Serious Eats: Recipes

Swiss Chard and Pasta Soup

2012-02-10T21:10:00Z

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 45 minutes, total time 1 hour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounces orzo pasta (or pasta de pluma)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces canned tomatoes, finely chopped
8 cups chicken broth
4 large chicken livers, cleaned and chopped
4 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard
1 small bunch Italian parsley
Salt
Croutons

Procedures

Pour the oil into a large pot set over medium heat. When warm, add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until it is lightly browned, three to five minutes. Remove the pasta and drain in a strainer. Remove all but one tablespoon of the oil.
With the heat still on medium, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about five minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir well, and cook until the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour one cup of the broth into a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Add the chopped livers, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the livers are tender but still a little pink inside, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside when done.
When the tomatoes have reduced, pour in the remaining broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the Swiss chard, the parsley, and the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium, season to taste with salt, and cook until the the pasta is cooked and the chard is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the livers and cook for an additional five minutes.
When done, discard the parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls, season to taste with salt, and garnish with croutons.

Fried Pickles with Spicy Remoulade

2012-02-10T20:10:00Z

Fried pickles with spicy remoulade are easy, if a bit messy, to make. [Photograph: Jennifer Olvera]

Note: Not all pickles are created equal. Generally speaking, the ones that sit on the shelf aren't up to the task, given they lack the crispness needed to go the distance.

Special equipment: Deep-fryer

Ingredients

serves makes 4 servings, active time 30, total time 1 1/2 hours

For the Pickles:
2 cups kosher dill pickles (about 4 pickles), drained and sliced, plus 1 tablespoon pickling liquid, divided
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided use
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne, divided use
1 gallon vegetable oil for deep-frying
For the Remoulade:
¾ cup prepared mayonnaise
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 green onion, thinly sliced
For the Breading:
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers, about ¾ of a sleeve
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten

Procedures

Combine pickles, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, Worcestershire and 1 teaspoon cayenne in a resealable container. Marinate in refrigerator until pickles are very cold and infused with flavor, about 1 hour.
While pickles are marinating, combine mayonnaise, mustard, reserved pickle juice, remaining 1 teaspoon of hot sauce, remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne and green onion in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine flour, crackers, onion powder, black pepper and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat eggs until frothy in separate, small bowl.
Preheat vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep-fryer or Dutch oven. Remove pickles from refrigerator and drain in a colander. Dip pickles in eggs, and plunk them in the flour mixture, taking care to thoroughly coat them. Shake off excess breading. Fry in batches until golden, 3-5 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with remoulade for dipping.

Pączki

2012-02-10T18:45:00Z

Crisp on the outside, yet soft and yielding on the inside, pączki may look like ordinary jelly doughnuts, but these rich and dense pastries are far from run-of-the-mill.

Special equipment: stand mixer, 2 or 3 inch biscuit or doughnut cutter, pastry bag, filling tip,, baking sheets, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves Makes about 18 doughnuts, active time 2 hours, total time 4 hours

2 cups whole milk
4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (2 standard sized envelopes)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups (22.5 ounces) all purpose flour
4 eggs yolks plus one whole egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 quarts canola oil for frying
1 1/2 cups of your favorite preserves
1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Procedures

In a small saucepan heat milk to between 110 an 115°F. Pour warmed milk into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Dissolve yeast in milk. Add one Tablespoon sugar and two cups of flour. Mix until consistency of pancake batter then cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to allow yeast to activate. Let rest for 30 minutes or until starter is very bubbly.
In a medium bowl combine egg and yolks. Whisk until light and frothy, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla.
Slowly stir cooled melted butter into yeast starter until combined. Then slowly incorporate egg mixture until just combined. Fit mixer with dough hook. Stir in flour, working 1/2 a cup in at a time until a soft dough comes together. Note: this dough is very sticky.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and transfer dough to bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until double in size. About an hour.
Turn out dough on a very generously floured surface. Dust surface of dough with flour then punch down dough to about half an inch high. Using a floured two- or three-inch biscuit cutter, cut out doughnuts. Carefully transfer doughnut rounds to parchment lined baking sheets. Cover sheets with a clean dish towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Pour canola oil into a large dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 360°F. Once oil reaches the proper temperature use a heat resistant spatula or shallow strainer to carefully drop doughnuts in, one at a time, cooking a maximum of 3 at once. Cook doughnuts until a warm, deep brown on one side, then using heat resistance tongs turn the doughnut and cook the other side until it reaches the same degree of doneness. Remove from oil letting any excess oil drain off then transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Test your first doughnut to make sure that the insides are completely cooked, if not adjust your cooking time accordingly. Let doughnut cool.
Prepare a wide and shallow bowl with powdered sugar. Fill your pastry bag with your favorite preserves and fit the bag with a filling tip. Pipe filling into pączki then dip each side in powdered sugar until covered.

Drinking in Season: Pomelo and Basil Cocktail

2012-02-10T18:30:00Z

It seems like every time I go to the grocery store lately I come home with a new citrusy treasure. This past week I was greeted by a pile of big yellow pomelos. If you've never tried a pomelo, look for the big—we're talking six to eight inches around—fruit that resembles a grapefruit. The surprise comes once you cut through it: you'll immediately notice that it has a half-inch thick pithy rind that sets it apart from its tangy cousin. The pomelo's pink flesh holds a sweet-tart juice that's similar to grapefruit but without the bitter edge.

I like to pair pomelo with herbal flavors, especially basil. The slight sweetness of both the pomelo and basil work really well together, but they're both able to hold their own and bring depth to a cocktail. Gin, with its herbal inflections, rounds out the flavor and you're left with light, refreshing cocktail that's sure to leave you feeling good.

About the author: Kelly Carámbula blogs about her adventures in the kitchen, including a weekly happy hour, on eat make read. She is also the founder and publisher of Remedy Quarterly, an independent food magazine.

Special equipment: cocktail shaker and strainer

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes

For the Basil Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
6 large fresh basil leaves, torn in half
For the cocktail:
1 ounce freshly squeezed pomelo juice
3/4 ounce basil simple syrup
1 1/2 ounce gin

Procedures

To make basil simple syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Add basil leaves, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain before bottling.
For the cocktail, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add pomelo juice, basil simple syrup, and gin. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with pomelo slice.

Bi-Rite Market's Sumac-Roasted Chicken du Monde

2012-02-10T17:30:00Z

[Photograph: France Ruffenach]

As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food to give away this week.

Sour, citrusy, and totally at home with both meats and vegetables, sumac is one of those spices that we just can't get enough of. This Sumac-Roasted Chicken du Monde from Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food showcases how easily it can be incorporated into all sorts of dishes.

This particular roast chicken begins with an Indian curry powder heavy brine that stains the halved chicken a bright yellow. After a day of soaking up all of that sugar, salt, and curry it's rubbed with olive oil and sumac and roasted over a bed of red onions, balsamic, and thyme branches. It's a blend of flavors from Italy, France, India, and the Middle East that seem unlikely when the chicken goes into the oven, before it starts to roast and really fill the kitchen.

Why you should make this: Apart from being a delicious and inventive take on roast chicken, this is a dish that highlights the fact that we should all be more familiar with the glorious spice that is sumac.

Next time we might think about: Cooking the chicken over a bed of onions makes for a lot of drippings and some pretty tasty onions. Next time around we're definitely throwing a few potatoes in there too.

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 4, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour plus brining time

Brine:
7 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
:
Chicken:
3-pound chicken, cut into two halves
2 medium red onions (about 1 pound)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground sumac

Procedures

The day before you plan to cook: Combine all the brine ingredients in a large pot and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Put the chicken in the pot and top with a plate, if necessary, to keep the chicken submerged. Refrigerate for at least  6 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken: Heat the oven to 450°F and remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
Peel and trim the onions, keeping as much of the root end intact as possible. Cut into 1-inch wedges, cutting through the root end so the layers stay connected. Put the onions and thyme in a large roasting pan, drizzle with the balsamic, and stir to combine.
Remove the chicken from the brine, dry off with paper towels, and rub with the olive oil. Sprinkle the sumac all over the chicken. Put the chicken halves skin side up in the pan, arranging the onions around them.
Roast, stirring the onions occasionally, until the skin is golden and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the deepest part of the chicken’s thighs, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a cutting board. Stir the onions so that they pick up some of the juices and browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Taste and add a sprinkle of salt if needed.
To serve, spread the onions across the bottom of a serving platter and top with the chicken.

Lemon, Honey and Thyme Frozen Yogurt

2012-02-10T16:15:00Z

This ice cream is light and tart, as any good frozen yogurt should be, but with a deep, floral richness from the honey and a bright, herbaceous finish.

Special equipment: Ice cream machine

Ingredients

serves makes just over 1 quart, active time 15 minutes, total time 1 hour (depending on your machine's spin time)

1 quart whole milk plain yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup white sugar
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Procedures

In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Adjust sugar and lemon juice to taste.
Spin in your ice cream machine, and enjoy!

Montreal Smoked Meat

2012-02-10T15:55:00Z

Special equipment: Smoker, Roasting Pan

Ingredients

serves Serves 10-12, active time 1 hour, total time 5 days, 10 hours

For the Cure
1 cup Kosher salt
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons pink salt (aka InstaCure, Prague Powder)
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 whole brisket, around 12-14 pounds, fat cap trimmed to ⅛-inch
For the rub
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2-3 fist-size chunks of medium smoking wood, such as oak or hickory
Type of fire: Indirect
Grill heat: Low

Procedures

To make the cure, in a small bowl mix together salt, pink salt, black pepper, coriander, sugar, bay leaf, and cloves. Coat entire brisket with the cure and place in an extra-large resealable plastic bag. Place in the coldest part of the refrigerator and cure for 4 days, flipping brisket twice a day.
Remove brisket from bag and wash as much cure off as possible under cold running water. Place brisket in a large container and fill with water and let soak for 2 hours, replacing water every 30 minutes. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.
To make the rub, mix together black pepper, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, mustard, celery seed, and crushed red papper in a small bowl. Coat entire brisket with the rub.
Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place brisket in, fat side up, and smoke until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the brisket, about 6 hours.
Transfer brisket to large roasting pan with V-rack. Place roasting pan over two burners on stovetop and fill with 1-inch of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, cover roasting pan with aluminum foil, and steam brisket until an instant read thermometer registers 180 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the meat, 1 to 2 hours, adding more hot water as needed.
Transfer brisket to cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice and serve, preferably on rye with mustard.

The Dutchess

2012-02-10T15:00:00Z

This cocktail from Theo Lieberman of Lantern's Keep and Milk & Honey in NYC has a heavy pour of Angostura bitters in it, but that doesn't make it bitter. The spice is balanced with bright fruit and earthy almond from housemade orgeat. "It smells like a roasted banana milkshake, which kind of blows my mind," says Lieberman of the easy-drinking cocktail, "but there's a lot of booze in it." Genever adds a grainy, malty texture, making a rich cocktail that doesn't need an egg for body.

You can purchase orgeat, but homemade is better than many of the available brands. Here's the Serious Eats recipe. If you want to buy it, try Small Hand Foods.

Fresh pineapple juice is essential here. If you don't have a juice extractor, you can muddle cubes of fresh ripe pineapple and strain the juice, or try to squeeze the juice using a clamp-style hand juicer. Don't use canned fruit or juice.

Special equipment: juicer for lemon and pineapple juice

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cocktail, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes

Ice
1 1/2 ounces genever
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed pineapple juice, strained
3/4 ounce orgeat
1/2 ounce Angostura bitters

Procedures

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add genever, lemon juice, pineapple juice, orgeat, and Angostura. Shake well until very cold. Strain into 6-ounce glass and serve immediately.

15-minute Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan)

2012-02-10T13:45:00Z

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here!

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Special equipment: blender

Ingredients

serves makes 2 1/2 quarts, serving 4 to 6, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1 small onion, finely sliced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into rough 1/2-inch pieces
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes packed in juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Minced chives, basil, or parsley as garnish
Toasted bread or grilled cheese for serving

Procedures

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat until shimmering. Add garlic, onions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently until onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add bread and tomatoes. Roughly mash tomatoes with a whisk or a potato masher. Add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
Transfer half of soup to the jar of a blender. Blend soup, starting at low speed and gradually increasing to high (be careful starting up, it can shoot out the top of the blender—open the vent and hold a kitchen towel over the lid to prevent blowout). With blender running on high, gradually trickle in half of remaining olive oil. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining half of soup and olive oil. Ladle into individual serving bowls, top with minced herbs, drizzle with more olive oil, and serve with toast or grilled cheese.

DIY Pear Liqueur

2012-02-10T13:00:00Z

A homemade pear liqueur made with brandy gives you the sweetness of a fruit liqueur and the dryness of brandy in one ingredient. This pear liqueur hits the "Do I DIY?" trifecta: easy, cheap, and better-tasting than the store-bought stuff.

Notes:

I used Bosc pears, but any pear will do.
You can substitute another spirit for brandy or replace the vanilla with another spice like ginger or a cinnamon stick.
Vanilla releases its flavor a lot more quickly than pears do.This is also true of other strong ingredients like ginger and cinnamon. So be sure to taste your liqueur as it infuses to see when you need to remove your secondary flavoring ingredient.
Straining through the coffee filter is recommended because it catches small, hard-to-see bits of pear that, when left in the liqueur, cause it to develop off flavors more quickly. I recommend keeping it no longer than 2 months. Refrigeration is not needed.
The fruit you used to make this liqueur is great in desserts or on ice cream, so hang onto it after straining.

Special equipment: Fine-mesh strainer, coffee filter, paring knife

Ingredients

serves Makes about 21/4 cups, active time 10 minutes, total time 7 days

2 ripe pears, divided (organic preferred)
1 vanilla bean
1 cup brandy
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Procedures

Wash and chop one pear, discarding the seeds and core. Leave the skin on. Split and scrape the vanilla bean.
Place one chopped pear and the vanilla bean in a sealable glass jar and cover with brandy. The jar should have enough room to add another cup of liquid later in the process. Seal and shake, then let steep for 2 days. Remove vanilla bean, and then let steep for another 3 days.
Chop the second pear, discarding the seeds and core. Add it to a pot, along with the water and sugar, then stir and bring to a boil on medium heat, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Let the syrup mixture cool.
Once cooled, pour the syrup (with the fruit) into the steeping jar. Shake and let steep for 2 days. Taste, and if desired flavor is achieved, strain through a fine mesh strainer and then a coffee filter into a bottle or jar.

Homemade Chocolate Sprinkles

2012-02-10T12:30:00Z

[Photographs: Sarah Jane Sanders]

You don't actually need a pastry bag to pipe these, but it sure makes things handy. This mixture is too thick to pipe from a plastic bag (the usual go-to pastry bag alternative) so make your own with a triangle of parchment paper instead. Here's a great video on how to do just that.

You can use Dutch or natural cocoa in this recipe, they both turn out nicely. The coffee powder is meant to add a little depth to the chocolate flavor, but omit it if you like.

Note: All measurements are in weights, as volume measures can be very imprecise. I strongly recommend using a scale for all pastry projects. Serious Eats' recommended kitchen scale is the Oxo Good Grips Scale with Pull Out Display.

Special equipment: piping bag, multi-opening tip ("grass tip")

Ingredients

serves makes 1 cup, active time 45 minutes, total time 24 hours including dry time

5 ounces powdered sugar
1 1/4 ounce cocoa
1 ounce water
1 ounce vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Procedures

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set a hand or stand mixer set to medium-low; mix until a homogenous paste forms. Scrape the bowl and beaters thoroughly with a rubber spatula and mix for another minute to ensure perfect smoothness. You want to make certain no lumps remain, lest they clog the pastry tip.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with either a small plain tip or a multi-opening tip (#134 is a godsend, but #89 and #42 get the job done!). Alternately, transfer the mixture to a homemade paper cone.
Have two sheet pans lined with parchment standing at the ready.

Pipe the sprinkle batter on the parchment in a series of parallel lines. You can pipe the lines pretty close together. Continue piping until you've used up all the mixture.

Set the trays of sprinkle-lines in a safe place and let them dry for 24 hours.
Hold a bench scraper at a 45° angle against the parchment lined sheet pan. Press gently downward and scrape the rows of sprinkles from the parchment. Gather up the lines into a bundle, then use a knife to chop them into sprinkle sized bits, a little shy of a 1/4" long.

Transfer to an airtight container. Sprinkles store indefinitely.

Confetti Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2012-02-09T22:30:00Z

These fun ice cream sandwiches are great for a special occasion like Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 10 minutes (not including making cookies), total time 10 minutes

8 confetti cookies (recipe here)
1 cup vanilla ice cream
Sprinkles

Procedures

Spread bottom of a confetti cookie with 1/4 cup ice cream. Top with another cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Fill a shallow bowl with sprinkles. Roll sides of sandwiches in sprinkles to coat.
Place sandwiches on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes.

Confetti Cookies

2012-02-09T22:30:00Z

These fun roll-out butter cookies are mixed with sprinkles.

Adapted from The Kitchn.

Special equipment: 4 inch cookie cutter, or shape of your choice

Ingredients

serves makes about 2 dozen 4-inch cookies, active time 35 minutes, total time 1 hour 35 minutes

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons nonparielle sprinkles

Procedures

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Add cream cheese to bowl and beat until incorporated. Add flour mixture in two additions, beating until just combined. Stir in sprinkles.
Divide dough into two pieces and cover with plastic wrap. Let chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out one ball of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutter and transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake cookies until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Note: Baking time will depend slightly with size of cookie. If using cookies for confetti cookie ice cream sandwiches, let cool completely before assembly.

Penne with Eggplant and Mozzarella

2012-02-09T22:30:00Z

In a twist on Pasta Alla Norma, penne is topped with eggplant, mozzarella, basil, and a light tomato sauce.

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
8 ounces mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 pound penne pasta
Salt
Pepper

Procedures

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add eggplant. Sauté for two minutes, then add tomatoes and chili flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne, according to box, until al dente. Drain pasta.
If making for Valentine's Day, cut four 1/8 inch slices of mozzarella. Cut each slice into a heart and set aside. Dice remaining mozzarella.
Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Add penne and mozzarella to sauce pan and stir to combine.
Divide pasta among plates, garnishing each with basil and a mozzarella heart.

Spinach Salad with Beets and Walnuts

2012-02-09T22:30:00Z

Sweet roasted beets, crunchy walnuts, and bright baby spinach make a simple but well balanced salad.

Ingredients

serves serves 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour 20 minutes, includes roasting beets

2 large beets, trimmed
8 ounces baby spinach
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Procedures

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place beets on a baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 1 hour depending on size of the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and roughly chop.
Place spinach, beets, goat cheese, and walnuts in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Whisk in salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.