This week at the Fulton Street Farmers Market I was inspired to make my first beet salad of the season. There is something so rewarding about turning those dirty little root vegetables into a sweet jewel. Bursting with color and loaded with vitamins and minerals, I urge you to see how tasty beets can be when cooked properly. Roasting beets, or any root vegetable for that matter, causes them to caramelize which brings out their natural sugars.
What’s more fun than roasting beets? Cooking wheat berries! I don’t know about you but I’m getting a little sick of eating brown rice all the time. Throughout this blog, I will be exploring various whole grains and sharing some of my favorite recipes. This week I decided to try Soft White Wheat Berries. You cook them in boiling water and a little salt for about an hour before draining them, just as you would pasta. Unlike rice or bulgur, they do not absorb all of the water. The result is a chewy, tender grain that packs a punch: a serving of wheat berries has triple the fiber and twice the protein as brown rice. This powerful combo will keep you fuller longer, help regular your blood sugar and give you lots of energy. Enough talking – time to grab your fork and get cooking. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
- 8 small beets roasted and diced see recipe below
- 1 c cooked wheat berries follow package directions
- ½ c celery diced
- 1 c cherry tomatoes
- ½ c red onion diced
- 1 Tbs capers mined
- ⅓ c diced walnuts dry roasted in pan
- ½ c feta
- 1 Juice of lemon
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- ¼ c fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ c fresh basil chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 c mixed greens I like Earthbound Farm Herb Lettuce Blend
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In medium frying pan, heat walnuts over medium heat.
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Stir regularly for 5-8 minutes or until walnuts smell toasted. It doesn't hurt to sample a few to be sure.... ;-)
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In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients (chopped beets through feta).
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Remove walnuts from pan and chop coarsely. Add walnuts to the salad bowl.
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Next, squeeze juice of one lemon over the salad, followed by olive oil, parsley and basil.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve over 1 c. of mixed greens.
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How to make Roasted Beets
- 8 small beets any color
- 1 orange
- 2 stems rosemary
- 1 tbs olive oil
- Salt and pepper
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Pre-heat over to 425 degrees.
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Line 8x8 baking pan with tin foil.
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Trim and clean beets, leaving root in-tact. (Do not cut beets - this helps keep all of the juice inside.)
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Place beets in foil lined pan and top with juice of 1 orange, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.
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Throw the remaining orange in the pan then cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until fork tender.
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Let cool completely in pan before removing foil.
Julia
This looks amazing! Love your blog, Liz! Helloooo… Food Network? Anyone paying attention?!
I will admit that beets have been locked away in my childhood memory as a traumatic food experience. I HATED beets as a kid. In fact, I still think I hate beets. However, not long ago, Liz made me try roasted beet salad and I will admit, they were really, really good! Definitely not the same as the canned blood-red beets I remember.
Liz, I love that your recipes are definitely you and not the typical recipes you see online! I will attest that Liz's food is always amazing. She throws the best parties and lovingly makes everything by hand all by herself. If you're out there, take notice and try her food! You will never be disappointed!
Love you Liz! xoxo