Walnut Beet Salad
This is a rich, pungent salad that stands up well to the hearty flavors in the rest of the meal. Roast and dice the beets and make the vinaigrette up to three days in advance. The vinaigrette must be made in a food processor. 2 to 3 medium-large beets, scrubbed and trimmed Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup dark raisins 1/2 cup cider vinegar, boiling 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons diced roasted beets 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup toasted walnut or vegetable oil Salad: 1 pound mesclun or spring mix 1 head romaine, separated into leaves, and sliced into 1 1/2 inch wide strips 3 green onions, chopped 3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled 1 crisp tart apple, unpeeled, diced List of 5 items 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Wrap beets in foil, place on a baking sheet and bake 30 to 45 minutes, until crisp-tender. Cool; run under cold water and slip off skins. Dice, reserving 2 tablespoons for vinaigrette. 3. To prepare vinaigrette, place raisins in a heatproof bowl; pour boiling vinegar over the top. Let stand 30 minutes or until raisins are plump and liquid is cool. Transfer to food processor. 4. Process until raisins form a dark paste. Add honey, 2 tablespoons diced beets, mustard and salt and continue processing. Gradually add oil. Transfer to a bottle or bowl. Refrigerate. Return to room temperature and shake or stir well before using. 5. To prepare salad, combine greens, romaine and green onions in a large salad bowl. Toss well. Add walnuts, beets, blue cheese and apple to salad; drizzle half the vinaigrette over salad and toss well. (Store remaining vinaigrette in refrigerator up to a month). Serves 8. list end Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon. Per serving: 300 calories, 25g fat, 6g prot., 13g carbs., 4g fiber, 360mg sodium. ~To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. -Sugar -- Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore
