Balsamic Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Walnuts

Recipe Title:  Balsamic Beet Salad with Goat Cheese &Walnuts

Recipe By:  Miriam Borys

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

6 beets
Greens of choice (spinach, arugula, mix spring mix, leaf lettuce)
½ cup goat cheese
1 cup toasted walnuts (see below)

Salad dressing
¼ c olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. grainy Dijon mustard
3 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. ginger paste (from the tube) or ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
Salt & pepper

Procedure:

Immerse beets in cold water and wash all dirt from the surface leaving stem and root intact (don’t cut off).

Boil for approximately 1 hour. When a knife can be inserted in cooked beets and it slides in and out easily the beets are done.

Drain off boiling water and immerse in cold water. Allow beets to cool in cold water.

The peel will come off easily with a gentle rubbing motion on the surface of the beet.

Cool peeled beets until needed.

Prepare salad dressing in a mason jar by adding oil, vinegar, Dijon, ginger, salt, pepper and maple syrup.  Shake jar to combine ingredients and hold in cooler until needed for salad.

Cut up cold beets into desired sized chunks.

Arrange washed greens on serving platter.

Place beet chunks in a bowl and pour dressing over beets. Combine until all beets are coated with the salad dressing.

Pour beets into the center of the greens on the serving platter.

Top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

Serve immediately.

Note: Beets can be held in fridge for a few days with or without the salad dressing on them.

Candied Walnuts
1 egg white
4 T sugar
Dash cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. vanilla
1 T  syrup

Toss above in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Add walnuts and stir until coated. Bake in a 325 oven until light golden brown. I set the timer for 10 minutes to start and then every 4 minutes after that for about 20 minutes.