Tuesday, April 17, 2012

from dinner for 12 to dinner for 60

I'm not sure where I first had this salad. I definitely didn't invent it. But this salad is my "go to" for something different with big flavors. I recently prepared it for a dinner party of 12 and also for a supper party of 60. It is always a big hit.

Spinach Beet Salad
 baby spinach
thinly sliced red onion
fresh orange segments
roasted beets
crumbled goat cheese
toasted walnuts
homemade orange vinagrette

Start by trimming the beets, not peeling them, and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them in a covered dish for 1 hour at 375ยบ. After they come out of the oven, leave them covered for another 20 minutes or so until they are cool enough to peel. The peeling should come off easily with a paper towel. Thinly slice into half moons and set aside.

Zest oranges and set aside zest before this step... Segment your oranges. I like to peel them with a knife and then go through each segment. Here's a helpful video. Save zest & juice for dressing.

for the dressing... Put the zest & orange juice into a blender with 2 tbsp of dijon mustard, 3 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. Stream in 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Combine all ingredients and drizzle with your yummy homemade dressing.