Beetroot, Goat's Cheese & Toasted Walnut Salad

   

I think one of my favourite salad combinations has to be fresh greens tossed together with roasted beetroot (beets) and goat's cheese.  For a girl who only ever ate processed cheese slices and Velveeta cheeses (if you can even call them cheese, lol) when I was growing up, I can say that I now have a very well developed cheese palate!  That's what becoming a Chef did for me.  It truly broadened my taste horizons  . . .  

 

Something very beautiful happens when you combine the sweetest roasted beetroot with the milky tang of goat's cheese!  Those two ingredients just bring out the best in each other.  Mind you I also adore roasted beetroot, so for me it is win/win! 

  

Combine these two tasty ingredients with some dark salad leaves (today it was spinach) and toasted walnuts and you have an unbeatable combination  . . .  earthy sweet beetroot  . . .  tangy milky cheese,  almost metallic (but in a good way) salad greens and then the crunch of toasted walnuts.  

 

Roasting brings out the wonderful natural sweetness of beetroot, and its really not all that difficult to do.  Most grocery stores do offer packs of them pre-roasted, but nothing beats the taste of beets that you have roasted at home yourself! Once roasted you can use them for all sorts . . .  buttered and seasoned as a side dish, Harvard Beets, or in salads such as this one.  In all honesty I love beetroot so much I could eat them just like apples. (They are full of goodness and so healthy!)

 

Perfectly Roasted Beetroot

Yield: variable

Author: Marie Rayner

This is the perfect way to roast beetroot in the oven. It is much cheaper to do it yourself and the flavour far surpasses anything you might buy already cooked in the shops.

ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets with plenty of stem still attached
• light olive oil

instructions:

How to cook Perfectly Roasted Beetroot

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Have ready a baking tray.
2. Scrub your beetroot really well to remove any grit or sand and them dry them.  Lop off the tops, leaving a good 2 inches of stem. (If you are lucky enough to have fresh greens on top, save them and cook them as you would cook fresh spinach.  Delicious!)  Rub each beet with some oil.
3. Have ready squares of aluminium foil large enough to wrap each beetroot individually.  Place each beet onto a square of aluminium foil, bringing  it up around the beet to enclose completely and twisting it tightly shut.  Place onto the baking tray.
4. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the beets).  They are done when a toothpick slides in easily through to the centre.
5. Remove from the oven. Let cool until you can comfortably handle them. Unwrap the foil and discard. Using some paper towel, gently rub the skin on the beets back and forth to remove easily without staining your hands. (Don't apply too much pressure. Easy does it.)  Remove and discard the stems.
6. They are now ready to use as you wish.  They will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Created using The Recipes Generator 

 

Toasting your walnuts really enhances the nuttiness of them, which goes so well with the other flavours and of course . . .  at the end of the day, a really tasty salad dressing is the crowning glory of what is essentially a delicious salad! 

I like to use a Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing  . . .  simple ingredients.  Balsamic vinegar (a good one), oil, seasoning and some Dijon mustard and honey.  Simply beautiful.  I love Balsamic vinegar. I could eat it with a spoon.  Liquid gold . . . and there are so many varieties of it available today  . . . 

 

You do want to use a real quality vinegar and not an imitation. The first written document about Balsamic Vinegar comes from the eleventh century, (around the year 1046 from the Court of Matilde di Canossa). During the centuries the production of the balsamic vinegar has gradually improved, becoming famous as a medicine and a special dressing throughout the world. 

Historical documents and tradition confirm that the first purpose of balsamic vinegar was for medical use and later for culinary reasons. There are several documents that demonstrate the use of vinegar as a remedy for the digestion, as a tonic for the throat and respiratory diseases, and against scurvy. The use of balsamic vinegar was also known for its aphrodisiac properties. The legend is that this theory was tested by Isabella Gonzaga and later by Giacomo Casanova because they knew of these ‘magical effects.’ 

Right up until the last century, balsamic vinegar was also given to children during the winter suffering from respiratory and immune diseases, or to aid in digestion and circulation. Today's Balsamic Vinegar has maintained the original healthy properties, thanks to its digestive qualities. It also promotes circulation and helps respiratory system. 

And its delicious!

Of course the best Balsamic vinegar comes from Modena, where it is matured in wooden barrels, and refined according to a very particular process of pouring, refining and aging.  The longer it is aged, the more defined and pure the flavour. True Balsamic vinegar is composed from pressing a specific grape (Trebbiano and Lambrusco) which are grown and cultivated in the Modena area of Italy.  Anything else is only an imitation . . .

