Roasted beets & butternut (Plus: Giveaway + Rosh Hashanah Blog Party!)

By Tali Simon | September 4, 2012

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!

One year ago: Teriyaki tofu

Welcome to the first-ever Jewish Holiday Blog Party, hosted by Jessie of Taste and Miriam of Overtime Cook, and sponsored by KitchenAid!

To kick off the celebration, Levana Kirschenbaum is giving away three copies of her fabulous new book, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen!

To enter, leave a comment on this post answering this question:

What is one thing you’ll be cooking for Rosh Hashanah?

Limit one entry per reader per blog, so click over to the other participating blogs below for your chance at additional entries! Giveaway ends 5 a.m. EST on Sep. 11, 2012. Prizes are sponsored by Levana and available to readers from all blogs participating in the Rosh Hashanah Blog Party. Prizes can only be shipped within the U.S. (Interested in participating in a future Jewish Holiday Blog Party? Email holidayblogparties@gmail.com.)

…And now for the food!

Check out these 29 Rosh Hashanah-themed recipes to jump-start your own menu plan:

Challah & Bread:

Marlene of The Jewish Hostess made Apple Challah
Amanda of The Challah Blog made Pomegranate Challah
Shelly of The Kosher Home made Apple, Honey and Pomegranate Challah

Sides, Salads & Starters:

Sarah of Food, Words, Photos made Tzimmes (Rosh Hashanah Carrots)
Tali of More Quiche, Please made Roasted Beets & Butternut Squash
Roberta and Lois of Kosher Eye made Simanim Salad
Chanie of Busy In Brooklyn made Pomegranate Coleslaw
Rivki of Life in the Married Lane made Super Salad
Hannah of Cooking Manager made Beets Marinated with Ginger and Garlic
Sina of The Kosher Spoon made Pomegranate, Almond and Raisin Couscous
Shulie of Food Wanderings made Rosh Hashanah Salad
Hindy of Confident Cook-Hesitant Baker made Warm Roasted Beets with Farro
Sarah of Kosher Street made Sweet Potato Apple Tzimmes

Main Dishes:

Jessie of Taste made Smoked Salmon
Samantha of The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Chicken with Dates
Michele of Kosher Treif Cooking made Coconut Chicken Strips with Two Dipping Sauces
Melinda of Kitchen Tested made Key Lime Glazed Duck
Stephanie and Jessica of The Kosher Foodies made Chicken Braised in Pomegranate
Liz of The Lemon Bowl made Beef Brisket
Estee of Anyone Interested? made Easy Breazy 5-Minute Brisket

Desserts & Drinks:

Miriam of Overtime Cook made Mini Apples and Honey Tarts
Laura of Pragmatic Attic made Fresh Ginger Honey Cake
Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Honey Caramel Apple Galette
Danielle of Hugs and Cookies xoxo made The World’s Best Rugelach
Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat made an Apple and Honey Cocktail
Nick of The Baking Process made Apple and Date Honey Squares
Lisa of The Monday Morning Cooking Club made Honey Chiffon Cake and Traditional Honey Cake
Leah of Cook Kosher made Pomegranate Ice Cream
Nossi of The Kosher Gastronome made Non-dairy Key Lime Cheesecake Bar with Key Lime Caramel

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.

36 comments • Pareve Recipes • Side Dishes
Tagged as: beets • butternut squash • pareve • roasted • rosh hashana • side dish • vegetables
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36 Comments

Devora on September 4, 2012 at 1:15 pm.

Sweet turkey breast

Jenny on September 4, 2012 at 2:12 pm.

beH ill be making round challahs and serving drizzled with honey!

Rena on September 4, 2012 at 3:12 pm.

Pomegranate salad. I made it last year and it was a big hit.

Miriam @ Overtime Cook on September 4, 2012 at 3:13 pm.

I’ll admit that beets are really not my thing, but I love LOVE the addition of nutmeg to the butternut squash! Gonna try that next time!

Ahuva Kopel on September 4, 2012 at 5:10 pm.

Beets are nature’s candy. This Rosh Hashanah I will be serving Honey-Whole Wheat Challah.

Laura on September 4, 2012 at 5:10 pm.

