Roasted Carrot and Golden Beet Salad

Roasted carrots and golden beet salad, without using foil.

A recipe for the cooler and slower pace of the coming winter months. Crumbled goat cheese adds a creamy tang while the lettuce and rice make the dish a meal.

Why no aluminum foil? It just feels right to wrap each beet in foil to speed up the cooking process but it’s not necessary. Those days are behind us now, no more scrambling to find a substitute either like parchment paper or a pot lid. There’s less waste this way and overall it’s better to reduce the amount of aluminum coming into contact with your food.

Level of difficulty is easy but with the amount of multitasking happening here it’s time to lock in and focus!

Serving size 1-2

Total cook time 1.5 hours

What you’ll need:

• 1 bunch rainbow carrots, keeping the fronds for garnish

• 1 large or 2-3 smaller golden beets

• 1/2 small log of goat cheese (2oz-ish)

• Handful of lettuce leaves

• 1 scoop steamed brown rice or quinoa

• 1/4 red onion sliced, optional

Dressing

Squeeze of lemon, spoonful of Dijon mustard, drizzle of olive oil, and splash of vinegar. Oil and vinegar is about 1.5x as much as the lemon and mustard.

Prep

Preheat the oven to 400°

Wash and scrub the beets and carrots

Beets

Place in a roasting pan

Coat in a light layer of oil

Add salt

Put the beets whole in the oven first as they take the longest to cook and require a head start. Roast for 40 mins. Check for doneness and cook for 15-20 minutes longer. You’ll see the peel start to wrinkle as it cooks.

I cut the beets before realizing they could use a few more minutes in the oven. Look at the beautiful golden ombré happening tho.

Rice

While the beets are in the oven, make brown rice or quinoa. The following steps assume you are cooking on a stovetop although the ratio of rice to water works if using a rice cooker:

• 1 cup dry rice or quinoa, rinsed

• 1.5 cups water

Add the grains and water into a sauce pan. Cover and cook on high until you see the water start to boil. At this point, bring the heat down to low to steam for 20-25 mins or until all the water has evaporated.

Carrots

Next, prep the carrots. Give them a wash and scrub, stems and all. Cut the tops off, saving fronds for garnish. Slice each carrot lengthwise. Toss in a light coating of oil and add salt.

Remember to check on your rice. When it’s fluffy, turn off the heat.

Check the beets for doneness by piercing each with a fork. When the fork slides in easily you’ll know it’s ready.

Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle for peeling.

Transfer the carrots into the same roasting pan used for the beets. Roast for 12-14 mins.

While the carrots are in the oven, take the goat cheese out of the fridge to give it time to soften.

Peel the beets

Once beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends, then peel and slice into wedges.

Build your plate

• Lay down a bed of lettuce

• Add brown rice or quinoa

• Add roasted carrots

• Add roasted beets

• Crumble pieces of goat cheese over the vegetables

• Finish with dressing