beets

the british seem to love vaccuum packed, pre-cooked beets. apparently these are ready to eat and can be served hot or cold. but they kind of weird me out. anything sold on the vegetable aisle should require further cooking unless it is going in a salad (or is a carrot; also, i must mention here that the brits have the sense to put avocados in the fruit aisle). anyway, this sent me searching for a recipe for my beets. i found this at veggie venture:
BEETS IN ORANGE SAUCE
Active time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter (omitted, didn't miss at all!)
1 cup orange juice
2 15 ounce cans beets
Salt & pepper

Place medium saucepan on MEDIUM heat. Working quickly while saucepan heats, mix brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the saucepan with a wooden spoon, working out the lumps. Slowly add the orange juice, stirring so lumps don't form. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. While sauce cooks, drain the beets. Stack several slices and dice by cutting in thirds, first one way and then the other. Add beets to sauce and cook until beets are heated through and sauce bubbles. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

being me, however, i felt the need to deviate vastly from the recipe. so i used the juice of one small-med sized orange, no butter, three little beets, and flour instead of cornstarch. i also added cayenne. that's just the sauce ingredients.
i made the sauce without ever boiling it and put into it not only beets but also a very small apple, chunked. and the kernels from about three-fifths of an ear of corn (added late so as not to cook to mush). cooked, stirring constantly, until everything was hot.

not the greatest thing ever (if you have more oranges, add more orange juice), but i think the apple and corn really helped. i would also suggest adding onion, probably pre-cooked just to translucency.
would probably do well served with roasted new potatoes with rosemary.