Sweet Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts

Luckily, no one in my family will even look at a beet much less eat one, because I had just 4 small beets.  And, I only have the beets because I forgot to swap them out of our farm box which we have delivered once a week.  I don't eat beets too often, but each time I do I am reminded how fabulous they taste and I ask myself, where are the beets?

And even those folks who do not like beets (yet!) - must agree that they make the most beautiful salad.

This recipe is for an individual servings (at least as far as I'm concerned), if you want a salad for 4, you will probably want to double or triple this. 

I shared a link to this recipe at Cybele's Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

4 beets, remove greens and save for another purpose (e.g. sauteed greens?)
walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
handful of walnuts
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
a few springs of cilantro, leaves only

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, trim and clean beets and place in a small casserole dish with a splash of oil, toss beets to coat with oil.  Cover the dish either with a lid or foil.  Place in oven and cook for 45 - 60 minutes, until beets are fork tender (the flesh of the beets are easily pierced with a fork).  Remove from oven and uncover, let sit for a few minutes to cool.

When beets are cool enough to handle, remove the skin by rubbing with your fingers under cold running water.  The skin should very easily come up.  Slice beets into serving bowl and add a bit more oil and the vinegar. 

Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, add about 1 teaspoon of oil, walnuts, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Stir constantly for about 3 - 5 minutes, until walnuts are fragrant and sugar is melted.  The spices should adhere to the walnuts.  Add to the sliced beets, and cilantro, mix to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings, you might want a bit more vinegar also.

Options:
- I just happened to have walnut oil, a light olive oil would be just as yummy
- add any fresh herbs you like
- add globs of goat or feta cheese, the tangy softness of either of these cheeses is wonderful against the sweetness of the beets and the walnuts

Roasted Broccoli Salad

I was reminded a few days ago how healthy broccoli is and vowed to pay even more of it to our meals.  Various phytochemicals and other components in broccoli have strong anti-cancer qualities.  Its a real miracle food (along with its cousins, cabbage, bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, and Swiss Chard) and is delish!     

I shared this at Cybele Pascal's Alergy Friendly Friday.

2 large heads of broccoli (or several smaller heads)
1 large red onion
4 - 6 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
2 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 or so tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flake to taste (optional)
(extra olive oil for roasting the broccoli and sauteing the onion)

Break down the broccoli into small florettes (cut larger ones in half).  Peel and trim broccoli stalks and cut into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces.  Place florettes and stalk pieces  on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or foil.  Drizzle broccoli with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and toss with your hands to coat the broccoli all over with the oil.  Place in a 425 degree oven on the middle rack and roast about 25 - 30 minutes.  Test with a fork, broccoli should have some caramelized spots, but still be somewhat crisp.

Meanwhile, dice the red onion and saute in a small amount of oil until caramelized (15 - 20 minutes) - stir frequently.

Let the broccoli and onion cool a bit before assembling the salad.

Place broccoli, red onion, chickpeas in a large bowl.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flake (if desired).  Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar - mix and taste.  Adjust the oil, vinegar and seasoning to your liking.

Options:
- add cooked quinoa, pasta, or brown rice for a more substantial salad
- add fresh herbs (such as basil, flat-leaf parsley...)
- use any other kind of beans (cannellini beans would be good)
- any vegatable can be roasted like this and used in a salad (califlower, squash, carrots...)
- add fresh greens, such as spinach, swiss chard, dandelion greens...

Salad of Quinoa and Greens with an Asian dressing

Who doesn't love quinoa?  Its so healthy, easy to work with, and it has a neutral taste so it takes on the flavor of whatever you mix it with.   

I shared a link to this recipe Allergy Friendly Friday at Cybele Pascal's bog, at the Heart and Soul Hop and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop blog.  And a big thanks to Angie at the blog cocina diary for her food photography tips.  This is just my third post taking my own pictures - using the Picnik photo editer she suggested - I think these photos are so much better than my previous ones.  I'm tempted to go back and edit all of the previous photos, but don't have time.

It's a bit awkward posting this recipe, because its hardly a recipe at all.  I've put amounts for the dressing ingredients, but truthfully, I don't measure any of it.

