I love grain salads. A perfect one bowl lunch or dinner. Beets with goat cheese is one of my favourite combinations.
225 grams uncooked quinoa
140 grams goat cheese
3 cups diced raw beets, about 5 beets
2 cups of thinly sliced fresh baby spinach (chiffonade)
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, diced, tossed in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to retain colour and crispness
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
1/4 cup dried black cherries
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of red balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon of finely minced shallot
salt
freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a medium sized bowl, add diced beets, 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roast for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently. See below for an alternative roasting method.
Meanwhile cook quinoa according to package directions.
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, honey, lemon juice, shallot, salt and pepper. Lastly, whisk in olive oil. Whisk for at least a minute until dressing is light and creamy (emulsified).
Toast almonds in a frying pan for about 3 minutes or so, until they are fragrant. Watch attentively to avoid burning.
ASSEMBLING THE SALAD:In a large bowl, add (in the following order), cooked quinoa, roasted beets, toasted almonds, apples, spinach, and cherries. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently. Do not over mix the salad because the beets will bleed onto all of the ingredients.
Sprinkle goat cheese over top and serve.
TIPS:
1. You can substitute the quinoa with any grain.
2. You can substitute the cubed roasted beets with cubed roasted butternut squash. If using squash, roast following the directions in the METHOD section of the recipe. Reduce roasting time to approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Grape seed oil is neutral tasting, healthier than vegetable oil and can withstand high heat better than olive oil.
4. This salad can be served warm, room temperature or cold.
5. It keeps in the fridge for only a couple of days because of the spinach. If you would like to store it longer than that, omit the spinach.
ALTERNATIVE ROASTING METHOD:
Scrub beets and cut off ends. Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil, place on cookie sheet. Roast at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes. Pierce with a fork to check that they are cooked through. Unwrap, cool, and peel. Skins will slide off easily. Chop and add to salad.
