Roasted Beet Sweetheart Salad with Feta Cream – Recipe!

Roasting beets is as easy as wrapping them up in foil and tossing them in an oven for an hour.  The results are sweet and meaty with a colorful deep burgundy hue.  They can be sliced or chopped, and tossed into to salads, mixed with grains, or sautéed with other greens.  Beets make a tasty partner because they tend to accentuate the other ingredients on the plate, and offer a nice contrast in texture and taste, plus they’re loaded with vitamins and sugars that give you a natural boost of energy.

Valentine’s Day is at the end of the week, and for most of us, we’re staying home and cooking, like I do most years anyway.  It’s fun to create heart-shaped foods on the plate and beets can be transformed by using a cookie cutter to slice through them.  The softened beets creates a simple symbol of love, and quite fun to place with a few peppery arugula leaves.

The feta cream is a simple puree of cheese and cream, that creates a dollop of saltiness and brings this salad all together to accompany a fun Valentine’s Day meal.  The three components; bitter, sweet and salty are super satisfying and I’m sure your loved one will think so too.

Ingredients

2-3 large beets

2 cups arugula leaves

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

olive oil

Feta Cream

3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt & pepper

(Serves 2)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place beets in foil and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Wrap beets tightly and roast in oven for 1 hour.  Insert knife to make sure they are tender.  Remove and let cool. This can be done, one day ahead and chilled in refrigerator.

2.  Using a paring knife, peel beets and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices horizontally.  Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut through each beet, set aside.

3.  To make the feta cream – add feta and cream to a food processor.  Puree until smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper and pulse, until combined.  Layer greens on a large plate or platter and top with heart-shaped beets.  Spoon feta cream over the top and drizzle entire plate with vinegar.  Serve immediately, Enjoy!