Cold Beet Salad Food

CHILLED BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Scrub beets and trim tops to 1 in. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-60 minutes or until tender. Remove from the water; cool., Peel beets and thinly slice. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you're cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.
• Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

BEET SALAD

Steps:

• This is ridiculously easy. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Cook until they are knife tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Rub off the beet skins under cold running water with a soft cloth. You can save the bright red cloth to play cruel "Hey, I cut myself" type practical jokes later.
• Slice the beets in half and then slice each half into 1/4-inch thick slices. Toss the beets with the sugar, salt, and vinegar. Stir in the sour cream and refrigerate for maximum flavor. The beets will "sweat" more of their bright red liquid, giving the dish an amazing color. Garnish with fresh dill.
• Variation: Toss in pickled herring and sliced apples...good stuff!

WARM OR COLD BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Cook beats in boiling watter for approximatley 20-30 minutes, or until soft.
• Peel and grate beets. Add chopped onion, grated apple and grated pickle.
• Season with salt, lemon juice and sugar to taste.
• Either serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to use.

CHILLED BEET SALAD

Steps:

• NOTE: The best way I've found to peel/cook beets is from Mary Winecoff's Baked Beets recipe (http://www.recipezaar.com/251586). She wraps each beet in a square of tin foil and bakes them at 400 degrees for a hour to an hour and a half. When beets are cool enough to handle, just slip the skins off.
• Slice, dice or chop the beets. I usually cube them into 1/2 size.
• Place all the remaining ingredients (except the dill) in a serving bowl, add the beets and mix gently but thoroughly.
• Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.