A bit of info for foodie nerds... quinoa is not a grain, but a species of goosefoot, related to beets and spinach with edible seeds.  Quinoa originated in South America, where is was domesticated more than 3000 years ago.  The Incas referred to quinoa as the 'mother of all grains' and held it to be sacred.  After the Spanish conquest, the cultivation of quinoa was suppressed because of its sacred status within the indigenous cultures.  Quinoa's protein content is quite high (12% - 18%) and it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it, very unusally, a plant that is a complete protein.  Quinoa is gluten-free a great source of dietary fiber, magnesuim, and iron. 

Quinoa requires rinsing because in its natural state, it has a coating of bitter-tasting saporins (which makes it unpalatable to birds).  Most quinoa sold in the U.S. has been pre-rinsed - however, I always rinse it briefly for my own peace of mind - although probably not at all necessary. 

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups filtered water

daikon radish, peeled and cut into small cubes
napa cabbage, shredded
purple cabbage, shredded
dandelion greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
snap peas, cut into bits-sized pieces
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (including the stems - they taste good)
sprouts

dressing:

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ume vinegar
couple drops agave or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
1 - 2 teaspoons grated ginger
Sriracha (or hot sauce or red pepper flake) to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan.  Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a fine meshed strainer and rinsed under cold water.  Add to boiling water.  Cover and turn down the heat so that the quinoa is gently simmering. Simmer the quinoa for about 15 - 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed.  Turn out onto a sheet tray and separate grains with a fork.  Allow quinoa to cool. 

Place all of the veggies in a large bowl. 

Mix together ingredients for the dressing with a whisk.  Taste and adjust the dressing so it tastes great to you. 

Spoon cooled quinoa in the bowl with the veggies, pour dressing over and mix.

Amounts for the veggies are not given because you can add whatever veggies and greens in whatever amounts that you like. 

Options (are endless...):

just to give one example with an Italian flare - roast some veggies (see my post regarding roasting vegetables) such as broccoli, onion, red pepper, garlic.  Dress the salad with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper.  Add kalamata olives, cubed fresh mozzarella, and chopped flat-leaf parsley for extra wonderfulness. 

don't like cilantro?  substitute basil and a bit of mint.

of course, grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or marinated tofu can be added to the salad.

Roasted Vegetables

If you know the basics of roasting vegetables, you can work miracles in your kitchen, because roasting brings out the natural sweetness of anything.  I know many people marinade their vegetables before roasting - adding things like vinegar or lemon juice.  I don't think that does anything for the actual process of roasting.  When you add an acidic element, not only may you have too much liquid, so that your veggies end up steaming and not roasting, but it immediately started breaking down the fibers of the veggies and you run the risk of a steamed, soggy mess - that may be eatable, but it will not be scrumptious.

So remember - in the oven, all you need on your veggies is oil - nothing else.  If you want to add other flavors, add it after the roasting is complete.

1 large onion
2 red peppers
2 small zucchini
1 large funnel bulb
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (if you don't feel comfortable with your oven that hot, 400 degrees will work also - you may need to roast a few minutes longer).

Cut the onion in half and slice into wedges.  Cut the peppers into 1 inch chunks.  Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and slice on the diagonal into 1 - 2 inch chunks.  Cut the funnel bulb in half, core, and trim the tough outer layer.  Cut into roughly 1 inch chunks.  Place all of the veggies on a sheet tray, add olive oil and toss until all of the vegetables pieces are coated with oil.

Roast in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, turning the veggies half way thru.  Test with a fork, veggies should be tender crisp and beginning to brown. 

Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Also, add any fresh herbs you like. 

Options:
- substitute your favorite veggies for the ones listed above (broccoli is our favorite)
- after removing from the oven, sprinkle with a good quality balsamic vinegar
- when cooled a bit, roasted veggies are fabulous in a green salad
- also wonderful on pasta, top cooked pasta with roasted veggies, a fresh herb such as flat-leaf parsley, a bit of red pepper flake, garlic, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup or so of the pasta cooking water - toss.  Lemon zest would be good too.
- add roasted veggies to cooked quinoa (bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil, simmer, covered for 15 - 20 minutes - til all the water has been absorbed).  Might also want to add a bit more olive oil, vinegar, herbs, etc. This could be a warm side-dish, or a room-temp salad.  (I love anything in quinoa!)

