Recipe of the week: Beets with Mixed Greens

This week's recipe features fresh beets - still available at farmer's markets across the nation at the tail end of their season. Because they are root vegetables, it is pretty important that they are organic -- they are definitely on the Dirty Dozen list. To add a little bit of interest, feel free to use golden beets instead of, or in addition to, standard beets - they are much less messy, guaranteed not to stain your tablecloth and hands and hardly taste any different. Now the recipe calls for boiling the beets, but I'm a big fan of roasting - so if you have some extra time, I would recommend trimming off the greens (set aside to use later!)

Beets with Mixed Greens
Ingredients
2 beets (preferably organic)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup English cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
6 cups mixed greens
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon stone ground mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz thinly sliced aged Gouda cheese

Directions
Cut the stem and leaves off the beets and quarter. Place beets in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove beets from water and let cool. When cool enough to handle, slice.

Meanwhile, place carrots, cucumbers, red onion and mixed greens in a large salad bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and stone ground mustard. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add cooled, sliced beets to salad and drizzle half the dressing over the top and toss. Leaves should be just nicely coated with dressing, not drenched. Add more dressing if need be.

Divide salad among 6 salad plates and top with aged Gouda slices. Serve immediately.

Photo by Ralph Daily

Recipe of the Week: Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

With spring right around the corner, fresh asparagus is cropping up in grocery stores across the country! With the subtle sweetness of the cream cheese and the saltiness of the prosciutto, every part of this recipe accentuates the bright flavor and crisp texture of fresh asparagus.

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Ingredients
4 ounces whipped gf cream cheese
24 asparagus spears, cut to 3" from tip of spear and blanched
1 clove of roasted garlic
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
12 slices of proscuitto, cut in half crosswise

Directions
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, garlic and pepper. Mix well.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice of proscuitto. Wrap a proscuitto slice around the center of two asparagus spears. The cream cheese mixture will allow the proscuitto to stick to itself nicely. Place each bundle on a baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Roasting Garlic: Cut about 1/4" off the top of a head of garlic to expose the cloves. Rub head all over with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Tips
For the best presentation, select small to medium spears.

This Week's Recipe: Potatoes au Gratin

This week we're actually featuring two different versions of this classic comfort food. The first recipe is more traditional, but still comes together quickly. The second version, in addition to being low-fat, is one of my favorite no-muss no-fuss one-pan dishes! Enjoy!

Creamy Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 cups hot Cheddar Cheese Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
Dash of paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place the potato slices and garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

Combine the Cheddar Cheese Sauce, salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the cooked potatoes and garlic in a 2-quart lightly buttered baking dish. Pour half of the sauce mixture over potatoes. Repeat the procedure with remaining potatoes and garlic and remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Creamless Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients
3 cups gf chicken stock
Salt and fresh ground pepper
6 large white new or Yukon potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced to about 1/4"
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 3 quart baking dish.

Add the stock to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the sliced potatoes in the baking dish and pour the hot stock over potatoes to cover. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle the Gruyere over the top and place under the broiler. Broil until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.