While this may seem like just another simple salad, I assure you that the combination of warm beets, creamy avocado, and zippy grapefruit will have you coming back for seconds. Maple syrup does double duty in this recipe as a glaze for the beets and as a balancing sweet element in the vinaigrette.
Tips
- For a more substantial meal, serve this alongside a piece of pan-seared salmon or tofu.
- Za’atar is an eastern Mediterranean seasoning blend used for everything from grilling to garnishing. There are many variations of za’atar, but a few key components are thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and sea salt.
Maple Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium red beets, peeled and each sliced into 8 wedges
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt, divided
- 4 Tbsp (60 mL) maple syrup, divided
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) zaíatar
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) lemon zest
- 6 cups (1.5 L) baby greens, such as arugula or spinach
- 2 red grapefruits, peeled and segmented
- 2 avocados, peeled, pit discarded, and sliced
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted pistachios
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories495
- protein7g
- fat36g
- saturated fat5g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates44g
- sugars20g
- fibre12g
- sodium429mg
Directions
01
Place rimmed baking tray in oven before turning oven on to preheat at 400 F (200 C).
02
In medium bowl, toss together beet wedges with oil and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt. Tumble onto warmed baking tray and arrange in single layer. Roast until crisp tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of beet wedges. Drizzle 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup over beets and toss to coat. Return to oven and roast for another 5 minutes. Remove beets from oven, sprinkle zau2019atar over warm beets, and toss to coat.
03
In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup, and remaining 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt until well combined.
04
When ready to serve, divide greens among serving plates. Top with roasted beets, grapefruit segments, and avocado. Drizzle each serving with dressing and garnish with toasted pistachios.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Tourtière AU Cerf
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
Artichauts en Barigoule
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.