Name: Quick-Cooking Beets
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds beets , trimmed, peeled, and cut into ¾-inch pieces; 1/2 teaspoon table salt

Why This Recipe Works

Beets are very dense, so roasting whole ones can take up to 2 hours (not including the time it takes for the oven to preheat and for the beets to cool before peeling). Instead, we peeled the beets, cut them into small chunks, and microwaved them in a covered bowl with a small amount of water. Peeling them before cooking cut out the waiting time for them to cool. Cutting them into pieces exposed much more surface area so they cooked faster, and cooking them in the microwave (as opposed to on the stovetop) caused water molecules inside the beets to boil rapidly and intensely, so they cooked through in less than 30 minutes.

Before You Begin

Be sure to wear gloves when peeling and dicing the beets to prevent your hands from becoming stained.

Instructions

In largest bowl your microwave will accommodate, stir together beets, ⅓ cup water, and salt. Cover with plate and microwave until beets can be easily pierced with paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving. Drain beets. Serve warm. (Beets can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)