We tend to pigeonhole food into “sweet” or “savory” categories, but this recipe celebrates the delicious reality that nature doesn’t play that way. Each of its key ingredients has a nuanced range that covers both ends of that flavor spectrum, and they come together here in a delightful dish that lets them shine fully.
The inspiration for it came from pondering how well slices of roasted apples, with their hint of tartness and caramelized sugars, would pair with the sweet-savory duality of roasted beets. I imagined them served with a crunchy, fragrant herbed topping and decided to give that a sweet-savory essence, too, with toasted almonds lightly glazed in honey and seasoned with fresh rosemary, orange zest and a pinch of salt.
To carry the array of flavors and textures and add a creamy element, I served it all scattered atop a smear of Greek yogurt, which is famously comfortable in dishes both sweet (with honey and fruit, which this recipe has) and savory (with olive oil, herbs and vegetables, which this recipe also has).
The result is a versatile celebration of the season that defies categorization. But if pressed, I suppose I’d call it a savory dish with sweet elements that makes for a satisfying first course, afternoon snack or part of a brunch or Middle Eastern mezze spread.
Roasted apples and beets on yogurt with almond-herb topping
2 medium beets (11 ounces total, without greens)
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon olive oil
2 medium Granny Smith apples (unpeeled)
2 teaspoons honey
1/3 cup whole natural skin-on almonds, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Trim off and discard the beets’ stems, as needed. Rub each beet with ¼ teaspoon of the oil, then wrap each one in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool, then remove the peel with a paring knife and/or by rubbing the peel away with your fingers. Cut the beets into ½-inch-thick slices, then quarter each slice.
While the beets are cooking, core the apples, then cut them into ½-inch-thick slices. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of the honey. Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease the foil with cooking oil spray (or brush with a little more oil). Place the apple slices (one of the cut sides down) on the baking sheet in a single layer; roast (425 degrees) until they have softened and caramelized on the underside, 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet before removing with a spatula.
Meanwhile, combine the almonds, rosemary and orange zest in a small nonstick skillet. Drizzle with the remaining teaspoon of honey and season with the salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the almonds are toasted and fragrant and coated with the honey, about 3 minutes. Let cool.
To serve, smear ¼ cup of the yogurt on each individual plate. Arrange the roasted beets and apples on top, then sprinkle with the almond topping. Season lightly with the pepper.
Makes 6 servings
Nutrition per serving: 170 calories, 9 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 13 g sugar
Krieger’s most recent cookbook is “Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013). She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at elliekrieger.com.
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