I love roasted beets. I also love quick meals. Sometimes after a long day of work, I don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen cooking. Instead, I’ve learned a little cheat for veggies that I would usually roast. I microwave them and then either finish them with a broiler, kitchen torch, or sautéed on the stove. Tonight, I went for the latter option and sautéed some beets after microwaving them.
One of the things to note is that when I’m trying to build flavor quickly is that I use a mix of similar ingredients to add depth of flavor, which is why I use both butter and olive oil, and balsamic and red wine vinegars. I also use higher heat and let the beets brown a little bit. These two tricks are what make the beets truly taste their best.
Ingredients:
- 1 beet
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute (from Trader Joe’s)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- sea salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Peel the beet and chop it into 1 inch cubes. Put them in a covered dish and microwave for 7 minutes or so. Drain any excess liquid.
Heat the butter and olive oil on medium. Add the thyme, 21 Seasoning Salute, bay leaves and garlic to the pan. Let cook for about 30 seconds before adding the cooked beets to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high. Sautee the beets for about 5-6 minutes, leaving it on each side for roughly 2 minutes so that you can get a nice brown on the beets. Add the vinegars, salt and pepper and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so. Serve warm.