This month’s 5 Star Makeover Challenge is BEETS. Beets are at peak season in the winter months and our challenge is to make them shine in ways you may never have considered. Five Star Makeover is hosted by the lovely and talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Laz, the creative mastermind behind Lazaro Cooks. I’m honored to be a part of this inspiring group of culinary artists and each month I strive to rise to the challenge and still bring you a heart healthy recipe that you can make at home without spending half the day in the kitchen!
As soon as the challenge is announced my mind begins churning, and this month found me trying all sorts of different things with beets. Fortunately, we both like beets – beets can be very polarizing, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. My first idea was to put a Russian spin on it – red beets are especially appreciated in Slavic countries – take borscht for instance. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, the Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. But I’ve already posted a borscht – wonderful earthy, sweet flavors from roasted beets with a creative twist (horseradish feta cream). I had to come up with something more original! An article about Muscovites spending summer weekends at their cottages called dachas in the countryside and the foods for a dacha grilling party led to vodka which led to my mulling a jar of beet infused vodka on my countertop. Easy to make – but definitely an acquired taste. I’ll be concocting a cocktail soon… can’t let good vodka go to waste.
I really wanted to make the most gorgeous beet ravioli that I saw on the Italian Dish for Valentine’s Day, but I don’t have a pasta maker (more experienced pasta makers would roll it out by hand) and I kind of ran out of time – February is a really short month! So I pinned it on my Eat Drink Love board for future inspiration – maybe next Valentine’s Day 
In the end I decided to change up the ubiquitous beet and goat cheese salad and give you not one, but two, twists on it that are simple + seasonal, full of flavor, easy to make, and heart healthy – they’re both gluten free, too. I’m all about seasonal, farm to table, and buying local and I write about/support/promote restaurants that practice this, but it means that I’ve eaten and photographed a lot of beets on a bed of greens lately. Inspiration for the elegant presentation for my 5 Star Beet Salad goes to That Jew Can Cook - I spied his photograph on one of those food porn sites and found his name amusing. This elegant dish received a call back for my intimate Oscar party for 2
5 Star Beet Salad
3 medium beets, peeled and roasted
crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar, reduced
1 tablespoon walnut halves or pieces, toasted
fresh thyme leaves and flowers of purple basil or other herb
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cut tops from beets, reserve for another use. Scrub and peel. Wrap in tin foil, place in an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over med-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons and is thick enough to coat a spoon, but not so thick that it can’t be drizzled. Watch carefully so that the sauce does not burn.
3. Using a sharp Sudoku or chef’s knife, cut the sides off each beet, forming a square of about 1 inch. Use the sides to form smaller squares. Sprinkle thyme leaves into the cheese. Place beets on appetizer-size plates topped with a pinch of crumbled cheese, a few nut pieces, and drizzle with balsamic.
Yield: 2 petite appetizer/salad portions
Living in California, we’re fortunate to have an abundance of fruits, including tropical varieties, and vegetables available year-round – but that’s not the case for a lot of people. Root vegetables and citrus are more accessible and, while warming soups, stews, roasted and braised meats, and comfort foods are the order of the day for those in wintry climes, it’s also a nice change of pace to add a spark of sunshine with a vibrant salsa that dances on your tongue and reassures you that Spring is on the way! Here I combined mellow roasted yellow beets with blood oranges that will put a spring in your step.
Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Salsa
2 yellow beets, peeled and roasted
1 blood orange, supremed*
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 T. champagne vinegar
1 T. blood orange juice
1 T. honey
1 t. blood orange zest
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cut tops from beets, reserve for another use. Scrub and peel. Wrap in tin foil, place in an oven proof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. While the beets are roasting, supreme* (the French term for sectioning citrus) the blood orange – do this on a plate to retain the sweet juice for use in the vinaigrette. Slice off the top and bottom of the orange so that it’s stable on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife or fillet knife cut down along the sides to remove the skin and pith. Use your knife to carefully release each segment from the membrane.
3. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Slice the beets lengthwise and then crosswise to form small cubes. Add the orange segments and gently toss with the vinaigrette. Refrigerate for 30 minute to allow the flavors to meld.
Wonderful served in endive leaves as a salad or paired with fish or chicken as a unique winter salsa.
