Beets With Balsamic-Orange Dressing

I recently made a duck recipe with a divine glaze, and was inspired to create this recipe. Beets are an under-appreciated vegetable. Roasting enhances their natural sweetness. This would be a nice accompaniment to roast chicken or pork.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  lbs beets, try to pick similarly sized ones
• 2  tablespoons honey
• 1⁄4 cup port wine
• 1⁄3 cup  orange juice
• 1⁄3 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the scrubbed beets in the pan, cover with foil, and roast in a 400°F oven until they can be easily pierced, about 1 hour. (Or, you can wrap each beet in foil.).
2. While beets are roasting, mix together all remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Peel and trim roasted beets. Grate on the large holes of a grater into a big bowl. Pour the warm dressing over the warm shredded beets - you may not need all the dressing.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.
5. Note: I generally have around 1/3 cup dressing left. I add 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic and use it to glaze pork chops or squash or sweet potatoes that I am roasting.