walton_eats

Dinner tonight was one of my favorites, Tagine of Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons. I *did* add a couple of cloves of minced garlic this time, and it was just right. And I served it with brown basmati rice instead of couscous.

Tonight's starter, though, was a roasted beet salad, which was perfect for the warmer weather.

Roasted Beet Salad

6 medium red beets, roasted, peeled, chilled and cut into chunks (see instructions below)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing
5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP finely chopped broad leaf parsley

Baby spinach, or spring mix, or chopped romaine lettuce
Candied pecans
Feta cheese, plain or herbed, or goat cheese - crumbled

I roasted the beets on a bed of rock salt. Trimmed close to the top and bottom, left unpeeled. Kosher salt also works. 400F, check after an hour, and every 15 minutes thereafter, roasting until tender. They're done if a skewer can be pushed into the center fairly easily. The salt will seep into the the beets, seasoning them perfectly.

Cool until they can be handled, then rub the skin off under cold running water and chill. Cut the beets into 3/4" chunks. Mix the dressing ingredients together, then toss the beets and red onion with the dressing and let stand at room temperature at least an hour.