Fresh Beet and Orange Salad

One of the most beautiful and tasty ingredients this time of year is fresh beets.  I was watching Alex Guarnaschelli the other day and she was preparing a pasta salad with fresh beets.   It looked amazing, but it was also a vegetarian dish and my husband and son would both say where is the meat?  So instead of simply adding a meat to Alex's recipe I came up with my own and can once again say thank you to Chef Guarnaschelli for inspiring me!

Ingredients
1 Bunch Fresh Beets
2 Large Oranges
1 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Red Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Orange Marmalade
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1. Clean and peel beats thoroughly.  If the beets you purchased came with the greens, set aside a few leaves for later
2. Cut beets into bite sized pieces
3. On stovetop, place beets in a sauce pan with the water.  Allow to boil and when the beets are fork tender, remove the beets from the liquid and set aside.  Allow the now beautifully colored beet infused water to reduce by approximately 1/2.  Remove from heat. 
4. In small bowl, combine beet infused water, vinegar, orange marmalade and olive oil.  Whisk thoroughly and set aside
5. Peel orange and cut into bite sized pieces
6. Wash beet leaves thoroughly and rough chop.  The beet leaves are on the bitter side so use them at your discretion.  I like the color and the bitterness they add to the dish.  If you don't like the taste, simply don't use them.
7. In bowl, combine beets, oranges and beet leaves.   
8. Season with salt and pepper
9. Dress with vinegarette

Enjoy!