Ooh, this sounds so good. I think I might make this for Rosh Hashana. And I also love the idea of feta with it, but that idea will have to wait. I bet this would be good cold, too, with lettuce and dressing as a salad.

elana on September 4, 2012 at 5:12 pm.

we have a kind of made up siman that a lot of other ppl do too ive heard – “lettuce have a raisin celery”. so i do a salad of lettuce, golden raisins, celery diced fine, and some sliced apple with a dressing of mayo,sugar, some vinegar (we use vinegar on rosh hashana) and garlic powder.

Liz @ The Lemon Bowl on September 4, 2012 at 5:29 pm.

Beets are one of my favorites!!! I’m excited for the weather to cool down – love roasting them!!

Shaindy on September 4, 2012 at 5:37 pm.

carrot tzimmes!

ABC on September 4, 2012 at 5:45 pm.

Going away, but contributing the butternut squash soup.Sans beets, sorry!

Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat on September 4, 2012 at 6:35 pm.

Ooh yum I love beets- this looks great!

Michele on September 4, 2012 at 6:49 pm.

I love beets. I can eat them raw but I think I might even be able to talk my family into eating them if I use this recipe. So yummy sounding!

malka on September 4, 2012 at 7:17 pm.

HONEY CAKE! Best recipe ever from Shomrai Emunah Nursery School!

Chanie@BusyInBrooklyn on September 4, 2012 at 7:28 pm.

Roasted beets and butternut squash are both regulars at my house, but I’ve never tried them together! Great idea!

blima on September 4, 2012 at 7:35 pm.

pomegranate chicken

nossi @ the kosher gastronome on September 4, 2012 at 8:17 pm.

Wow, your pictures look really nice. I like the colors…and I’m colorblind

Shaindy on September 4, 2012 at 8:18 pm.

I will be making honey cake its a must!

MM on September 4, 2012 at 9:13 pm.

Hmmm …no menu plans, yet, but we’ll definitely be having soup and matza balls. Probably a butternut squash soup.

Ariel-Sara Gerowitz on September 4, 2012 at 10:21 pm.

I have never made a roast, so this is going to be my exciting new staple this Rosh Hashanah. Married 3 years, its about time!

Mike on September 4, 2012 at 10:48 pm.

I’ll be making honey cake (the best part!). I admit, I tend to be a beet-skeptic, but this might inspire me to give it a go!

Shuli on September 5, 2012 at 4:08 am.

I’ll be making round challah with a cinnamon and sugar topping. Yum!

rebecca on September 5, 2012 at 5:52 am.

I love beets and butternut squash. I make this recipe weekly. In fact, I just make the butternut squash tonight and have left overs for lunch tomorrow. We had beets last night and butternut squash tonight…But I keep these two vegetables separate…never thought of mixing them together. Butternut squash is so sweet and delicious….i could eat the whole vegetable roasted! DELICIOUS!

Zahava on September 5, 2012 at 8:24 am.

I think I’ll make round challah

Devorah S on September 5, 2012 at 5:45 pm.

Will deffinitely be making honey cake and this delicious recipe!!

Sara Fayga on September 6, 2012 at 5:06 am.

I will {G-d Willing} be cooking?(baking!) delicious round challas for Rosh Hashana. Dipped in honey-FAB!!
Shana Tova!

nechamah on September 6, 2012 at 5:38 am.

I have beets and butternut squash every Shabbos when it gets to hard to peel, i bake them then peel them not as yum but much easier

Leah on September 6, 2012 at 5:16 pm.

Another vote for Round Challah. Lots of other food but the challah comes first!

gail on September 6, 2012 at 8:32 pm.

honey cake

Susan on September 9, 2012 at 6:54 am.

To make butternut squash easier to peel, microwave it for a couple of minutes

Tali Simon on September 9, 2012 at 11:53 am.

Never heard of this before — thanks for sharing! I don’t have a microwave but I might just try it out at a neighbor’s house.

foodwanderings on September 10, 2012 at 12:35 am.

This is awesome. I never roast beets but I do butternut squash. I should start roasting beets, it will probably keep the nutrients rather than boiling loses much I guess. Happy Rosh HaShana to you and your family.