Summer Veggie Salad: Golden Beets, Broccoli, Peach, Walnuts & Olives

On hot days, like the ones we are having now (103 degrees where I live yesterday!), all I want for dinner is a nice cold vegetables salad with something like grilled chicken, seafood or tofu. I came up with this version for last night's dinner and it came out great. IMG_1006

Ingredients:

  • 4 golden beets
  • 2 medium heads of broccoli
  • 2 medium peaches
  • 1/4 cup olives
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon of apples cider vinegar
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1-2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Serves four.

Preparation:

  1. Boil beets fro 30 to 40 minutes, until tender
  2. Place them in a bowl with cold water and slide the outer skin off them, it will come of very easily.
  3. Cut beets into thin rounds, place in bowl and drizzle with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice while hot. Place them in the fridge to chill.
  4. Cut broccoli into small crown pieces, steam until tender, place in fridge to chill.
  5. Let the veggies chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Cut peaches in to bite size chunks
  7. Gently mix broccoli, beets, peaches, walnuts and olives.
  8. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Note: drizzling hot beets with vinegar and lemon juice makes them taste less earthy and sweeter. As a result even people who usually dislike beets find them tasty.

 

 

 

Golden Beet Salad with Arugula, Pear, Fig & Hazelnuts

Overall I am not a big fan of fruit, especially dried fruit, in a salad. Not because it doesn't taste great, but because nowadays many restaurants serve salads that really belong on the dessert menu, and  not on the " I am eating something healthy" list. So much said, this is a great salad for special occasions, such as a Sunday meal or a dinner party.

Ingredients:

  1. 1 Bartlett pear, chopped
  2. 1 large or 2 small size golden beats
  3. 3 oz - approx. 1/2 bag of arugula lettuce
  4. 6 figs, cut into small pieces
  5. 1 handful of hazelnuts, cut into halves
  6. 1.5 Tablespoons Olive oil
  7. 1 Tablespoon of regular balsamic vinegar
  8. 1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
  9. Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients

 

Preparation:

  • Heat water in a medium size pan, add whole, cleaned beets, bring to a boil and cook for 30-40 minutes until soft. You still want to get a bit of resistance when you stick a knife into the beet.
  • Put into colander in sink when done and under cold running water, just using your hands, peel the skin off the beet (works great!)
  • Cut into slices, place into bowl and sprinkle evenly with white balsamic vinegar. Cover and put in fridge to cool. Adding the vinegar to beets while they are still warm makes them absorb it and gets rid of the slightly "earthy" taste that beets can have and that some people don't like.
  • Cut hazelnuts into halves and roast in a non-stick pan - preferably cast iron - on low until slightly browned. The best way to roast nuts and seeds is to just put them into the warm pan, stir them frequently and let them roast for 3-7 minutes (depending on what nuts/seeds) DO NOT USE OIL. Nuts and seeds contain enough of there own oil to roast perfectly without added oil.
  • Cut figs into small pieces, pear into slightly larger chunks
  • Mix arugula, beets, figs, pears and hazelnuts. Add oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.