Thyme Baked Beets

Recipe

⇸Ingredients:

• One Large Purple Beet
• One Large Yellow Beet
• 1 Garlic Head
• A bunch of Thyme
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil 
• 2 tbsp Crushed red pepper (optional)
• Mortar and pestle

⇸Preparation:

First step:

You will need to wash and cut the beets underwater if you don't want to get stained. Working with beets is usually a little bit of a mess, it bleeds out (actually, beets are used for homemade coloring; dye).

I like to use my Mandolin Slicer if I want them to look pretty and even, like the picture below. If you do not own a Mandolin Slicer I would suggest to cube them, since its very hard to cut them thin. Once you are done cutting them, dry them with a paper towel and set it aside, inside of the fridge.

PS: I would heat up your oven at this moment at 425F.

Second Step:

You will want to crush the garlic. 

When crushing the garlic, press your knife on top of the clove, until you see the skin break; peel off that skin. Garlic gets its taste from being crushed, so making sure that it's chopped or sliced is a big deal. After you peel off its skin, you can chop it a little and set it aside (you will use the garlic later).

Third Step:

Clean the Thyme. When I say clean, I mean take away the little leaves from its branches. 

This process takes a little more time, since the herb is very small. 

HAVE PATIENCE! 

Maybe put a movie on while you do this step, or play some music and have some wine.. 

Once you are done cleaning the stalks, put the leaves to the side with the garlic. 

Fourth Step:

Get the Mortar and Pestle, inside of it, add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and some crushed red pepper (if you like spicy). Now, get to work! In a almost round movement, press the garlic with the thyme and the other ingredients, repeat this as many times as necessary till it creates almost a paste, or a more homogeneous mixture. Once its ready, pour it over the beets and mix them.

Fifth Step:

Bake them! Put them on a lined sheet, I like to place them next to each other, never on top.

That way, they all cook evenly.. and even get a nice crisp. Leave them to bake for about 25min.

Checking on them to make sure they aren't burning, or one side is cooking faster (my oven does this, it's so annoying). Half way up, turn them upside down. I also like to increase the temperature to 450F at this time, so the beets can get a bit crispy.

Tip of the day:

When you place the beets in the fridge, they dry out and get crispier in the oven. This works for anything really.. if you like your chicken breasts to have a crispy and crunchy texture when cooking, this is what you have to do! Leave if out the night before seasoning in the fridge with no cover.

VOILA!

Enjoy them as a salad when they cool off, or a side dish.

Post your pictures when you make them! Let me see if you have any comments.