Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
serves 4 • active time: 20 min • total time: 35 min

2 pounds red and yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced
6 medium carrots, thinly sliced 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 heads frisée, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans 

1 Preheat oven to 450°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans before serving. 


Rachel's Thoughts:  Titus and I found a 10lb bag of beets at our local farmer's market for $3.  This salad made excellent use of them!


Source: Everyday Food Mag

Tomoato Panzanella with Ricotta

Serves 4, Active Time: 5min, Total Time: 25min

• 0.5 lbs day-old crusty bread cut into 1 inch pieces (5 cups)
• 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch peices
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 15 ounces ricotta

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.  On a rimmed baking sheet, spread bread in a single layer and bake until dry and light golden brown (20 min).
2. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add toasted bread and basil and toss to combine.
4. Let sit 20/30 minutes to allow bread to soak up liquid.
5. Dividesalad evenly and top with ricotta, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Thia Beef Salad

Steak:

• 2 Tb soy sauce (San-J makes a gluten free one)
• 2 Tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 12 oz flank steak
• 1-2 tsp vegetable oil

1. Combine soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in a glass 9×13 baking dish. Add steak, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate several hours.
2. While the steak is marinating I prepare the salad and dressing.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet, I use cast-iron, over medium high heat. Add steak, reserving marinade, and cook until dark brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare; make sure to wait until the meat has had time to brown well before trying to flip it or it will tear.
4. Add reserved marinade to skillet and turn steak once to coat. The marinade will get very thick and much of it will evaporate.
5. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
6. Add steak and dressing to prepared salad and serve immediately.

Salad:

• 1 head lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 1 cucumber, seeded, peeled and deiced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 carrots, peeled and shaved with a vegetable peeler

1. In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients.

Ginger-Lime Dressing:

• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tb peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 a jalapeno, minced, optional
• 2 Tb fresh lime juice

Source: Everyday Food May 2010

Apple Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad

Yield: 4

Ingredients

Apple Syrup

• 1 quart sweet apple cider

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of the Apple Syrup
• 1/2 cup of 100% Olive Oil (not extra – as it will alter the taste of the apple cider)
• Salt and pepper

Arugula Salad

• 2 apples (such as Cortland, braeburn, golden delicious)
• 4 slices of hard goat cheese (or 8oz of soft goat cheese)
• 4 handfuls of arugula

Directions:

Apple Syrup

1. Pour the apple cider into a cast iron sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Reduce the cider slowly to 1 cup.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. It will have the consistency of thick syrup.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1. In a mixing bowl add the apple cider vinegar and the apple syrup and whisk.
2. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, mix together.

Arugula Salad

1. Peel and slice the apples.
2. Place the apples on each plate in a circular pattern.
3. Toss the arugula with the vinaigrette.
4. Place the salad on top of the apple slices.
5. Put the goat cheese on top of the salad and serve.

 Source: Food Network

Rachel's Thoughts: We made it with hard goat's cheese and it was lovely!

Ruth's Cesar Salad Dressing

·      Two eggs

·      3 tsp Dijon

·      2 large minced garlic cloves

·      ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

·      1 tsp salt and pepper

·      Juice of one lemon

·      ¼ cup Red wine vinegar

·      1 ½ cup oil

Mix and toss with salad!

Source: Mom!