Spring Greens With Beets And Goat Cheese Recipes

BABY GREENS WITH GOAT CHEESE, BEETS AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Make vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, balsamic and honey until smooth.
• In a large bowl toss greens with vinaigrette and mix well.
• Evenly divide greens between four bowls. Top each bowl with one beet, 1 oz goat cheese and pecans. (* You can buy cooked beets or cook them yourself. I boiled the beets in water until soft, but they can be roasted in the oven as well, see notes above.)

SPRING GREENS WITH BEETS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a small bowl toss together the pecans, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and water; add to a warmed heavy skillet and heat until nuts are toasted, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle the toasted pecans with sugar and continue to cook and stir for 2 to 4 minutes or until sugar melts; spread on foil lined pan to cool.
• In a medium size bowl combine the syrup, mustard, salt and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar; whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly incorporated.
• In a large salad bowl add the salad greens, beets and goat cheese, sprinkle with cooled pecans, drizzle with salad dressing, toss lightly and serve on chilled salad plates.
• Any remaining dressing keeps well for a few days in the refirgerator.

ROASTED BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH SUMMER GREENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Separately wrap the beets tightly in double layers of foil with the vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and thyme leaves, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of the oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap the beets and allow to cool.
• To make the vinaigrette, whisk the lemon juice and shallots in a small bowl. Add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and discard. Separately cut the golden and red beets into 1/2-inch dice and put in separate bowls. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the beets onto 6 salad plates. Toss the arugula with the vinaigrette to coat and gently mound on top of the beets. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

MICROWAVE BEETS WITH GREENS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Trim the green tops from the beets and thinly slice the greens to make about 2 lightly packed cups. Reserve.
• Peel and cut the beets into 1/2-inch pieces to make about 4 cups. Add the beets to an 8-inch square baking dish along with the oil, vinegar, bay leaf, 1/3 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine. Cover with a vented lid or plastic wrap with 6 small holes poked in it. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Carefully uncover and stir the beets. Cover and microwave on high, stirring the beets every 5 minutes until the beets are tender, about 10 additional minutes. Carefully uncover and stir in the reserved greens and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave until the greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
• To serve, put the beets and greens into a serving bowl and crumble the goat cheese on top. Lightly sprinkle with additional black pepper and serve immediately.

SPRING GREENS WITH BEETS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet, cook the pecans, 1 tablespoon vinegar and water over medium heat until nuts are toasted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar. Cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until sugar is melted. Spread on foil to cool., In a small bowl, whisk the oil, syrup, mustard, salt and remaining vinegar. Refrigerate until serving., In a large bowl, combine salad greens and dressing; toss to coat. Divide among eight salad plates. Top with beets, goat cheese and glazed pecans.

SPRING GREENS WITH HERB AND LEMON GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• To make crostini:.
• 1. In a food processor (or mixing bowl with a wooden spoon) add the goat cheese, 4 teaspoons olive oil and the wine. Pulse one or two times, just to blend. The mixture should be spreadable; if too thick, add more olive oil and pulse again. Transfer mixture to bowl, and stir in salt and pepper to taste, herbs and lemon zest. Chill for 30 minutes.
• 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a large baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with remaining olive oil (using more oil as necessary). Bake for about 5 minutes on one side; turn and bake another 3 minutes on the second side. Set aside.
• To make salad:.
• 1. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and whisk to blend. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. (feel free to use more olive oil and vinegar if wanted).
• 2. Just before serving, add dressing to mixed greens and toss gently. Divide among 4 salad plates. Spread a nice schmear of herbed cheese on the toasted baguette slices and place 2 slices on each plate on top of the salads. Serve immediately.

PAPPARDELLE WITH BEETS, BEET GREENS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the beets away from the greens, scrub them and place in a baking dish or casserole. For this pasta you will need about 3/4 pound of beets, which may or may not be the entire bunch. Add 1/4 inch of water to the pan, cover tightly and place in the oven. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes for small beets, 40 to 45 for medium and 50 minutes to an hour for large beets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can handle them. Slip off the skins and cut in 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.
• While the beets are roasting, stem and wash the greens. Bring a large pot of water, preferably one with a pasta insert, to boil, salt generously and add the greens. Blanch for about 1 minute, just until tender, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop medium-fine. Keep the heat on under the water.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the greens, the diced beets, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together just until coated with oil. Stir in the chives, and turn the heat to low.
• Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pappardelle. Cook al dente. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water from the pot, stir 1/2 cup of it into the beets and greens, and crumble in the goat cheese. Drain the pappardelle and add to the pan, along with the parsley and another 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss together, and if the mixture seems gummy add more of the remaining pasta water. Serve hot.

BEET SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.
• While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
• Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.