Roasted Beet
& Basil Salad with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
Posted on July 24, 2013 by happyhealthnutk
Some days I get really ambitious and
spend a lot of time making a complicated meal, but most days, I really just
like to keep things simple. Just a few great ingredients tossed together on a
plate is really all I need. A salad encompasses many different colors, textures
and flavors on one plate and in one bite! And I’m blessed to have a husband
that is more than willing to make a meal out of salad and be just as satisfied
as if he had eaten a steak! Well, almost as satisfied.
The inspiration for this particular
salad came from the humble pig. At the farmer’s market on Saturday I picked up
some great bacon from a local farmer. Truthfully I don’t think I’ve ever met a
piece of pork that I didn’t like, but this bacon was some of the most
flavorful, delicious bacon I have ever put into my mouth. So I used it in two
ways in this salad: crumbled on top and in the vinaigrette.
Now
I know you’re thinking “Bacon! Healthnuts don’t eat bacon!”. But oh yes. We do.
That’s the beauty of having a balanced diet. No food is completely off limits
all of the time. I crumbled up just one piece total on the salad, but this
bacon was so flavorful that it permeated the entire salad. And actually, bacon
fat is a very stable cooking fat, and has loads of healthy saturated fat that
is absolutely essential to your bodies’ proper functioning. Don’t fear the fat
people! For more info on why and how you can incorporate bacon into a healthy
diet, check out this book.
The roasted beets add another layer
of meaty texture and rich flavor, which is cut by the tangy Hot Bacon
Vinaigrette and the punch of the red onion. Heirloom tomatoes are a complete no-brainer
addition to this salad, and contribute a mellow sweetness that unmistakably
shouts “summertime!!” Check out my recipe!
Yields
2 dinner-sized salads
Ingredients
for the salad:
- 3 cups
mixed greens, You can use whatever you like. I used an organic pre-mix
that had baby kale, spinach, baby bok choy, arugula and radicchio.
- 2
slices of bacon, cooked to your liking. But really, let’s be honest, who
can just eat 1 piece of bacon. Just cook up the whole pound and use the
rest in something else.
- 2
medium sized beets
- 1/4 cup
fresh basil, torn into pieces
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- sea
salt and pepper
- 1/2 of
a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pint
cherry tomatoes. I used heirlooms in this and they were amazing. So use
those if you can find them.
Ingredients
for the Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp
reserved bacon drippings
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- pinch
of red pepper flakes
- sea
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat
your oven to 400 degrees
- Wash,
peel and medium dice the beets. Place them on a sheet tray and coat with
coconut oil, 1 tbsp sea salt and 2 tsp black pepper. Spread in an even
layer on the tray and roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender, turning
occasionally.
- While
the beats are roasting, cook your bacon. I love to cook bacon in my cast
iron skillet (likethis one).
- Prepare
the vinaigrette. Now this is the technical part so pay attention. Toss the
ingredients in a mason jar or container with a lid and shake it up. Taste
it, and adjust seasoning. Did you catch that? Okay good.
- Prepare
your salad. Distribute the greens evenly. Toss on the onions, tomatoes and
basil.
- When
the beets have cooked, distribute them amongst the salads. The hot beets
will wilt the greens just a touch and it’s perfect!
- Crumble
the bacon on top of the salad and drizzle the Hot Bacon Vinaigrette. Serve
and Enjoy!
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