuts along membranes on either side of segment, then lift segment out of membranes and drop it into bowl. Repeat to remove all segments from both oranges, and set segments aside. Squeeze membranes over bowl of orange zest to release 1 tablespoon of juice.

Whisk vinegar, shallot, and Dijon into bowl of orange zest and juice. Slowly add oil while whisking to blend completely. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: Quarter beets and arrange them on center of platter with orange segments. Sprinkle arugula over. Drizzle vinaigrette over and serve.

Make-Ahead: The beets can be roasted and vinaigrette and orange segments prepared up to 8 hours ahead, covered separately and refrigerated. Let beets and vinaigrette stand at room temperature for 20 minutes and rewhisk vinaigrette before serving.

Per serving

• Calories: 196
• Total Fat: 10 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Sodium: 79 mg
• Carbohydrate: 22 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Diabetic Exchanges: 0.5 fruit, 2.5 vegetable, 2 fat

Credit: Recipe © Curtis Stone; photo by Ray Kachatorian