Roasted Beets with Cinnamon Stick and Fennel Seeds
Description
This recipe ups your roasted beet game a good bit by incorporating the earthy, warm, woodsy and sweet fragrance and flavor of cinnamon and the herbaceous, licorice flavors and smells of fennel. As the beets roast, they take on some of the characteristics of the cinnamon and fennel, while still allowing the beets to shine as the star instead of an attendant. Don't be temped to simply sprinkle ground cinnamon onto the beets or you'll find that the beet's tiara has fallen off and given way to the much more assertive flavors of cinnamon and you'll be able to taste nothing else.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350*.
Line a casserole dish with aluminum foil.
Peel and quarter the beets and place them in the casserole dish. Peel carrots and integrate them into the beet mix.
I usually keep the red beets separate from the golden beets as much as I can because the red beets will dye the golden beets. However, it makes little difference to the taste.
Toss the broken pieces of cinnamon stick into the casserole, making sure to distribute the pieces around and not clump them in one place. Sprinkle the fennel seeds across top of everything and cover with aluminum foil.
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Check for doneness after about 45 minutes and roast longer as necessary. The beets should be fork tender, but not mushy.
Serve over polenta as a side for salmon, roast chicken, braised short ribs, lamb chops or other earthy fare. You can also serve them by themselves as a lovely side for almost any protein.
