Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Tags

awards, blog, blogging, community, food, inspiration

Thanks for mypenandme for nominating me for any or all of three blog awards. Accepting all three seems selfish so I picked the one with the prettiest widget: Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I love the old fashioned styling.

The Rules for the Award:

1. Display the award logo on your blog,
2. Link back to the person who nominated you,
3. State seven things about yourself,
4. Nominate fifteen other bloggers for this award and link to them,
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirement

Seven Things About Myself:

1. My toenails are always painted. Have been since I was in 5th or 6th grade.

2. I love Law and Order, especially SVU.

3. Everyone in my extended family drives a Toyota.

4. I love NPR’s Fresh Air. I listen to every episode.

5. I am going to the FoodBlogSouth 2013 conference in Birmingham.

6. I am reading the new Thomas Jefferson biography by Jon Meacham.

7. I prefer winter clothes over summer clothes but I certainly like the summer season better. There are so many fun things to do in the summer!

And The Nominees Are:

Charlotte au Chocolat

Emmy Cooks

Masako and Spam Musubi

The Southern Lady Cooks

TasteFood

CutterLight

Griffin’s Grub

Old World Garden Farms

Melting Pot

Savory Salty Sweet

Meatballs & Milkshakes

Cook Eat Live Vegetarian

No FRIES for 365

Chica Andaluza

One Man’s Meat

Be sure to check out these awesome blogs! They are mostly food related but each of them is unique and wonderful in their own way…. Happy Saturday!

 

Salad with Salt-Roasted Beets, Pecans, and Blue Cheese

Tags

beets, food, inspiration, lemon, roasted, salad, salt, vinaigrette

Having foodie friends is a great way to get inspiration. They tell you about fabulous things they have made or tried. That is how today’s recipe came about. My friend, David (a co-worker and fellow foodie), raved about a dish he tried at a local winery-salad of salt roasted beets with baby arugula, goat cheese, red onion, and truffle vinaigrette.

Pause for a collective yummmm! 

I didn’t eat the dish so obviously I can’t recreate it. But I can be inspired!

Salad with Salt-Roasted Beets, Pecans, and Blue Cheese 

• 3 beets, washed and tops removed
• Salad greens (arugula would be ideal but I had spinach on hand)
• 1/4 pecans, toasted lightly
• 3 small spring onions, thinly sliced
• Blue cheese
• Salt
• Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)

Spread a thin layer of salt on the bottom of small oven safe glass dish or roasting pan the pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the beets in the pan on top of the salt. Cover well with foil; bake about an hour, or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.

Combine the greens, pecans, onion, and blue cheese. When cool, gently peel the beets with the edge of a knife, being careful not to gouge out any of the meat. (Do this wearing something you aren’t in love with. These things are very magenta!) Slice the beets thinly and quarter into bite sized pieces and place on top of the salad. Apply Lemon Vinaigrette as desired. Serves 3.

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the above ingredients well. Refrigerate any leftovers.