Beet Salad with Figs

My sister loves beets.  I didn't believe how good she swears they are, mostly because my only experience of them was with canned ones that had that tinny taste, until I was forced to cook the ones that came in the CSA box last summer.  Both my husband and I love them now.  I usually roast them, peel away the skin, and serve them sliced with a little salt and pepper.

While on vacation in Oregon, our favorite restaurant during the trip served this beet salad that just about everyone except us ordered, so I took that as a cue to see if I could also make my own version.  I happened to sample this white cheddar goat cheese (or is it goat's milk white cheddar cheese?) at the farmer's market last weekend and thought it'd go well with the beets.  The flavor is pungent with a smooth texture, like blue cheese or Gorgonzola, and is the perfect contrast from the sweetness of the balsamic fig reduction.  I made this twice within a week, the first time without the figs.  The following should make 4-6 servings, depending on portion size.

0.02 lb (~1/3 cup?) white cheddar goat cheese, cubed/crumbled
1 bag spring mix salad
1 large or 2 med beets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 large figs, sliced into 8ths
1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the beets, I find it better to cook it earlier or the day before so that it has enough time to cool.  Coat the beets with cooking oil and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Once cool to the touch, the skin should peel easily enough.  Slice into 1/8 inch rounds, then quarter.

Pour the olive oil into a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.  In a small sauce pan, cook the figs in the balsamic vinegar until the figs have wilted down.  Remove the figs and set aside.  Whisk the balsamic vinegar into the olive oil until thoroughly incorporated.  Toss the spring mix in the mixture so that all the leaves are coated.  Plate the greens and evenly divide the beets, pecans, cheese, and figs on top.

I used figs since they were what I had (got them from my parents' garden).  Any seasonal or dried fruit would work.  It's a hit in our household, and hopefully yours.

Teriyaki Pork Loins

Another quick and easy protein fix is these teriyaki pork loins.  I suppose you can also do the same with some other protein like chicken, beef or fish, and since we had a bunch of these Costco pork loins that I portioned up in the Food Saver and froze, that's what I went with.  They were easily defrosted in a bowl with running cold water, like with fish.  The loins were on the thick side so I cut them in half into thinner pieces.  Coat in your favorite teriyaki sauce (mine is Yoshida's) and marinate for about 30 minutes.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, turning the loins over once halfway through.

On the side were braised kale and Chinese squash.  For the kale, I made a mixture of 1:3 parts soy sauce to water, oil and minced garlic, added it to a pan on high heat, then braised the kale for about 20 minutes, which was about the amount of time that it takes to cook the pork.  I cooked the Chinese squash like I would zucchini, which was to cut it in half lengthwise then into slices then saute it until soft.  According to my dad, the skin contains a lot of vitamins so I left it on, so it's important to add water to help it cook down.

Miso Salmon

One really easy and very tasty way to prepare salmon is to coat it with miso paste when I need a quick dinner fix.  I use the frozen fillets from Costco, but fresh is always better.  You can defrost them in about 20 minutes under cold running water, which is very convenient when you need a last-minute protein and have them on hand in the freezer.  I prefer cutting the fillets into half to decrease cooking time and portion size.

Use about 2 tablespoons of miso paste and about a tablespoon of soy sauce for 2 fillets.  Mix the miso paste and soy sauce together, then coat the fish on both sides.  Use cooking spray on a sheet of aluminum foil and seal the fish up in it.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, then remove and let it sit while sealed for about another 5 minutes.  The salmon should be just cooked through enough but not overdone, so it's still soft and moist, not tough or dry.  Watch out, because overcooking is easy to do.  Top with some fresh green onion or whatever herb you prefer.  It's so simple and so delicious.

Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad

We're having our July 4th celebration tomorrow and needed a pasta salad recipe to go with the rest of the meal.  I remembered this one from a recent episode of Diner's, Drive-Ins & Dives and its visit to this place in Louisiana called The Shed.  Here's the actual recipe: Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad, and the run-down also if you don't want to click over to the other site.

• 2 cups uncooked shell pasta
• 1 cup mayo (used about 3/4)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Cook the pasta according to the instructions, drain, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.  Mix together in a bowl all of the ingredients except for the bell pepper, onion, and cheese.  Mix the sauce with the pasta.  Add in the chopped bell pepper, onion, and cheddar cheese.  Refrigerate until cold.  Serves 4.

I don't know how close this is to the actual restaurant recipe, nor have I tasted the actual dish, but it sounded good all the same.  There are three substitutions in my version: edamame (soy) beans instead of peas (not a fan of frozen peas; plus, soy beans have a lot of protein), mayo made from olive oil (more of a preference than substitution), and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (less fat and fewer calories). So far, the flavors are a bit on the tart side, so maybe they will mellow out after some refrigeration.

Update 7/4/2011
The flavors did rounded out the next day and the dish was a hit.  I prefer mine with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.  Enjoy!