And now take away the beets

#1. Arugula salad with beets

So I cooked my beets the following way: peeled raw beets, cubed them (that was tough and I don't want to do it again), tossed with olive oil, squeezed orange juice and salt and roasted in the oven for about 40 minutes. Let them cool down.
Then I made arugula salad with roasted beets and orange wedges, dressed with squeezed garlic, olive oil and - since obviously something was missing - lemon juice.

#2. Baby spinach and beets salad

Next time I roasted my beets cut in halves in the oven with small amount of oil. That was easier than cutting raw beets but still not enjoyable; I also took the "dirty" top off. The process takes a long time. Allowed them to cool down, peeled and sliced. Then I made baby spinach salad with beets, goat cheese, pine nuts and olive oil. Beets were sweet and tasty.

One can easily substitute the beets which dried cranberries.
Goat cheese goes well with something sweet but beets require extended prep time. I would say cooking beets in #2 is simple but if you want to cook your salad when you guests are already at the doorstep, forget the beets.

One should figure the least troublesome way to obtain cooked beets, given his lifestyle, habits, heritage and what not. 
Beets are good for you. Cooked unpeeled beets keep well in the fridge. I heard of people buying cooked packaged beets in the store. But if you are into home cooking - baking, roasting or boiling? I vote for boiling, definitely less effort and less fat.