Yield: 2 cups – 2 to 4 servings as a salad or salsa
All the awe-inspiring beet makeovers will be posted on 5 Star Foodie’s website on Friday, February 24th – take a few minutes to check them out, I guarantee you’ll never look at beets in the same way!
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The presentation is absolutely gorgeous, an excellent beet salad makeover!
It’s all completely wonderful. I might be a bit speechless. Everyone has so come to the party on this one.
What a gorgeous presentation for the beet salad! Looks like modern art. Also, the beet salsa looks really cool. At first I thought it was a mango salsa before I realized those were cubes of golden beets. Great contribution to the makeover
Thanks, Victoria – I kind of stressed over this one – the other contributions were so amazing!
You really are an artist, Priscilla! I love how you paired the beets with just a few simple flavors in such a way that the whole dish comes together into something that is not only graceful and elegant, but a perfect harmony of flavors.
Coming from a talent such as yourself, I am flattered
Thank you, Faith.
The presentation for the beet salad is stunning! And love the flavors, will have to try this out
And I am loving the flavor as well as textural combinations with the golden beets and blood oranges!
Everything look delicious, and I am offering my services as a taste tester for that beet vodka cocktail
I will be experimenting with the beet vodka cocktail this weekend – it’s sure to include citrus to tone down the earthy flavor!
Great ideas and the middle one so simple yet refined. OK the beet vodka…I have been watching vampire shows all night. But I Would try it lol.
Funny you should mention that, Evelyne! Scenes from “True Blood” flashed through my mind as I sipped the vodka
Gorgeous presentation, I love finding inspiration for an interesting twist on a favorite salad. Thanks for the simple but stunning and delicious recipes;-)
Thanks, Patty, I find a lot of inspiration on the web, since I spend so much time there
And your site is one of them!
A gorgeous beet salad. Simple, and elegant!
Both the recipes are wonderful. I wonder at you guys who do architectural food… it really is wonderfully dramatic. You are lucky to be in California for this… out east we still have nothing growing and it’s cold and damp… those herb flowers just feel like spring! Great dishes.
Aww thanks, Deanna! This is my first foray into architectural food and I’m very pleased with the result. I also wanted to bring you all a bit of Spring to brighten your day
Beets of Art! I’d eat two plates of those and not feel a bit guilty. I wanted to get some more blood oranges to work with, but they have already disappeared from around here. Hope fully we will be moved in a couple of weeks and I can get back onto some sort of schedule. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, maybe we will get more of that glorious sunshine.
-Gina-
I am in love with blood oranges, and I am in love with golden beets!!! I never thought to put them together, but that really does so amazing!!! Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra
Hi, Terra
You would love this salsa/salad then!
Oh..I love those square beets..mama and the baby! Awesome clicks and what refreshing recipes. Need to check out other beet creations.
Lovely, lovely work, Priscilla. I love everything about it. It looks like nice frozen beet cubes! I wonder how that’d come out actually. And I’m loving the salsa… another winner. I think we all appreciate your creatively and artistic approach!
Thanks so much, Bren. I’m flattered by your compliments and honored to be part of such a creative group!
Marvelous dish. Beets really shine here. Love the composition and presentation of your dish.
5 Star all the way.
Great job.
5 star beet salad is just fabulousss! I adore beets and would love a plate right now for a late dinner:)xx
Nope, I just can’t love beets…although yours are so beautifully presented!
Priscilla, gorgeous! Wow! You’d even get me and my sons eating beets with this. Just beautiful! And I love the Salsa, too. You are so talented!
Simple elegance. I am stealing this presentation! And pinning it on my new Pinterest board, I just started yesterday, so fun!
The salsa sounds amazing too. Great addition to the Cooking Group challenge Priscilla!
LL
Both of your recipes look and sound delicious. Most definitely will be making both of them. Love the presentation of the beet salad…stunning. I’m looking forward to returning to your blog.
What a fantastic makeover Priscilla! I’m going to pin it so I can come back for the recipe. Thanks for participating in the YBR! Have a great weekend.
Just amazing!! Not sure whether it should be eaten or preserved and put on a pedestal in a museum for amazing looking culinary delights. I already pinned it!
This is definitely worthy of 5 stars!