Maple-Herb Glazed Roasted Autumn Vegetables

I love some delicious oven roasted veggies during the cooler part of the year. They are great in a salad, casserole, soup or just on their own. Today I served them on a bed of savory brown rice with irish cheddar & spinach.

For today's recipe I whipped up a sauce that the chopped veggies marinated in before roasting. The marinade compliments the flavors of the veggies without dominating. It is composed of sweet maple syrup, a touch of mustard and garden fresh herbs. To enhance the pretty colors I used golden beets and a brilliant purple yam. You can really substitute any root veggies and winter squash you want in this adaptable recipe. Enjoy!

Marinade:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, minced

Veggies:
1 purple yam, peeled
1 golden beet, peeled
1 acorn squash, peeled & seeds removed
6 carrots
2 yukon gold potatoes
1 yellow onion, skin removed

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together and set aside.
2. Chop all veggies in large uniform pieces
3. Put veggies in a large casserole dish and cover with marinade. Mix well to coat. Let sit for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake uncovered for 60-90 minutes. Check at 60 minutes. Cooking time will depend on size of veggie pieces.
5. Serve hot over savory brown with irish cheddar & spinach

Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing

Dear Readers,

Happy Sunshine here in Portland! Today I am feeding my craving for beets. Literally. A salad composed of beets in a creamy chevre dressing with mustard, balsamic and thyme. It's simple and sublime. I tried really hard to work "sublime" into this post because it rhymes with thyme. Were you on to me? :)

This simple, but exquisitely delicious beet salad is divine on it's own. However, I also envision it as a jumping off point for more elaborate add-in's and recipes. It would feature lovely over mixed baby greens, perhaps sorrel & arugula or beet greens. Top it with some toasted walnuts or hazelnuts. It would pair nicely with cooked beans, perhaps baby navy beans. A cooked whole grain such as quinoa or brown rice would add substance and texture. I imagine this beet salad on a picnic sandwiched between slices of hearty bread with baby greens and some chunky shavings of asiago cheese and creamy wedges of fresh mozzarella. Seriously, that's the kind of food I pack on picnics. You should come with me some time and find out. Suddenly I have a hankering to hike Silver Falls State Park. One of my favorite places.

Today I am eating this salad straight out of the bowl I mixed it in. Nothing fancy. No add-in's. I am using a spoon. I just love the earthy flavor of beets. They satisfy me to the core. Enjoy!

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann


Beet Salad with Creamy Chevre Dressing
Makes 4 servings

6 beets
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp prepared dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp chevre (brought to room temperature)
pinch of sea salt & black pepper

1. To cook the beets, pop off their tops and discard or use for another recipe (they are great sauteed). Rinse them a little, but no need to scrub or peel. Place them in a large pot filled with water and cover. Boil over high-medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. They should be soft when you pierce them with a fork. Cooking time varies based on how large are the beets.
2. Remove beets from heat. Drain. Place them in cold water and set aside while you prepare the dressing.
3. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Use a wire whisk and beat until everything is combined and creamy. Check the flavor and add a dash of sea salt & black pepper to your desired likening.
4. Now that the beets have cooled enough to handle, it should be easy to pull their skins off. They should slip off in pieces. This is my favorite part of cooking with beets. Discard the peels. Compost them please. Now cut the beets into halves, then cut those into halves. Slice your quarter pieces of beets.
5. Add beets to the dressing and stir until combined. I like to let this salad sit for about an hour to absorb all the flavors before serving.

Beet & Grapefruit Salad with Black-Eyed Peas

My friend Catherine came to dinner and I wanted to create something really special for her that was vegan, gluten-free, and completely delicious. She loved it so much I'm going to name this recipe "Catherine's Salad." I just love beets--everything about them. The color, the earthy & sweet flavor, the dirt. Everything! The colors in this salad are beautiful and it's ingredients are substantial enough to serve it as a main course. It's combination of veggies and fruit is sweet, tangy and sour. The dressing is a combo of raspberry, mustard and balsamic vinegar. It's companions at dinner were coriander roasted yams and asparagus with chevre. It was a divine dinner. Enjoy the recipe!

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Beet & Grapefruit Salad with Black-Eyed Peas
aka "Catherine's Salad"
Serves 4

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary
4 beets, rinsed & tops removed
1 tbsp sugar-free 100% fruit raspberry preserves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp + 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
sea salt & black pepper
4 cups mixed greens, washed & dried
1 red grapefruit, peeled, and segments skinned into small pieces
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced

1. Rinse the black-eyed peas and remove any grit. Place in a large pot, add bay leaf, dried rosemary, and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until black-eyed peas are cooked, but not mushy. Approximately 40 minutes. Drain & set aside.
2. While black-eyed peas are cooking, remove tops from the beets and rinse. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until beets are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork. Once cooked, remove from heat, drain water, rinse and let soak in fresh cool water for a few minutes. Once beets are cool to the touch, pull the skins off with your fingers. They should easily fall off. Cut the beets in half and thinly slice each half. Put slices in a bowl and add 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar plus a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Set aside.
3. Once the black-eyed peas are cool begin the dressing. In a small bowl combine the raspberry preserves, Dijon mustard, olive oil, remaining 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper to your desired taste. Stir with whisk until well mixed. Combine the dressing and the black-eyed peas until combined.
4. Divide the salad greens among 4 plates. Divide the black-eyed peas into 4 portions and add to the top of the lettuce on each plate. Divide the beets and arrange on top of the black-eyed peas on each plate. Divide the grapefruit pieces and arrange on top of the beets on each plate. Divide the avocado slices and arrange on the top of salads.

Beet Dip

Beet Dip
Recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine
www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/8591

Dear Friends,
I made this beet dip for the March edition of "2nd Friday Suppers at Miss Jolie's" and it was a hit! Bright pink color and such an unexpected delicious taste. Creamy, satisfying and you'd never guess the main ingredients were raw beets and raw spinach. For the party, I served it with homemade toasted pita chips and the leftovers were great with "trader joe's organic corn chip dippers." I will make this recipe again and again! Oh yeah, and I doubled this recipe to make enough for my party.

Enjoy,
Miss Jolie Ann

1/2 lb red beets (1 large), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large scallion, chopped
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh spinach
8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp snipped chives

1. In bowl of a food processor, pulse beets, scallion, and spinach until finely chopped.
2. Add cream cheese, lemon juice and slat. Process until well blended, leaving some texture in dip. Transfer to bowl, and stir in chives.

Beet & Orange Salad with Cress & Quinoa

Beet and Orange Salad with Cress and Quinoa

original recipe by Miss Jolie Ann

This salad got RAVE reviews at the February 2nd Friday Suppers at Jolie's recipe tasting! Everyone loved it. I found the red onions to be a little much--I think I got a larger slice that was very strong. No one else seemed to mind. My friends licked the serving dish clean on this one! The quinoa adds nice substance to a light salad and provides a great source of vegan protein. Enjoy!

In Health,

Miss Jolie Ann

Beet & Orange Salad with Cress & Quinoa

Serves about 4 as main dish, 8 as side dish

5 medium sized beets

1 cup quinoa

2 medium oranges, peeled and segmented

2 bunches cress, washed & dried

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp prepared mustard

pinch each of: dried cumin, dried thyme, dried tarragon, sea salt, black pepper

1. Cook the beets. I have cooked them several ways including: peel them and thinly slice, place in a baking dish with a little water and cover, then bake on 375 degrees for about 1 hour. Or you can boil them by leaving them unpeeled, bring pot to a boil, lower to medium heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, remove from water and pull of the skins.

2. While beets are cooking prepare the quinoa by rinsing and placing in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered for about 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy. Turn off heat, leave pan covered on burner for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and fluff with a fork. Set aside.

3. Mix dressing ingredients by combining in a small mason jar, cover and shake. Once beets are done cooking, add dressing to them and place in the refrigerator to marinate for approximately 1 hour or more if you have the time.

4. When you are ready to serve, assemble your ingredients in layers on a large serving dish in this order: cress, quinoa, oranges, red onions, beets with dressing marinade, radishes and walnuts. Let come to room temperature and serve.