 

Like anything of quality it takes quality ingredients and methods to begin with and time . . .  it is not at all unusual for a good balsamic vinegar to have taken ten years of resting in special wooden barrels to achieve taste perfection.  There truly is no comparison.

  

In today's dressing I used a  Virgin Walnut Oil and a Caramelised Onion Balsamic Vinegar from ilGusto who source all of their vinegars and oils straight from the producers.

Beetroot, Goat's Cheese  & Toasted Walnut Salad

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

A delicious mix of roasted beetroot, salad greens, toasted walnuts and soft goats cheese in a tangy walnut balsamic dressing!

ingredients:

For the salad:

• 4 cups of salad greens
• 3 medium roasted beetroots
• 2 TBS finely chopped peeled red onion
• 60g walnuts, toasted lightly (1/2 cup)
• 120g soft goat's cheese (1/2 cup)

For the dressing:

• 60ml walnut oil (1/4 cup)
• 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar  (I used a Caramelised Onion Balsamic)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS liquid honey
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

instructions:

How to cook Beetroot, Goat's Cheese  & Toasted Walnut Salad

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing together until amalgamated.  Set aside.  (Alternately shake them together in a jar with a lid.) 
2. To toast the walnuts, toast them on a baking tray in a preheated 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 oven for about 10 minutes or until fragrant.  Set aside to cool.
3. Scatter the lettuce onto a serving platter.  Sprinkle the chopped onions over top.  Cut the beetroot into cubes and tuck it into the salad leaves.  Crumble the goats cheese and toasted walnuts over top.  Drizzle with the dressing to serve. 
4. You can divide this between four plates and pass extra dressing at the table. Delicious!

Created using The Recipes Generator

  

I was sent a variety of Balsamic Vinegars and virgin oils from ilGousto to try here at home.  I wasn't aware that so many tasty varieties existed.  Of course there was the regular Balsamic vinegar, but as well they have Balsamic vinegars infused with other flavours  . . .  Caramelised Onion (as I used here today), Maple, Mango, Raspberry, Apple, Calamansi, Cherry, Cranberry, Fig-Pomegranate, Lemon Ginger, and even (unbelievably) Chocolate!!  Each one incredibly delicious.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are no less than twenty-five varieties to choose from.  You really need to check them out!

Their oils are just as varied, with nineteen different virgin oils to choose from.  Plus they sell liqueurs, spirits and gift packages.  Very interesting!

 

To find out more about their products to check out the ilGusto Website. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  What to get the cook who has everything . . .  a fabulous foodie gift for sure, or even for yourself. 

In the meantime I'm enjoying my Beetroot, Goat's Cheese & Toasted Walnut Salad, made all the tastier for having a quality dressing!!

 

Note - I was sent product from ilGusto to try, but was not required to write a positive review in return.

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Thai Chicken Salad Roll Ups

 

We eat a lot of chicken in our house and I am always looking for new things to do with it so that it doesn't get boring. I don't think that I, personally, could ever get bored of it, but my husband sure could!  (Men!)  I do like to please him if I can, so I am always doing different things with it to keep him happy about eating it!

 

Chicken is such a versatile ingredient.  You can do so much with it and it easily adapts itself to a large variety of different flavours and textures. Today Todd brought home a rotisserie chicken from Costco for us to have for our tea.

 

I had seen a recipe on the TABLESPOON site for Thai Chicken Salad Wraps that ticked all of my boxes and that I was very keen to try and so I decided to adapt the recipe to what I had in the house and give them a go.

 

I didn't have any full size tortilla wraps, so I made do with smaller ones and made them as cones.  This worked really well for me.  I also cut the recipe in half as there are only two of us. 

 

The original recipe used bagged coleslaw mix. I have never seen that over here, but that is not a problem because I have never minded shredding my own.  I prefer to shred by hand as grating it would make it far too fine a texture for this purpose.  I did grate my carrot.

 

The original recipe also called for using raw chicken breasts that you poach and cube, which you could certainly easily do.  I had already cooked chicken, so I skipped this step! 

 

I love chicken salad and I love Thai flavours, so this seemed like a win/win combination for me.  I also love wraps.

 

The dressing for this salad is really delicious.  It is a creamy peanut sauce, with sesame, soy, lime and coriander flavours, along with a bit of heat from some chili flakes.  It uses soft light brown sugar, but as I am a diabetic, I used  Sukrin Gold brown sugar substitute which worked fine.

 

Its actually pretty low carb, with the wraps so I would say fairly Diabetic friendly, with plenty of crunch from the vegetables and some from the peanuts, which (although high in fat) are a great source of additional protein.

 

They were really, really good, although if I make them again (and I really think I will as they are fabulously tasty) I will cut down a bit on the sauce/dressing as it was a bit too much for our liking. Overall however, I would call this a winner/winner chicken dinner!

