Make a Valentine's Day Dinner for Your Sweetheart: Golden Beet Salad
Now that we have the main course sorted out for your Valentine's Day dinner, here is a recipe for a very nice starter.
I found organic golden beets at my market, but if you can't get them, then use regular red beets. If you use red beets put them on a white plate if you can, because the contrast with the deep red is quite beautiful.
Even though I managed to get the beets I wanted I couldn't get arugula, so I substituted spinach. You could also use organic, mixed baby greens.
A mandolin would be a help with this recipe, but not essential. Cut both the beets and the onions as thinly as possible.
I've added to the original recipe by suggesting that you soak the onions in ice water. At this time of year, the onions have been sitting around for a while and they can tend to bitterness.
Soaking them removes that, so they taste much sweeter. This is a very attractive dish and you can decide whether you want to plate the portions individually or serve it from one plate.
Golden Beet Carpaccio Recipe
- 1/2-inch diameter) golden beets, trimmed, scrubbed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 6 cups (loosely packed) baby arugula
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss beets with oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. Cover the pan with foil. Roast beets until tender, about 50 minutes.
Let beets stand covered at room temperature for 20 minutes. Peel beets. Place in a bowl; cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
2. Toss onion, oil, capers, and chives in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thinly slice beets. Arrange beets in concentric circles on each plate or on one larger plate.
Mound arugula atop the center of beets on each. Spoon onion-caper mixture over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Difficulty level: Easy
