roasted beet salad with arugula, butter lettuce and goat cheese

there are many recipes for roasted beet salad with cheese and nuts. the dressing is the key in this recipe. it was to accompany a pork roast and a heavy sweet potato,leek, parsnip au gratin. i wanted it to be slightly sweet. it was a hit...a keeper!

first a note on the greens in any salad: for crisp greens that hold the dressing...wash the greens in ice water ahead of time and spin dry. wrap in a dish towel or paper towels and store in the frig. for a couple of hours

 wrap the beets in foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. when they have cooled, remove the skins. the beets can be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated for a day or 2 if needed.

cut the beets in the desired shape. if the beets were small i would have quartered them



diced beets

dressing ingredients
1/2 good quality olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
juice of 1 clementine
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

blend all ingredients. i place them in a jar and shake it. this too can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. be sure that it is at room temperature before using it.

crumble the goat cheese. i estimate about an ounce per salad

assemble the salad by placing the greens on a plate and adding a serving of beets,
spoon the dressing over all the beets and greens
add the crumbles goat cheese

                                                                           enjoy!

BLUE CHEESE CAKE

it's that time of year, lots of parties and lots of food. the following recipe is easy. it can be made ahead and refrigerated and it can even be frozen. it serves 20 as an appetizer and even more when it is spread on crackers


finished cheese cake

ingredients at room temperature 
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup crushed cheese crackers
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces blue cheese or gorgonzola
3 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup picante sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning(optional)

preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1. butter an 8 inch spring form pan and sprinkle cracker crumbs on the bottom and sides.
2. blend cheeses, flour, eggs, salt,cajun seasoning, picante sauce and sour cream till nice and creamy
3. fold in onions
4. pour mixture into pan( i pour the mixture slowly over a spatula so that the crumbs on the bottom are not      displaced)
5. sprinkle the top with walnuts

bake for 1 hour. cool and chill overnight

serve at room temperature.

                                                                        enjoy!