Foil

A little salt and sugar, a pair of vegetables whose sweetness is easily coaxed, and butter: That's all you need to roast the easiest unexpected side dish of summer. The combination works in the oven or in the embers of a grill, because this is packet cooking, pure and simple.

The foil packets can also be roasted directly on the coals in a grill, which can take up to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the strength of the heat.

Serve over couscous or alongside grilled meats.

Adapted from "Turnip Greens & Tortillas: A Mexican Chef Spices Up the Southern Kitchen," by Eddie Hernandez and Susan Puckett (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together the salt and sugar in a small bowl. Cut sixteen 8-inch squares of aluminum foil, then use them to create eight sets of two-ply foil squares.

Place 1 beet on each of 4 squares; same with the onions. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the salt-sugar mixture. Top with a few mint leaves, if desired.

Wrap each into a tightly sealed packet, placing them all on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast (middle rack) for about 1 hour.

Carefully open each packet, avoiding a rush of steam. The vegetables should be tender with some caramelized edges. Transfer the vegetables to a cutting board; cut the beets into halves or quarters and the onions into bite-size pieces. (If you would like more edges to be caramelized or look a bit charred, place the vegetables directly on the baking sheet and roast (425 degrees) for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve warm, with pan juices, a squeeze of juice from the lime wedges and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Per serving (based on 8)

210

26 g

30 mg

12 g

3 g

2 g

7 g

870 mg

21 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian's or nutritionist's advice.

Adapted from "Turnip Greens & Tortillas: A Mexican Chef Spices Up the Southern Kitchen," by Eddie Hernandez and Susan Puckett (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).

Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick