AwesomeBites

Tag: Gorgonzola

  • Green Salad – Beets, Pears and Goat Cheese

    Green Salad – Beets, Pears and Goat Cheese

    Pile it high. It looks beautiful!

    I didn’t discover my love for beets until a year or so ago.  Memories of pickled beets on my salad at the little diner kept me away from beets for years. 

    The earthy sweetness of the beets and the pears are a delicious combination.

    When combined with a sharper goat’s cheese and a dark green such as baby spinach – good and good for you.

    Ingredients

    For Salad
    1/3 pound baby spinach
    2 medium-sized beets
    1 ripe, sweet pear (such as forelle)
    1/4 cup crumbled goat’s cheese
    2 tablespoons roasted and crushed hazlenuts
    snipped chives
    a few pitted kalamata olives (optional)

    Dressing:
    drizzle high-quality olive oil and sherry vinegar over the salad, to taste
    salt and pepper

    Preparation

    Roast Beets:
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    Individually wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast them for 45 minutes to an hour, until they are tender when pricked with a fork. allow the beets to cool, then peel them. The peel should slip off easily. Cut the beets in half and slice thinly or use a mandolin.

    Cut the pear in half and remove the seeds and core. Slice the pear halves thinly lengthwise or use a mandolin.

    Place spinach on a wide platter, scatter the sliced beets and pears on the top, then the crumbled goat’s cheese and finally the toasted hazlenuts and snipped chives. I usually add a few pitted Kalamata olives, but you don’t have to.

    Sprinkle the salad with sherry vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper.

  • Blue Cheese Ceasar

    Blue Cheese Caesar Salad
    Cold greens and dressing on a warm, crunchy crust. Who could resist?

    You can make the dish more substantial with the addition of grilled chicken or shrimp.
    Ingredients
    Serves: Serves 6
    1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
    2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
    1 egg yolk
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    Dash Worcestershire sauce
    6 anchovy fillets (if watching salt intake, rinse and pat dry with papertowels)
    Pinch freshly ground pepper
    1 cup pure olive oil
    About 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
    2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    12 cups loosely packed torn romaine lettuce (about 2 heads)
    3/4 pound cooked, shredded chicken or cooked, peeled shrimp (optional)
    6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
    Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or other blue cheese for garnish
    Directions
    Put the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, egg yolk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and pepper in a blender and blend until well mixed. With the machine running, add the olive oil, at first by drops and then, as the mixture emulsifies, in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is incorporated. Pulse in the Gorgonzola to taste (the riper the cheese, the less you will need) and the Parmesan. Scrape into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 1 1/3 cups. (The dressing keeps, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 days.)
    Put the lettuce in a bowl with the chicken or shrimp, if using. Pour the dressing over and toss well.

    Serve over warm garlic crusty bread.

  • Roasted Beets with Walnuts Gorganzola Dressing

    • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds beets, trimmed and halved
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 bunch arugula, well washed and torn apart

    For the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing:

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
    • 1/4 cup light or heavy cream

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    Preparation

    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

    To roast the beets: Place the beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a roasting pan and cook until the beets are tender, about 40 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice the beets.

    Place the beets in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

    To make the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the walnuts and cook until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and when the walnuts have cooled to room temperature, add the onion, basil, vinegar and salt.

    Place the Gorgonzola cheese and cream in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the walnuts and mix to combine.

    Divide the arugula between 4 to 6 plates and top with equal amounts of beets. Serve immediately with a large dollop of Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing.