Arugula

BEET IT! Beet, Herbed Cheese, & Arugula Salad

by:
November 10, 2009
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BEET IT! Beet, Herbed Cheese, & Arugula Salad
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is the tale chronicling how an Experimental Chef, armed with a knife and spatula, conquered and tamed the Beet Monster. In their first face-off, the Beet Monster reared it's monstrous tendrils and tail. As the chef reached high up on the grocery shelf to grab it, the Beet Monster attacked her with a raining parade of falling vegetables. It then proceeded to stain the chef's shirt, fingers, knife and cutting board a gory red. But in the end, the ever-resourceful chef peeled, sliced, boiled, roasted and finally conquered and transformed the Beet from Beast to Beauty. She Beat the Beets! —Experimental Culinary Pursuits

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Medium-sized Beets
  • 1/3 cup Agave Nectar
  • 4 tablespoons Honey
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 5 handfuls Arugula Leaves, washed and cut
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
  • 6 ounces Cream Cheese
  • 3 ounces Sour Cream
  • 2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Chives, finely chopped
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • a few pinches Salt & Pepper
Directions
  1. Wash the beets, cutting off the leafy greens section. Peel them and divide into 2 piles.
  2. Slice the first batch of beets into 1/4 inch slices. Boil in 4 cups water and Agave Nectar for about 30-40 minutes until tender when forked.
  3. Slice the second batch of beets into thin slices with a Mandoline. Toss in the honey-balsamic vinagrette of (Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, Honey, Dried Basil, Salt & Pepper) until thoroughly saturated. Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning over once halfway through.
  4. While the beets are boiling and roasting, make the herbed cheese. Mix the Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, MInced Garlic, Chives, and Parsley until mixture is thick and creamy.
  5. Toss the Arugula in the same Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette used for the roasted beets.
  6. When Beets are cooked and cooled, assemble the plate starting with a bed of Arugula, then layer on the boiled beets. With a piper (you can also make one by cutting a small hole in a ziploc bag), pipe the herbed cheese on top of the beets. Now, take the crispy beet chips and wedge them around the cheese to form a flower-like pattern.
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15 Reviews

Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
Wow, thanks everyone!

I had a ton of fun making this and learned a lot about beets in the process! They are definitely not an easy veggie to make (and sometimes hard for people to eat), but once you season it well and pair it with the right flavors, it is absolutely delicious (and healthy!)
 
Maria T.
Maria T. November 12, 2009
I have a hard time eating beets but you got me hooked here with the roasted beets. Definetely a brilliant recipe and amazing show of flavours and presentation.
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
Thanks so much! The presentation was the most fun part!
 
PhoebeLapine
PhoebeLapine November 11, 2009
This looks absolutely gorgeous!
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
Thanks so much!!
 
jill H.
jill H. November 10, 2009
This recipe is fantastic and the presentation is gorgeous. In a pinch rather than "beat the beet monster" I went to my fav veggie grocer, purchased his organic beets (already cooked and sliced) for the beet base and then cheated with some organic baked beet chips. Although not quite as yummy as the "real" thing it still worked.
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
Haha, very clever! If I had done that, I probably would've saved 2 hours figuring out how the beets are supposed to be cooked, but then again...it wouldn't be challenging!
 
gracieluve
gracieluve November 10, 2009
beets with cream cheese? that sounds fabulous! I usually see beets with gorgonzola so this is a welcome surprise!
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
I personally find gorgonzola too overwhelming. I like the cream cheese because it lends a creamy, savory taste without overpowering the natural flavor of the beets!
 
athencas
athencas November 10, 2009
ohh!! this looks like something I would actually be able to make!
I love beets and this seems like a very sophisticated but easy to make salad.
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
Hmm Sophisticated Simplicity - very catchy :)
 
iceangel917
iceangel917 November 10, 2009
not usually a fan of beets but the arugula and cheese mixture make them a lot more appetizing
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
It's so funny how a lot of people say they're not a fan of beets! I guess they can be very polarizing..
 
fanichu
fanichu November 10, 2009
they should serve this in a 5 star restaurant! =)
 
Experimental C.
Experimental C. November 13, 2009
aww thanks :) a girl can only dream...