Receta Beet and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese or Queso Fresca
My
friend Ana didn’t stop with her suggestion that I serve Corn Pudding on my
first-ever West Coast Thanksgiving. She
suggested that beets would be a great item to add to the menu. And when Ana is right, she is right. Not only do beets bring a shot of color to the amazingly 'brown' Thanksgiving table, it you use the recipe for salad that appears here, you beets will look positively stunning. But Beets not only make a beautiful appearance
in any buffet or on your Thanksgiving plates, they are almost invaluable once
you discover this simple method for making them. That’s because flying in the face of all
- those who would roast their beets, thereby taking up valuable space in the
- already overworked oven, these beets are prepared on the stovetop. For flavor and to keep the beets from
- bleeding, you can add any one of three things: Lemon Juice to give them great
- tang, Orange Juice to sweeten the already sweet beets or Vinegar which
- basically pickles the beets as they cook.
- The skins slip off the finished beets and you can then refrigerate them
- until you’re ready to use them. And you’ll lose count of the ways you can serve
- them.
- First
- here’s the simple recipe for cooking beets on the stovetop:
- Recipe for Boiled Beets
- Prep Time 10 minutes. Cooking Time 45 mins. Cooling time: 60 mins
- 3 pounds beets, preferably a mix of gold and red beets, trimmed
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- 1. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and
- the lemon juice or vinegar. Bring to a
- boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place
- pot under running cold water and let rinse until beets can be handled. The skins
- can now be easily peeled off.
- Refrigerate the beets, covered until you want to use them. The possibilities are now endless. Here are some ways to serve your boiled
- beets.
- Recipe for Roasted Beet Salad with Pecans and Queso Fresco
- 1 Recipe for Boiled Beets (as above)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
- 6 ounces Queso Fresco (Mexican cheese) or Goat Cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1 Recipe Vinaigrette (see following recipe)
1. Place garlic cloves on cutting board, and sprinkle with small amount of kosher salt. Using flat side of a knife, smash cloves into paste. Add to 1/4 cup of olive oil. Toss quartered beets and garlic in oil to coat.
2. Place spinach on large serving platter. Arrange beet wedges over spinach. Sprinkle beets with goat cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with Vinaigrette. Makes 8 servings.
For the Vinaigrette:
In screw-top jar combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Cover; shake well to combine. Makes 1/2 cup.