Golden Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

Golden Beet Salad

I usually make beet salad with red beets but the golden beets at the market looked so good I used them instead.

Same thing, different color. It’s all good.

Keep this in mind for Passover. You’re probably going to have some horseradish in the fridge.

Golden Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

• 3 medium golden beets

• 3 cups packed baby arugula

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

• 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated white horseradish

• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and trim the beets, cutting away the greens, if any. Wrap the beets tightly in aluminum foil and roast for about one hour or until the beets are tender. Remove the packet from the oven, open the foil and let the beets cool. Peel the beets, cut them into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the arugula, red onion, dill and horseradish and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the cider vinegar and toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Taste and add more vinegar if needed.

Makes 4-6 servings

Farro with Mango, Dates and Nuts

Farro with Dates, Nuts and Mango

People are always surprised when I say that Tu B’Shevat is one of the most delicious of the Jewish holidays — gastronomically speaking, of course! For a woman like me, who loves fruits, nuts, whole grains, (classic ingredients for Tu B’Shevat recipes) — making something for this holiday is a real treat.

I demonstrated this dish a few months ago at Temple Beth El Synagogue in Stamford, CT as part of a Rosh Hashanah event. Thing is, this dish is a year ‘round favorite, but is especially appropriate for Tu B’Shevat.

WHOLEGRAIN SALAD WITH DATES, NUTS AND MANGO

• 1 cup wholegrain such as freekeh, farro, brown rice, oat groats, barley

• 8 medjool dates, chopped

• 1 cup thawed, frozen peas, cubed tofu or leftover chicken

• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios)

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced (or use peach, nectarine or halved grapes)

• 4 chopped scallions

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoon mango juice or orange juice   

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the grain according to package directions until the grains are tender but still somewhat firm and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Place the cooked grain in a bowl. Add the dates, peas, nuts, raisins, mango, scallions, parsley and mint. Toss ingredients gently to distribute them evenly. Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mango/orange juice and lemon juice and whisk vigorously. Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

Grilled Corn and Green Bean Salad

Grilled Corn and Green Bean Salad

I’ve made this corn salad many times — changing the veggies depending on what I have on hand. Also, I love the way it tastes with corn that’s been grilled, but if I have leftover steamed corn I use that and occasionally make the salad with defrosted frozen corn kernels.

Other changes: asparagus for the green beans, cherry tomatoes for large tomato, scallion for the red onion. Don’t like spicy food? You can leave out the chili pepper.

Have it your way:

Grilled Corn and Green Bean Salad

• 3 cups grilled corn kernels (from 2 large grilled ears of corn)

• 1 cup cut up cooked green beans

• 1 cup cut up tomatoes

• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

• 1/4 chopped red onion


• 1 small chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 tablespoons lime juice


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

• salt
 and freshly ground black pepper 
to taste

Place the corn kernels, green beans, tomatoes, avocado, onion and chili pepper in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil, lime juice and basil and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings

Quickie Cole Slaw (Dairy)

I had some buttermilk leftover from a baking class I taught at the New Canaan YMCA. I made some biscuits but still had a bit more buttermilk left so I made a dairy version of cole slaw which was perfect with grilled salmon and a tomato-avocado salad.

Great warm-weather goodies.

This is a simple recipe because I used what I had — no parsley garnish, alas! Since I was cooking for just the two of us, this recipe —- half the amounts I usually use for cole slaw — took almost no time! And it was perfect for two people for two nights of dinner.

Buttermilk Cole Slaw

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 3 cups packed shredded cabbage

• 1 large carrot, shredded

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and apple cider vinegar together until smooth and well blended. Set aside. Place the cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the vegetables. Add the basil and thyme. Toss the ingredients until the vegetables are thoroughly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest for at least one hour before servinve.

