Easy Root Vegetable Salad

October 29, 2020 By

When the weather cools off, I roast vegetables almost every Sunday. Depending on what looks good at the market, I roast beets, various squashes (butternut would be my favorite), Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots and more. Little drizzle of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and into the oven we go. I find that having these cooked veggies on hand during the week can be used in so many different applications from soups to simple side dishes to pastas and in salads.

This isn’t really a recipe, but more of a reminder that root vegetables can be amazing during the week as a salad. I use a pretty bowl and add a variety of veggies, some cheese– this time it was goat cheese crumbles, maybe some dried cranberries and chopped almonds….and a killer tangy dressing, like my Easy Greek Vinaigrette. Give it all a toss and voila, a delicious meal.

Hope this post gives you some new ideas for weekday lunch salad meals.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
29 September 2013 Beet Roasting 101

Beet Roasting 101

September 29, 2013 By

Market Vegetables

Market Vegetables

It’s fall and a time when produce looks so appealing to me. While at the market yesterday, I picked some gorgeous vegetables that just begged for me to roast them…well, they may not have been begging, but they looked perfect for a slow stay in my oven.

Raw Beets in Foil

Raw Beets in Foil

Beets roasted at home are nothing like the pickled, over-cooked beets our moms forced us to eat as kids. While nothing could be easier than roasting beets at home, the deep, sweet and earthy flavors that develop are perfect for many cooking applications. My favorite – beet salad with tangy goat cheese. Yum!

Ingredients

  • 4-6 medium beets (golden or red), washed and stems trimmed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ tsp. each thyme, salt and pepper

Peeling Beets with Paper Towels

Peeling Beets with Paper Towels

Roasted Beets

Roasted Beets

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the beets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bring up the ends of the foil to create a packet for the beets. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap the foil over the beets and roast for 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. When cooked, a knife inserted in the beets should go in with ease.
  3. Let the beets to cool for about 5 minutes, then, using paper towels, rub the skins off the beets. Discard the peels and allow to cool completely.
  4. Beets can be roasted 3 days before using if stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in foil.

4 side servings.

Filed Under: American, Sides, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,
21 May 2013 Family, Friends and Food in Quebec

Family, Friends and Food in Quebec

May 21, 2013 By

Beet Salad

Beet Salad

Last weekend, I flew up to Quebec to surprise my dad for his birthday. As always, the weekend was filled with an abundance of food and adult libations.

Lobster Dinner

Lobster Dinner

Friday, the weather was nice and we opted to grill pork tenderloin kebabs that my brother-in-law, Etienne, had marinated in his special concoction a good part of the afternoon. Since it was also my mom’s birthday a couple days prior to my arrival, my nieces and me made my Chocolate Éclair Squares, an easy-to-fix, tasty and light dessert (perfect for Memorial Day celebrations).

Wines for Lobster Dinner

Wines for Lobster Dinner

Saturday, my sister Josée, her daughters and me decorated her home for dad’s party and began cooking for the memorable dinner party. On the menu was a springtime salad of roasted beets, heirloom tomatoes, red onions, Mozzarella and basil. My brother-in-law boiled some lobsters and made his now-famous Lemon Butter Cream for dipping – fantastic. Dessert was a plate of vanilla bean cupcakes and my Zesty Key Lime Tart (minus the meringue and topped with whipped cream instead). The wine lineup wasn’t half bad either.

Poutine

Poutine

Sunday morning, mom fixed us a big breakfast of eggs benedict with homefries and after spending the morning at our horse ranch, I headed back to the airport to catch my flight back to New Jersey. As I’ve grown accustomed to doing when I fly out of Quebec, I had a poutine to mark the end of my wonderful weekend.

Hope your weekend adventures were as delicious as mine were.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Chocolate, Cuisine Type, Culinary Travel Tales, Desserts, Entrees, Seafood, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,