Note: when roasting dense vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes or butternut squash, you will probably need to roast 5 - 15 minutes longer (depending on the size of the pieces).  Or you can blanch these vegatable first in salted water for about 10 minutes prior to roasting.

Peanut Noodle Salad

I used broccoli and cabbage in this version, but you can use any of your favorite in-season vegetables.  You can make the peanut sauce mild, or as spicy as you like.  Add more or less noodles, add more or less veggies - depending on what you like.

Can't eat peanuts?  Try cashew or almond butter, or tahini.

Don't like tofu?  Leave it out, or substitute grilled chicken breast.

This makes a lot - but it's just the sort of thing we love to have for lunch the next day.

8 - 12 ounce soba noodles (or brown rice noodles)

1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1/2-inch segments

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup brown rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, grated very finely (use a microplane)

1 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, asian hot sauce

Pinch of salt (optional)

1/4-1/2 cup hot water

1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup daikon radish, diced

1/2 small head napa cabbage

1/2 small head red cabbage

12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too)

Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the noodles per package instructions.  In the last few minutes or so of cooking toss in the broccoli. Drain noodles and broccoli, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside. 

Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, red pepper flakes. Thin with hot water - the amount you'll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit of salt and/or more red pepper flakes, and/or more sesame oil.

Gently toss the noodles, veggies, and tofu with a couple big spoonfuls of the dressing.  Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use (such as a dip for veggies).

Thai Rice Noodle Salad

It's always nice to have an easy healthy dish that can go either way, with meat and without meat.  I started making this salad last summer and fell in love with it; it’s so easy, I can nearly make it in my sleep.  I never had used rice noodles before, but started experimenting with them when we had to keep gluten to a minimum.  And, I love them!  It is preferable to use brown rice noodles, but they are not available everywhere (yet).  You can make this with any combination of greens you have on hand. 

Salad:

1 package Pad Thai style brown rice noodles
1/2 head napa cabbage, chopped
1/2 head red cabbage, chipped
1 english cucumber, quarted length-wise and then sliced
1 cup chopped daikon radish
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch dandelion greens, chopped

Dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari
1 teaspoon agave
1 - 2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ume plum vinegar
red pepper flakes, sambal, or Chinese hot chili sauce (Sriacha)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated using a microplane (or fine holes of a box grater)

Bring a large dutch oven (or other large pot) full of water to a boil and shut off the heat.  Immediately drop in the rice noodles and stir to prevent the noodles sticking on the bottom.  Let sit in the hot water for about 5 - 6 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  Taste the noodles for doneness by eating one - should be al dente.  When done, pour into a large colander and rinse very well with cold tap water. 

Meanwhile, dump all of the chopped greens and veggies into a very large bowl.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.  If you don’t have ume plum vinegar, just use all brown rice vinegar, but try to find the ume plum – it adds a special brightness to the dressing.  Taste the dressing and adjust to your taste.

Add the cooled, rinsed noodles and the dressing to the greens and veggies.  Mix together and let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes to soften the veggies and greens.   If desired, serve salad with sliced chicken breast, pork loin (below), or cooked shrimp as an option.

Additional Ideas:

- flat leaf parsley instead of cilantro
- substitute celery and / or red radishes and/or red pepper for the daikon
- dandelion greens are difficult to fine in some areas - but they are so healthy (a great tonic for the liver) that it's worth the effort to find
- substitute chard and / or spinach for the greens listed in the recipe
- if you don't want any spiciness leave out the red pepper flake and add some freshly ground black pepper

Meat Option:

Marinate 2 -4 boneless, skinless chicken breast or 2 pork tenderloin in the following:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons hot chili sauce (Sriaccha) or sambal (optional)

Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or a few hours in the refrigerator.

Remove meat from the marinade, grill or broil until done.