Beet, Orange & Arugula Salad
Serves 4
-2 beets
-3 T. honey
-4 oranges
-1 bu. arugula, stemmed & torn into pieces
-1 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
-1/2 c. cashews or walnuts, roasted & chopped
For the dressing
-2 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 T. honey
-Freshly grounded pepper
Peel the beets, coat it in the honey and roast at 350° for 1 hour or until tender. Allow to cool and then slice finely.
Peel and finely slice the oranges, retaining as much juice as possible for the dressing. Mix all the dressing ingredients with the retained orange juice until thoroughly combined.
Toss the arugula with the dressing. Arrange the orange and beet slices on four plates, top with the arugula then sprinkle the cheese and cashews or walnuts on top. Season with pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Adapted from lacasasintiempo.com… Read the rest
Spring Greens Pesto
Makes about 2 cups
-3 T. olive oil
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 lb. seasonal greens
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup lightly toasted nuts (pine nuts, almonds or walnuts)
-1/2 t. salt, or to taste
-1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
-1/2 lemon
Reconstitute the mushrooms in a small bowl or cup with just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside to cool in the water.
In a pan large enough to hold the greens, heat the oil and sauté the garlic briefly, then add the greens. If you are using a mix of greens, add the tougher ones (like kale and collards) before the tender ones, like spinach. Cook until wilted. The time on this can range widely: for only kale, it may take many minutes, while spinach alone will take only a few seconds. If the greens start to stick, add a splash of water.
Scrape the cooked greens into the blender and combine with the mushrooms and their juices, Parmesan, toasted nuts, salt and pepper, and finally, a squirt of lemon juice. If your blender has variable speeds, start slowly and increase gradually. Puree until silky smooth.
Serve over cooked pasta, with meat or fish, on crackers or toasted baguette as an hors d’doeuvre, or as a spread on a sandwich.
Cover with plastic wrap and make sure the plastic wrap touches the entire surface of the pesto (this will keep it from turning brown). Will keep in the refrigerator for one week.
… Read the rest