| 6 | medium beets (4 to 6 ounces each) |
| 1/4 | cup olive or vegetable oil |
| 2 | tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar |
| 1 | tablespoon Dijon mustard |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| 2 | cups arugula leaves, watercress or bite-size pieces salad greens |
| 1/2 | cup crumbled chèvre (goat) cheese (2 ounces) |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted, if desired |
| 1. | Remove greens from beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem. Do not trim or cut root. Wash beets well. Place beets in 2-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 40 to 50 minutes or until tender; drain. |
| 2. | Cool beets 1 hour. Remove skins from beets under running water; drain beets on paper towels. Cut beets into julienne strips; place in shallow glass or plastic dish. |
| 3. | In tightly covered container, shake oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar. Pour over beets. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 12 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before preparing salad. |
| 4. | Arrange beets on 4 salad plates. Top with arugula and cheese. Drizzle with remaining oil mixture if desired. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve immediately. |
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| Substitute 1 can (16 ounces) julienne beets for the cooked fresh beets. Marinate as directed in step 3. |
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| Beets range in color from the common deep garnet to white and gold. Although any color beet can be used in this salad, marinate each color separately because beets have a tendency to "bleed."
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| Chèvre is a white goat's milk cheese with a mildly tart flavor. If you prefer a slightly more assertive flavor, try a blue cheese such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort. |
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| To toast nuts, bake uncovered in ungreased shallow pan in 350ºF oven about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Or cook in ungreased heavy skillet over medium-low heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until browning begins, then stirring constantly until golden brown. |
Nutrition Information:
255 ( 180); 20g ( 6g, ncg); 20mg; 250mg; 15g ( 3g, ncg); 7g 22%; 14%; 12%; 8% 0 ; 3 ; 4 nc