Roasted Beets with Blueberry Balsamic Reduction
I guess I must have seen this post for Blueberry-Chipotle Steak Sauce over at Jan’s Sushi Bar and filed it away in my brain. Because as soon as I saw the pile of Almost But Not Quite Dead Blueberries on the counter yesterday, I thought that I would make them into something different rather then send them to an early grave.
Last Saturday morning, I made the mistake of going to the farmer’s market with my Crossfit friends after a particularly grueling Hero WOD (“Morrison” for you Crossfitters out there). The mistake wasn’t in going to the market with my friends which is something I look forward to each week; it was going to the market hungry enough to bludgeon the clown that was there and steal his tip money to buy the nearest watermelon. So I came home with a ton of fresh fruit and veggies which is not necessarily a BAD thing, but yesterday I realized I still had beets I hadn’t eaten and blueberries that were going south. So I came up with this.
This reduction isn’t just for this recipe. I put it on pork chops tonight and it was amazing. It would also be good as a glaze over goat-cheese and chive stuffed chicken breasts. There’s a lot of possibilities.
I sliced the beets about 1/8 inch thick with my mandolin and simply tossed them in a Ziploc bag with olive oil and sea salt and then placed on parchment to cook without sticking at 400F for 10 mins each side. If you don’t have a mandolin, try your hardest to make sure the beets are sliced evenly; otherwise, some will burn while others don’t cook all the way through.
I topped them with a small chunk of local goat cheese and served the beets on a bed of arugula and sprinkled lightly with chopped walnuts and then drizzled the blueberry reduction. The flavors were amazing together – the smooth goat cheese and the tart reduction with the earthy beet and the peppery arugula. It was a great appetizer and had an air of sophistication while being really easy to make with only five ingredients for the reduction.
Recipe: Blueberry Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh
- 1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. cocoa powder
- 1/2 c. applesauce
- 2 tbsp. honey
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Immediately reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Using a hand blender (or remove from pan and put in a high-power blender and return to pan) blend until smooth.
- Cook for 10 additional minutes on simmer until thick.
- Serve over sliced beets topped with goat cheese and chopped walnuts.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 45 minute(s)
Diet (other): Gluten free
Number of servings (yield): 8
Page 1 of 2 | Next page