Roasted Beet Salad with Mesclun Greens & Crumbled Chevre
Topped with a light vinaigrette and roasted pumpkin seeds, this salad is both colorful and satisfying.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
2-3 cups Mesclun greens, washed and dried
½ cup crumbled chevre cheese
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
2. To assemble the salad: Arrange Mesclun greens on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled chevre, then drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with additional ground pepper to taste.
Roasted Garlic, Three Ways
The Hungry Mouse blog shares favorite ways to enjoy this essential aromatic ingredient: roasted, in compound butter and as an infused oil.
Ingredients:
Whole heads of garlic
8 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Method:Â
1. Roasted: Preheat oven to 350°. Cut head(s) off of garlic about half-inch from the top, set trimmed head(s) in baking dish. (You may discard tips, or toss them into the baking dish—just keep an eye on them during roasting as these small pieces burn more easily.) Drizzle garlic with a generous swig of olive oil, seeping oil down into the head(s). Cover dish with aluminum foil, roast for 30-45 minutes until garlic is a deep caramel color and soft. Remove cloves from skin with sharp paring knife.
2. Compound Butter: Cut a stick of butter into small pieces and set in a bowl to soften. Once soft, add in mashed roasted garlic and mix together with a fork. (For 1 stick of butter, add the equivalent of half head of roasted garlic. Feel free to play with this ratio for stronger—or more subtle—versions!) Refrigerate until ready for use. Use to make garlic bread, stir it into mashed potatoes or to garnish a grilled steak.
3. Infused Oil: Set strainer over a small bowl. Take baking pan with extra olive oil and garlic skins and strain into bowl, pressing garlic skins with a spoon to squeeze out any and all extra oil. Keep garlic-infused oil in the fridge, use within one week.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Great served with chips, or mixed into rice, this awesome salsa also makes excellent sauce for enchiladas!
Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
3-4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered
1 jalapeño pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup chopped green onion
Olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. After husking the tomatillos, rinse them well in cool water (they can be sticky). Cut the stems and hard portions (if any) off the tomatillos and cut any very large ones in half.
3. Combine the tomatillos, unpeeled garlic, onion, and the jalapeno on the lined baking sheet. Spritz with extra virgin olive oil until lightly coated and toss the ingredients with your hands to make sure they are all well-coated.
4. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. If the vegetables have not charred, turn the broiler on to high and cook for 3-5 more minutes or until the skins of the peppers and tomatillos begin to turn black. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. When the vegetables have cooled, carefully squeeze the skin of the roasted garlic, releasing the soft, roasted garlic clove, into the jar of a blender or work bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining roasted vegetables and then add the salt, pepper, and lime juice. Process until the desired consistency is reached and then transfer to a serving dish.