Fall healthy eating

A good belly laugh relieves stress, propels creativity and is so good for your health, and I’m grateful to Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, for providing my daily dose of humor and laughter (I have no connection with the Daily Show; wish I had).

I think we can all use a break from the gloomy news and daily worries and I’d like to share this clip about fall eating with you:

On a slightly more serious note, fall seasonal fruits and vegetables are a great inspiration for healthy recipes—from sweet apples and pears to hearty root vegetables, pumpkins and squashes, chestnuts and mushrooms.

The New York Times Well blog asked nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden to create a list of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t, and at the top of the list were beets.

So I’d like to share a beet dish I make often.

Roasted red and golden beets, with reduced balsamic vinegar

Beets are easy to find, especially between spring and fall, and make for a very simple, delicious, healthy dish, that epitomizes fall color to me.

If you can find golden beets they make for a delightful color contrast with the red beets. They also taste really great.

Ingredients:

3 medium red beets, rinsed, not peeled

3 medium golden beets, rinsed, not peeled

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar for reduced balsamic glaze

Fresh herbs to garnish (chives, parsley or tarragon)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional- fresh goat cheese (chèvre)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place in pan in the oven.

Roast until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and slice beets. (Red beets can be peeled and sliced in advance. Golden beets change color when exposed to air, so slice just before serving.)

To make reduced balsamic glaze: In a small pan, over high heat, bring vinegar to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and evaporate balsamic until quantity halves and turns to a light syrup.

Drizzle reduced balsamic over the beets.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Garnish with fresh herbs, and add goat cheese if desired.

Enjoy,
Ayala