I made Cooking Light's Roasted Beet Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette last night, and boy is it tasty! I've never really had beets before, and I have to say . . . I think I like gold beets! (At least prepared in this way!) I have to tell you, between the recipe calling for the same ingredients in different parts of the recipe, and then cutting the recipe in half, this was a bit confusing to execute . . . until I rewrote the recipe "Joy of Cooking" style. Here is is:
Toss together and roast 1 hour in a 350 degree oven:
1 1/2 pounds gold beets, scrubbed well and root ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
Cool, peel, and cut up the beets into about 1-inch cubes, or a little larger.
Whisk together:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Toss the beets and 1 cup thinly sliced red onion in the vinaigrette. Chill overnight before serving.
This salad is a bit spicy from the raw onion, raw garlic, and raw shallot. Enjoy!
Then, while the oven was still on, I whipped up a batch of Double-Chocolate Cupcakes -- I'm still tweaking this recipe for Party of One, and I think I've almost got it! They are plenty chocolatey enough, and they don't sink any more -- they aren't nicely rounded on top like a normal cupcake, but they suffice, I think. I made a test batch of my Creamy Vanilla Frosting for them as well, and then topped each cupcake with a slice of strawberry and a mint leaf. Cute and yummy!
This morning, I decided to whip up a batch of Post Punk Kitchen's French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme, to use some more of the leftover tarragon and thyme I had from making the beet salad. I have always been a bit frustrated by this recipe, because it makes a really simple thing seem more complicated than it really is, but the ingredients blend together nicely and make a killer lentil soup. Here's my edited, simplified version:
Saute together on low until everything is softened and beginning to brown:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
about a cup of roughly chopped mushrooms (my addition)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Add, bring to a boil, lower the heat, then simmer for 45 minutes:
6 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can no-salt added diced tomatoes with liquid
2 cups French green lentils, rinsed well
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
black pepper to taste
Fish out the bay leaves and thyme stems with tongs once the lentils are tender. Cool and freeze in small portions for a non-90-degree day!
I still have a big bunch of fresh oregano leftover, as well as some mint, thyme, and Thai basil. (The basil may go into more spring rolls later this week.) Any suggestions?
7 comments:
I can't wait for the cookbook! Maybe i can review it for the newspaper that employs me...
:o)
it all sounds awesome! i really enjoy beets & i'd like to try this recipe. looking forward to your cookbook! :o)
Kleopatra, if I ever publish the thing and you want to pitch the story idea, I'm all for it! Awesome.
Vicki, definitely try the recipe -- I've never had beets before, (at least, not that I can remember,) and I really liked this!
Neither of these recipes will be in the cookbook, however, because they are exact replications of recipes that have already been published. :) I just rewrote the directions to make them more user-friendly.
I can taste that beet salad... Golden beets are wonderful..
As far as the oregano and thyme go goes, make some red sauce and freeze it! Also, thyme and mushrooms are a great combo..
Mint.. make a chocolate smoothie with some mint leaves (soymilk, ice cubes, sweetner, cocoa, coffee) or the thyme, mint and oregano would work well in a cool bean salad.. topped with a mustard vinaigrette.
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Thai basil... use it with tomatoes, hoisin sauce, tofu, onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger and scallions on top of noodles.. or rice.. add some cilantro and peanutes
Okay, so I made the lentil soup except I added sausage, celery and some ground coriander to your list. I also added a second can of tomatoes, which were tomatoes with italian herbs. So yeah, I changed the recipe majorly, but the soup was FABULOUS. Thanks for the recipe! :)
I have never had golden beets. I'll have to look for them. Neet! This recipe looks absolutely grand.
My favorite way with fresh beets is roasted and I have done this alot... but I've never had it with the tarragon dressing!
That beet salad is one of my faves. I made it last summer for a pregnant friend who swore she hated beets, and did she ever change her tune. Now she's asked me to bring it to her son's first birthday party!
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