Every time I cook with beets or butternut squash, I marvel at how pretty they are. Just.so.beautiful.
When you put them together, it’s even better. Two jewel-toned vegetables playing off each other? Seriously gorgeous.
I didn’t even edit the color hues in these photos. That’s right, no make up. These guys are just this pretty naturally. Don’t we all wish that was us?
And it’s not just about their good looks. Roasting beets and butternut squash brings out their deepest flavors, that special sweetness that makes them as good as candy.
I know they’re vegetables. But trust me — you’ll be sneaking the little ones off the baking tray as if they were, oh, cake pops deemed too ugly to serve.
Yeah. As if they were cake pops.
For those of you not embarrassed to admit that you’re piecing together a Rosh Hashanah menu two whole {gasp} weeks in advance, this dish is a prime target. Especially if you like incorporating the simanim into your actual meal, as opposed to just the pre-meal parade.
Oh, and one more thing. I know most of you would serve this with fleishigs. The famed Rosh Hashanah brisket and all that.
But if not — this stuff is even better if you sprinkle it with feta cheese.
…I might have done that a few times.
Stay tuned for my Rosh Hashanah menu plan — post to come on Thursday!
Roasted beets & butternut
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 large butternut squash
- 3 medium-large beets
- olive oil (canola is also fine)
- nutmeg
- salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C. Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cut off the very end from the side of the squash that has the little stem, then carefully slice the squash in half with a large, strong knife. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and slice off the end from the second side (this is easier to do once the squash has been halved). Using a regular vegetable peeler, remove the tough outer skin. I always peel twice, and sometimes even three times, to get all the skin off. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place them on the prepared tray in a single layer.
3. Slice the ends off the beets and peel. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and place them on the prepared tray (in a single layer) alongside the squash. Beets stain, so be careful as you work with them.
4. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the chopped vegetables in oil. Sprinkle the squash with nutmeg and salt.
5. Roast for 1 hour, flipping vegetables over at the 30-minute mark. Toss gently in a serving bowl (to keep the beets from coloring the squash too much) and serve hot.
