Beetroot and chilli sauce

Unlike most sauces on the supermarket shelves, this one has zero refined sugar and zero preservatives. It’s a delicious addition to your burgers, barbecued meats or morning egg and bacon roll. The beetroot provides a lovely colour, earthiness and sweetness, and is perfectly balanced by the vibrancy of the chilli. And the best part is that beetroot is really easy to grow!

Makes 4 cups (1 litre/35 fl oz)

Use

5 medium beetroot (beets), washed, peeled and cut into wedges

1 red onion, peeled and chopped into wedges

1 garlic clove

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided in half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 celery stalk, diced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon mild paprika

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

200 ml (7 fl oz) apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

Do

1	Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with foil.
2	Place the beetroot, red onion and garlic clove onto the baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap the foil around the vegies. Bake for 1 hour or until the beetroot are tender on the inside. Set the vegies aside and allow them to cool.
3	In a small saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the celery and cook for 10 minutes or until it has softened. Stir in the cumin, paprika, chilli, salt, vinegar and honey. Cover and gently simmer for a further 5–10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool.
4	Place the beetroot mixture and the celery mixture into a food processor and blend for 3–4 minutes or until the sauce is completely smooth.
5	Pour the sauce into sterilised bottles and store the bottles in the fridge. The sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Oh and if you prefer a sauce with less heat, remove the seeds from your chillies before adding them to the saucepan.