Beets and Carrots with West Indian Spices

Ingredients

Ingredients

Wash the beets well and cut off the leaves, leaving an inch or so of stem.

Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered until tender, about 40 minutes.

Drain and cover with cool or lukewarm water.

When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.

Cut the beets into slices or chunks.

Peel and cut the carrots into slices or chunks, resemling the beets in size and style.

Steam or boil in lightly salted water about 5 minutes or until tender but not soft.

Drain.

Combine the ginger, sugar, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest and spices in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Cook until thickened.

Simmer the cooked beets and carrots in this sauce for about 5 minutes.

Note: Alternatively, you may bake the beets in a foil-covered pan for about an hour.

When cool, slip off the skins. Cut the beets into slices or chunks.

Since I didn't want to waste the beet tops, I sliced the green beet tops and steamed them and when I combined the sauce with the cooked beets and carrots, I also added the steamed beet tops.