Harvard Beets ♥

Today's classic vegetable recipe: Harvard Beets, perhaps the most traditional beet recipe out there, one with a long, storied lore. Harvard Beets are simple and delicious, just cooked beets warmed through in an orange sauce. Harvard Beets are one of the many great dishes you can make if you meal prep beets. Seasonal. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Freestyle Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free.

For ages now, I've been meaning to make Harvard Beets. When A Veggie Venture first launched in April 2005 and I was hungry for vegetable recipe ideas, my Auntie Meryl suggested them. And back in June, a commenter on Swedish Beets reminded me. Thank you both! Harvard Beets are delicious!

Harvard Beets are a simple, classic treatment for already-cooked beets, apparently first published in the Fannie Farmer cookbook. That said, I haven't yet tried her classic treatment, which calls for using the water in which the beets are cooked to make the sauce. That, I shall yet try.

But Harvard Beets are also good enough reason TO cook some beets. How do you cook beets? Well, my first pick would be to roast the beets, here's My Favorite Way to Roast Beets. But you might cook beets in water. Or you can grate beets for pan-fried patties. Or ... I could go on and on but just check here for lots of beet recipes. I may be the veggie evangelist but I am also a certified Beet Queen. ;-)

RECIPE for HARVARD BEETS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes (assumes beets are already cooked)
Time to table: 30 minutes
Makes 6 cups

This recipe calls for cooked beets, my recommendation for this particular recipe is to roast them, My Favorite Way to Roast Beets. This recipe makes a bunch but it easy to halve.

ORANGE SAUCE
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

SALAD
6 cups cooked beets, peeled and diced (from 6 medium- to large-size beets)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional pretty garnish: orange zest, chopped chive, chopped dill

ORANGE SAUCE In a saucepan large enough to hold both the Orange Sauce and the beets, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. (Be sure to work out any cornstarch lumps.) Slowly stir in the orange juice and vinegar, working out any lumps that appear. Bring the liquid to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter if using.

SALAD Gently stir the diced beets into the warm Orange Sauce, coating all the pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper, don't be shy. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with some pretty something. Serve at room temperature.

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe calls for a tablespoon of butter. But the first time I made Harvard beets, I accidentally left out the butter and didn't miss it. Happy accident!
The beets are rich and full of sweetness and flavor. A small serving feels like plenty so I'm providing nutrition information for both small and large servings.
All this is a good lesson in the usefulness of a nutrition analysis program. (I use a program called Accuchef). I omitted the butter, of course. But even afterward, by adjusting portion size and sauce quantity, the Weight Watchers points are very do-able.
Next time, I'll garnish with grated orange peel or bits of chopped chive or dill.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 35 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 0g Fiber; 9g Sugar; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS WW Old Points .5, WW PointsPlus 1, WW SmartPoints 2, WW Freestyle 1.5

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from Epicurious

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MORE FAVORITE BEET RECIPES

~ My Favorite Way to Roast Beets ~
(photo tutorial with tips & tricks)
~ My Favorite New Way to Roast Beets ~

~ How to Make a Roasted Beet Salad ~
~ Beet Salad with Sumac, Yogurt & Pita ~
~ Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream ~
~ Beet Pesto ~
~ more beet recipes~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Borscht Beets with Sour Cream ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes ~
~ Refrigerator Pickled Beets ~
~ Karelian Borscht (Finnish - Russian Beet Borscht Soup) ~
~ more beet recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

SEASONAL EATING: THIS SAME WEEK ACROSS THE YEARS

Turkey & Turnip Soup Low-Carb Skillet Supper Pumpkin Corn Bread Curried Squash Veggies Can Make You Sick (Special Report) Vegetable Pulao Brussels Sprouts Dijon “I Like Broccoli” (A Story) Harvard Beets Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup Spaghetti Squash Cooked Whole Book Club Books - My Reading Group's Book List Carrot Salad with Pomegranate Healthy Red & Green Green-Bean Salad Healthy Holiday Salad with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Dried Cranberries Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus

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