Brown Sugar Beets

This is a quick one, and if you're preparing a big meal, you want to leave the very last 10 min before serving for its preparation. Can leave the beets for another day and just enjoy the stems/leaves as a vegetable side dish.



Ingredients:

beets - washed, with stems chopped in 2-inch pieces, separate from leaves. Use a vegetable peeler to take the skins off of the beet - or, if you already have the oven on, roast beets for 20 minutes in a 375 deg oven and peel the skins off.

brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
garlic
bacon grease

Roast sliced beets with olive oil/salt/pepper in a 375 deg oven for 20-25 minutes or when soft to taste (I like them a bit firmer than most, so it may take up to 35 minutes, covered with foil, to get it the way most people like it).

Just when the beets are done, heat a nonstick pan on HIGH with a splash of olive oil, minced garlic, and a dollop of bacon grease (a la Paula Deen, I keep some in my freezer). When the garlic starts to sizzle, throw in your beet stems. Sautee and let sizzle (still on high heat), while preparing the brown sugar. Mix about 1 tbsp of brown sugar and cinnamon with a tea-cup sized amount of water (or stock). It doesn't have to be too exact - just to taste. The sugar brings out the natural sweetness of the beets. Throw in half the liquid when the stems are looking dry.

Sautee until the stems are soft, about 2 or 3 minutes. Keep heat on high. When stems are almost edible, throw in the leaves and the rest of the brown sugar liquid. Season with salt and pepper, serve, with roasted beets laid neatly on top of the stems & leaves.