Alex Guarnaschelli Drops Some Sick Beets on Us (Video)

As the daughter of a cookbook editor, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree for Chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

Growing up, the Iron Chef spent her youth sampling cuisine from all over the world thanks to her foodie mom – which must have been a little difficult (or at least interesting) organizing an impressive Mother’s Day brunch.

Fast-forward a few years – Alex has crafted a brunch menu of her own (among several, delicious, others we must say). We’ll take an order of the Cinnamon French Toast, please?!

Her culinary delights – lunch, brunch, and dinner – can be savored at Butter in New York City, where The Food Network personality holds the title of Executive Chef.

Before Butter, she worked and honed her skills at restaurants like Daniel in NYC, Patina in Los Angeles and Guy Savoy in Paris.

The mom (and People.com blogger) cooks with her little one, Ava, when she isn’t working. Truth be told, we’re a little envious.

Thankfully, she’s made time to compile her tips and recipes in a cookbook: Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook.

And lucky for us, Alex invited us into the kitchen to show ForknPlate how to whip up something special and simple… Beets!

“I love roasting or simmering beets whole and tossing them in a vinaigrette. I also love to cook them on the stove until tender and dig in,” she says. “I sometimes mix them with some turnips or parsnips for that earthy, sweet vegetable blend.”

With that… we present Stovetop Beets with Rosemary, by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

As SNL’s Mike Myers’s skit would say, “It’s like Buttah.”

Stovetop Beets with Rosemary

Ingredients:

• 12 small to medium beets, ends trimmed and each one thoroughly peeled
• 2 tablespoons Canola oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½-1 cup water (if needed)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3-4 tablespoons reduced (or aged) Balsamic vinegar

Steps:

1. Place the peeled beets on a flat surface and cut into ¾ to 1 inch thick slices.

2. Trim the ends off so the pieces lay flat.

3. Heat a skillet large enough to hold the beets in a single layer and add the oil.

4. When the oil starts to get hot, add the beets and toss to coat with the oil.

5. Season with salt and add the Aleppo pepper.

6. Continue to cook the beets over medium heat for another minute or two.

7. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. (Note: I often find recipes don’t give me enough liquid to work with. If the wine cooks down completely before the beets are tender, add a splash of water to finish the cooking process, if needed.)

8. Add the rosemary and toss with the beets for 1 minute.

9. Stem the rosemary and discard the stems, sprinkling the needles over the beets.

10. Taste for seasoning.

11. Transfer the beets to a plate and drizzle with reduced Balsamic vinegar.

12. Serve immediately.

Do you have a favorite dish that involves beets? Wish we had a smell-o-vision on ForknPlate? (Us too.) Leave us your thoughts in the comments below or chat with us on social media (@forknplate).