 

*Thai Chicken Salad Roll Ups*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

 

These tasty roll ups make a change from the usual chicken salad sandwich! Quick and easy to make as well as being delicious! 

 

375g shredded cooked chicken (3 cups)

150g hand shredded cabbage (I use a mix of white and red) (1 1/2 cups)

1 small carrot, peeled and shredded

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

3 TBS chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)

3 TBS coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts

3 TBS creamy smooth peanut butter

3 TBS soy sauce

3 TBS lime juice

3 TBS soft light brown sugar (I use a brown sugar substitute)

3 TBS light sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

pinch hot pepper flakes

salt and black pepper to taste

lettuce leaves ( I like baby cos)

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas 

 

 

Place the chicken in a large bowl.  Add the cabbage, carrot, spring onions, coriander leaf and chopped peanuts.  Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, hot pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste, until smooth. Pour over the chicken and vegetables and toss to coat completely. 

Lay out your tortillas.  Place a couple of lettuce leaves on each. Divide the chicken salad between each tortilla.  Fold up from the bottom and then from the sides to shape cones.  Fasten securely with toothpicks and serve immediately!

  

These are so delicious and very easy to throw together.  I just loved them and I think you will too!!  Bon Appetit!

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Chive & Shallot Vinaigrette

 

I don't think I ever had a ready made bottled salad dressing the whole time I was growing up. My mom always made her own salad dressing from scratch.   It was always the same, and never varied, but we didn't mind because we loved it.  We always had a salad on Sundays with our supper and she would begin it early in the afternoon.  She would thinly slice some onion, or cut it into small bits and put it into a bowl.

 

On top of that she would pour a quantity of white vinegar, adding some salt and pepper.  She would let that sit for a while . . .  the onions almost pickling in the vinegar.  Finally she would add just plain old salad oil, nothing special, and maybe a pinch of sugar.  The lettuce and other salad vegetables would be tossed into it and and then it would all be tossed together and that would be our salad!  We loved it.

 

A salad is only as good as its dressing.  That is a fact.  I can't believe how many times restaurants get it all wrong . . .  salad that is.  Old lettuce, sorry tasting dressings (if any at all) or just plain salad cream. Don't get me wrong.  Salad cream has its place, but if I am paying a whack for a salad I want a decent dressing with it, and decent salad ingredients!  (You all know this is a pet peeve of mine!)

 

We had a lovely salad with our dinner today which I made just using what I had to hand. I was eager to use some of the tender young Sorrel leaves from our garden. I have never grown Sorrel before.  They are the leaves you see in this salad with the red veins.  It is supposed to have a sour flavour, but I couldn't taste it.  Nevermind  . . .

 

Other than that I added baby Gem lettuce leaves, which are kind of like a baby romaine, but with a somewhat bitter flavour.  I also added thinly sliced red onions, cucumber, some cherry tomatoes, cubed beetroot and some radishes that I got rather fancy with . . .  cutting them into little crowns.

 

I thought it all looked rather pretty together.  A pretty salad deserves a tasty dressing, and this Chive & Shallot Vinaigrette is certainly that! 

 

Its a very simple dressing with simple ingredients  . . . I love making tasty things with simple ingredients.  Lemon juice. Shallots. Salt. Pepper. Dijon mustard. (Unheard of in my mother's time, but a very common kitchen ingredient these days.) Salt and black pepper, and some chives, freshly picked and minced from our garden.

 

I like to add a touch of sugar just to cut the edge off the tartness of this, but you don't have to if you don't want to.  Todd doesn't like really sharp flavours.  This is a fabulous dressing! 

 

*Chive & Shallot Vinaigrette Dressing*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe 

 

This tangy delicious vinaigrette goes well on mixed leaf salads, grilled chicken, fish, etc. I use my immersion blender for this. It makes it thick and creamy.

2 TBS finely minced fresh chives

1 TBS minced shallot

1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

pinch sugar (optional)

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil

 

 

 

Put the shallot, lemon juice and mustard in the beaker container of an immersion blender.  Blitz to puree the shallots.  Add the seasoning and blitz again.  Trickle in the olive oil, running the blender the whole time, and moving it a bit up and down, until you have a thick and creamy dressing. (Alternately you can do this in a regular blender)  Whisk in the minced chives. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

 

I always spend the last few months of Winter/Spring looking forward to the late Spring/early Summer salad days. Its one of my favourite times of the year, and mostly it is because of Salad.  I quite simply adore salad.  And yes, a good salad dressing makes all the difference in the world, and this a good'un!  Bon Appetit!

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