Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Walnuts over Fresh Arugula with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Walnuts over Fresh Arugula with a Balsamic Vinaigrette  

Beets have been a favorite in my family since as long as I can remember.  I have always shied away from preparing them because they have always seemed rather laborious. Don't get me wrong, I have cooked them before but the scrubbing, peeling, and being left red-handed (literally! see picture below), have led me to bypass this particular root veggie in the produce section.  My mom makes beet salad regularly at my parent's house, always from fresh beets, so my husband has grown quite fond of them.  I think that my mom makes that salad especially for him these days.  So for my darling husband, whom I love so very much, I decided to pick the freshest little beets I could find and throw them together in some sort of salad.  I strayed from my mom's version but I think that he was just as content with what I came up with! They may be a labor of love but completely worth it for my dearest!  See recipe below.

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Walnuts over Fresh Arugula with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the beets: 

Preheat your oven to 350. Meanwhile, scrub your beets and place them in a baking dish (you can cover your beets for a quicker cooking time). Roast them until a knife slides in and out easily.  My beets took almost 2 hours but they were on the smaller side.  When finished, set them aside to cool.  Then peel the beets and slice them into 1/2 inch thick slices.

For the balsamic vinaigrette:

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tsp. of Himalayan salt (or Kosher salt)

1/2 tsp. of fresh ground black pepper

2 heaping tsp. of Dijon mustard

2 tsp. of local honey

1/2 cup of a good balsamic vinegar

1 cup of a good extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients into a dressing carafe or a Ball jar and shake it up really well! Make this in advance if you can so that the ingredients have time to marry. If you don't have the time, don't worry about it.

Assembly:

Place a handful or so of fresh arugula (or greens of your choice) on a dish, top it with your roasted beet slices, crumbled goat cheese, chopped walnuts, and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette.  Garnish with some fresh chopped dill if you like! Enjoy!

Photos by Becky Loves Cooking

Recipe by Becky Loves Cooking