Beet & Blueberry Salad with Walnuts & Mint

Recipe from KitchenGenius

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 8 (1 cup servings)

This stunningly beautiful salad will wow your guests.  When the local blueberries are plentiful and the young beets are ready, you MUST make this salad.  Save yourself some time and roast the beets a day or two in advance.  You can also make the vinaigrette in advance as well.  Purple/blue foods like beets and blueberries are packed with antioxidants that help fight inflammation and will boost your immune system too!

For the vinaigrette: (Can be prepared in advance.)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

3 large beets (2 lbs.), roasted and peeled* (Can be prepared in advance.)

4 cups blueberries

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted**

½ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese or blue cheese

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.  Set aside while preparing the salad.  In a large bowl or on a rimmed platter, gently toss together the beets, blueberries, walnuts and mint.  (Do this with a light hand because you won’t want to crush the berries.) Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss again to coat. Sprinkle the salad with the cheese and serve.

*How to Roast Beets:  To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400.  Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet.  Place a piece of parchment paper on top of that.  Put the beets in the center and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss the beets to coat.  Fold the foil/parchment in a loose-fitting but tightly sealed packet around the beets.  Roast the packet on the baking sheet until the beets are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (This might take longer if the beets are large.)  Let the beets cool completely in the foil/parchment. When cool, use a paring knife to peel and slice he beets into wedges or bite-sized chunks. (It’s best to wear an apron and rubber gloves for this because beet juice will stain everything!) Beets can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

**How to Toast Walnuts:  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Arrange the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.  Roast until browned and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. 

Nutritional Info:  (1 cup serving) 264 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 173 g sodium; 29 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 7 g protein

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

4 Generous Servings

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was an easy-to-make, vegetarian, and elegant appetizer for a dinner party.  Make the filling and prep the mushrooms several hours in advance.  Fill the mushrooms an hour before the party and then just before your guests arrive, pop them in the oven.  Serve these with Sparkling Red-Wine Cocktails for a perfect party starter.

Olive oil, for baking sheet
(Or use parchment paper.)

3 slices sandwich bread (I used whole-wheat bread.)

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped


1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled


½ cup fresh parsley leaves


¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes


Coarse salt


20 oz. white button or cremini mushrooms, stems removed

1.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.   In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until fine crumbs form; scoop out ½ cup and set aside.

3.   To the food processor, add goat cheese, parsley, and red-pepper flakes. Season the filling with salt, and pulse filling until combined.

4.   Spoon filling into each mushroom. (I used a very small ice cream scoop.) Roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking sheet.

5.   Bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

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Note:  When I made these, a few hours in advance, I quickly rinsed the mushrooms and set them aside on a towel to dry.  Then I sprayed the mushroom caps with cooking spray and covered them.  I made the filling a few hours in advance.  I placed it in an airtight container on the counter until it was time to fill the mushrooms.

Lovely Autumn/Winter Salad

Here's the salad doubled for a crowd.  Instead of roasting the sweet potatoes,
I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and sauteed them
in a bit of olive oil and butter.  I them drained them on a paper towel. 
(You can allow them to cool and then keep them
in the fridge until you're ready to add them to the salad.)
I cut the arugula up into bite-sized pieces also for easier serving and eating.
As you can see, it makes a stunning addition to any table.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

This salad not only tastes fabulous, but it’s gorgeous to look at with the bright arugula, the golden butternut squash, creamy cheese and crusty brown walnuts.

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks (butternut squash makes a fine substitute)

3 Tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil

Kosher salt and ground pepper

½ cup walnuts

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used ½ teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey (I used l bit more.)

1 package of arugula or 2 bunches watercress and/or baby lettuces

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (blue cheese or goat cheese make good substitutes)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks on upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 1 Tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on upper rack, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.

On another rimmed baking sheet, toss walnuts with cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Bake on lower rack, until golden, 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add watercress, and toss to combine. Serve topped with sweet potatoes, walnuts, and feta.