Bites of Beet: Roasted Beet, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Glazed Salmon

I can't believe it's taken me four years to get around to writing a post featuring the blog's namesake root vegetable. So, in its blog debut, the beetroot is featured in a simple salad with some classic flavour combinations, perfect for the warm and sunny weather that has been sticking around lately.

The Salad Formula: 

Sweet: Roasted beets, d'Anjou pear
Sour: Maple vinaigrette
Salty: Goat cheese
Bitter: Mixed greens
Creamy: Goat cheese
Crunchy: Toasted pecans

Beets can be a bit messy to prepare. This is how I usually cook them to avoid leaving the kitchen stained bright pink:
Coat whole, unpeeled beets in olive oil and wrap them in a foil packet. (You may want to quarter them if they're really large.) Roast at 400 F until tender. You can test this by poking one with a paring knife. Let the beets cool until you can handle them easily. Use a paper towel to rub the skins off and keep your fingers from getting stained. I find it also helps to coat your fingers with a little oil so the beet juice washes off more easily.  

The sweet and salty glaze on this salmon gives it a nice char if, like me, you're too lazy to use a grill. I don't have a particular recipe for this; it's just a combination of soy sauce, maple syrup, and pepper. Coat the fish in the glaze and pan-fry both sides over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes a side. 

Summer Salad: Fig, Prosciutto and Parmesan Frico

You know it's late summer when fresh figs start popping up everywhere. This salad makes use of a classic combination of ingredients. The figs' grainy, jammy sweetness works really well with salty proscuitto. In fact, goat cheese stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto make a great appetizer, but that's another recipe.

The lacy parmesan frico adds some extra crunch and is a simple salad garnish to make. Finely grate some parmesan cheese and drop tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased parchment lined baking tray. Bake at 300F for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned (Keep an eye on it. It burns easily!) Allow it to cool before serving. 

The Formula:

Sweet: Black Mission figs
Sour: Balsamic vinaigrette
Salty: Prosciutto, parmesan frico
Bitter: Mixed greens
Creamy: Goat cheese
Crunchy: Parmesan frico

Sunday Dinner: Celery Salad, Roasted Halibut and Polenta

This is what was for dinner yesterday:

Parmesan, Walnut and Celery Salad

Parmesan Polenta

Lemon and Herb Roasted Halibut

The menu is identical to one that Ina Garten featured in an episode of her show (I forget which one...) The celery salad is what really caught my eye because I'd never had such a celery-centric salad before. This was tasty and different; the parmesan and anchovy added a subtle savoriness and was balanced with the brightness of lemon juice. 

The three dishes work well together. The super crunchy salad added some welcome texture to what would otherwise be a rather softly textured meal. The polenta contributed richness to the two other leaner dishes.

Recipes after the jump!

Summer Salad: Chili Lime Prawns with Avocado and Grapefruit

This is a refreshing summery salad. Not only is it healthy and delicious, but I love the way the coral shrimp and pale green leaves look together. I think the tastiest salads always have an interesting combination of flavours and textures. A "salad formula" rather than a recipe, if you will. For example, this salad incorporates:

Sweet: Honey
Sour: Lime juice, grapefruit
Salty: Fish sauce
Bitter: Mixed greens
Creamy: Avocado
Crunchy: Prawns (I'd add cashews or peanuts, if I had them around.)
Heat: Red chili flakes

A perfect light lunch for a hot day in no time at all!

Balancing Act: Thai Steak and Glass Noodle Salad

Thai cooking is all about balance, which is true for many Asian cuisines (and cultures, I suppose. Something about that whole yin and yang concept...) Like good music, a dish works when all its elements blend harmoniously. On the other hand, contrast is also important to keep it from being too bland and one-note.

Take this salad for example. The sweet honey, sour lime, and salty fish sauce in the dressing mingles with the mellow warmth of the chili flakes. It coats and blends the flavours of the noodles and fresh vegetables. But the coolness of the noodles, heat of the steak, and crunch of the cashews ensure that your diners are anything but bored after a few bites.

This delicious salad is perfect for a refreshing dinner during the last fleeting moments of summer. Satisfaction (although not Enlightenment) guaranteed.

Use Your Noodle: Asian Peanut Noodle Salad

These noodles are big on peanut and sesame flavour. This an excellent make-with-whatever-is-in-the-fridge dish. It's also perfect to make extra for lunch the following day.

I used cucumber, mango, and grape tomatoes here. Other tasty things to throw in:
-shredded carrot
-bean sprouts
-bell peppers
-green onion
-snow peas
-cooked, shredded chicken
-cooked prawns
-firm tofu
-toasted cashews
-chopped peanuts
-toasted sesame seeds
-fried noodle/wonton strips

I like to use fresh ramen noodles, but they're a little hard to find. You can substitute capellini (angel hair pasta) or whole-wheat spaghetti (as in the recipe) instead. It'll be just as delicious, promise.

Asian Peanut Noodle Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• Coarse salt
• 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than al dente. Drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Add hot pasta and vegetables; toss to coat, thinning sauce with a little pasta water, if necessary. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Adapted from Martha Stewart (May 2008)
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