I suspect she bought red horse radish...you can buy it in a jar...
Or if you are grating your own horseradish root, add one small cooked beet to the mix.
Linda C

I just made this recipe of Tyler Florence's to go on his fabulous Ultimate Beef Stew and it was delicous. You could puree some beets and add to it.

Horseradish Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chives, finely chopped, as garnish

Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

Here is one I found on Epicurious. I like Linda's idea of grating your own fresh horseradish root. This is different and sounds really good.

BEET HORSERADISH SAUCE

Though fresh horseradish is in season around Easter, you can substitute drained bottled horseradish. We recommend using the cooked beets left over from the pickled quail egg recipe, but if you're not making the eggs, you can substitute canned beets.
Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes cooking beets)

1 cup finely grated peeled fresh horseradish (1/2 lb; use small teardrop-shaped holes of a box grater)
3 cooked medium beets (reserved from pickled quail eggs), peeled and coarsely chopped (1 3/4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Coarsely purée all ingredients in a food processor, scraping down side of bowl as needed, 30 to 40 seconds. Let stand, covered, at room temperature at least 1 hour (for flavors to develop).

Cooks' note:
Sauce can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes about 2 cups.

Gourmet
Gourmet Entertains
April 2004

Here is a link that might be useful: Beet Horseradish Sauce @ Epicurious

When I was growing up in a Ukarian household my Mom always used "stained beets" baby food and prepared horseradish for the keilbasa and rye bread.

I just wanted to suggest if you make your own fresh horseradish, do it outside. I put the grinder on a table on the patio. The fumes are incredibly powerful, even with purchased horseradish root.

Grind a fresh horseradish root. Add 1 fresh beet, also ground. Add a bit of sugar, if desired, and a bit of salt, also optional. Add vinegar to cover in a sterilized jar. Refrigerate.

The longer you wait between the time you grind and the time you add vinegar, the hotter the horseradish will be. This mixture refrigerates well, but if you make a good amount, freezing in small portions is better to retain heat and freshness.

Carol