Glorious Golden Beets

I've had a busy time recently and yesterday, I realized almost ten days have elapsed since I last went grocery shopping.

Needless to say there was very little in my cupboards, except a handful of the following staples: rice, pasta, lentils, chic peas, black beans, raisin granola.

And in the freezer: half a pack of frozen peas, less than that of corn, some kale which I'd sauteed and frozen, and two chicken sausages.

In the fridge: a little grated Parmesan, some aging goat cheese, 2 carrots, half a bunch of celery, 3 spring onions, a golden beet, nuts, flax seeds, and condiments.

With what I had on hand, I challenged myself to prepare several meals and make it through another day before I shopped.

The meals I made are featured in the pictures I've posted here today. It is amazing what you can do with little; it's also amazing to see how appetizing you can make a meal look when it involves color.

At the top is a simple side dish of warm, sliced and boiled golden beets dressed with a little olive oil, crumbled goat cheese, raisins-- which I had to pick out of the granola-- sprinkled with flax seed for crunch.

If I'd had a lemon, I would have squeezed half of one over the lot, instead I drizzled the dish with organic, rice-wine vinegar.

To the left is boiled pasta tossed in olive oil, which I topped with sauteed and seasoned kale, and sliced chicken meat that I'd removed from the sausage casing.

I topped this dish with the boiled, sliced golden beets. Though it's not apparent, I sprinkled some grated Parmesan over the lot.

Just below is a meal I made by boiling rice, to which I added a spring onion, a chopped celery stick, and all the remaining frozen corn kernels in my freezer, plus half a cup of frozen peas.

I seasoned the rice with Braags. Then I cooked and sliced the one remaining chicken sausage and tossed it into the rice.

As you can see, I cut into chunks the last of the golden beet and dressed the side of the rice dish with this deliciously sweet vegetable.

Golden beets are the inadvertent star of today's post.

Subtle-tasting, sweet and versatile, golden and red beets are enhanced by the addition of sour and acid like citrus & vinegar. And creamy such as soft cheeses, sour and or sweet creams, as well as other sweet root vegetables, and sweet spring vegetables like peas, corn and tomatoes.

Beets are in season now. That means they're plentiful and priced right. Look for them next time you grocery shop.