Makes 4 servings

Summer Salad with Blueberries

Whether it’s the hot weather or a meatless Monday, a good salad always comes in handy. This is one of my summer favorites:

BLUE SALAD (WITH GREEN)

1 head leaf lettuce or 6 cups mixed greens
1 cup blueberries
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion tops
1/3 cup olive oil (or use avocado oil)
3-4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional
Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Add the blueberries, cheese and chives and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients again. Add 3 tablespoons of the Balsamic vinegar, toss and taste, add more Balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve and garnish with the toasted almonds if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Nicoise Salad

I usually make Niçoise salad with canned tuna but it’s warm out and my grill is ready and there was this gorgeous hunk of fresh tuna at the market. So, Niçoise salad. It’s such a flexible recipe. Mine has fresh beans (sometimes I use canned cannellini or garbanzo beans), hard cooked eggs, tomatoes and potatoes over greens (plus the tuna of course). Before adding the greens, beans, potatoes and tomatoes to the platter I mixed them with some of this dressing: 2/3 cup olive oil mixed with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of chopped basil (use just enough to moisten each. You may have some left over depending on how much of each salad ingredient you make). I sprinkled some of the dressing on top of the fish. Before serving I added some olives. What a terrific warm weather dinner! Btw, if you’re not a fish eater, you can make this same salad using tofu.

#saladenicoise #saladeniçoise #nicoise #nicoisesalad #grilledtuna #saladbowl #salad #tuna #tunasalad

Matzo Fattoush

It’s just a plain old salad. Refreshing and all. But add a few pieces of toasted matzo farfel and it transforms into a holiday treat. Fattoush. The word means “crumbled bread” in Arabic and of course, during the year you can use croutons and such. This is a special version, especially good for Passover.

MATZO FARFEL FATTOUSH

• 2 cups matzo farfel

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 cups shredded Romaine lettuce (6-8 large leaves)

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 medium cucumber, chopped

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 2-3 scallions, chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup chopped mint

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the farfel on a baking sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the farfel and toss, coating all the pieces. Bake for about 15 minutes, tossing the farfel occasionally, or until it is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool. Place the lettuce shreds, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, bell pepper, scallions, parsley and mint in a bowl. Mix the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice together. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss the ingredients. Add the toasted farfel, toss again and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings

Roasted Beet, Orange and Feta Salad

Roasted Beet, Orange and Feta Salad

Ed recently had a hankering for beets so I made this salad. It’s very refreshing and hit the spot!

I’ve made this salad using different kinds of cheese (blue, goat) and also without the cheese (I’ve added pepitas and chick peas on occasion).

Roasted BEEt, ORANGE AND FETA salad

• 4 medium beets

• 1 navel orange

• 3-4 medium scallions, chopped

• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange zest

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the beets, then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Place the package on a baking sheet and roast the beets for 40-70 minutes, depending on size, or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Let cool, then unwrap and peel the beets. Cut the beets into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl. Peel the orange, remove the pith and cut the flesh into bite size pieces and add them to the beets. Add the scallions, feta cheese and orange zest and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to coat them with the oil. Add the vinegar and toss again.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken Salad

This salad is my go-to whenever I want a light but filling meal. Chicken isn’t a constant — sometimes I use leftover salmon, beef or lamb instead — but the proportions are just right for 2-3 people (you can double it of course).

If you’re fasting for Yom Kippur, this is the kind of dish that’s perfect for the occasion. Substantial but not heavy and not salty.

Chicken Salad

• 4-5 small waxy potatoes (such as Baby Yukon Gold or Red Bliss)

• 3-4 ounces fresh greens

• 2 stalks celery, chopped coarsely

• 1/2 avocado, cut into bite size pieces

• 10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, bting to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let cool, peel and cut into bite size pieces. Place the greens in a salad bowl. Add the potatoes, celery, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss to coat the ingredients. Pour in the vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2-3 servings

Cole Slaw with Beet Greens

I bought the freshest, most gorgeous beets recently and used the bulbs for some recipes, but — what to do with the greens?

The greens were also crisp and perfect, as if they were just harvested.

However, Ed hates beet greens. I’ve cooked them any number of ways to no avail.

Truth to tell, beet greens are not my favorite either.

But I hate wasting food.

So I shredded the greens, shredded some cabbage, mixed them all together and made them into Cole Slaw.

PERFECT!

Not only did the beet greens add some flavor, they also provided a lovely color, which I usually get from parsley — but I didn’t have parsley, so it all worked out deliciously.

Cole Slaw with Beet Greens

• 1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage

• 1 bunch beet greens, shredded

• 2 medium carrots, grated

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise

• 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon sugar

Place the cabbages, beet greens and carrots in a large bowl and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and sugar together and pour over the vegetables. Toss the ingredients and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings