I don’t usually write about what I make for lunch, but I started thinking about lunch this morning while making spätzle batter. There was a salad recipe I’d been wanting to try, and today was the day.
We have been eating our main meal at lunchtime and having smaller, lighter dinners. We go to bed earlier now since Nelly joined the family and would rather digest heavier foods like meats for the rest of the day instead of an hour before shut-eye.
I saved a recipe for a beet salad that sounded delicious. I had all the ingredients for the salad except for the arugula, which was no big deal.
I’ve said it a million times not to shit-can a recipe if you don’t want to tackle something big or not have an insignificant ingredient.
These are the kind of beets I used that I found at a discount food store, but you can use fresh or canned as well. I used them straight from the package and didn’t roast them as the recipe suggests.
I cut the beets larger than the recipe calls for, then coated them with a balsamic vinaigrette. Next, I added chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and feta cheese. I cut the pecans too small; next time, I won’t.
Here is the link to the recipe I used to make the beet salad. This is a great place to start if you aren’t a beet person or don’t know what to do with them. It’s sweet, salty, sour, tangy, creamy, crunchy, and chewy from the cranberries.
Now for the burger that I chose as the protein to go with the salad. I thought about what I had on hand to put on the burger. The best part about burger toppings is there are endless possibilities. I came up with what I called a Frenchie Burger!
We had some mushrooms that needed to be used, and some leftover Swiss cheese. I sautéed the mushrooms and added some tarragon and cognac. I know that’s fancy for lunch, but why not? Honestly, it only took an extra minute.
Marty grilled the burgers, then we spread them with Dijon mustard and melted the Swiss cheese on top. Finally, we topped it with the tarragon cognac mushrooms. OMG! Yum!
The way I made the beet salad today is a perfect side dish, or you can make it like the recipe and have a delicious salad. Not a fan of arugula? Use different greens or lettuce of your choice.
It was an easy salad since I used ready-to-eat beets; I know I would not make it if I had to roast and peel them. Some recipes are worth the time and energy to follow, and some are not.
Have a good night and for fucks sake, cover up your plants and flowers tonight if you live around here; it’s going to freeze again tonight! Hopefully, this is the final FU from Mother Nature for gardeners and retail suppliers. 😜🖕
I love roasted beets, I know it’s healthier to steam them, but I just love it with a little olive oil S call&P roasted on the grill. Got into a beet conversation with some older ladies in the produce section yesterday, and had to buy them and roast them. And this recipe looks awesome. Thank you for sharing.
YUM!!! Love me some beets although I always think I’m dying from colon cancer the next day until I remember…beets! Will be trying this soon. Thanks Julz.
I have small beets cooking on the stove. All the rest of the beets and parsnips from my “root cellar” aka the fridge I juiced along with Cosmic Crisp apples, Meyer Lemons from the yard and an orange. I don’t even peel the citrus. This gave me an empty fridge and 12 cups of yummy juice for the freezer. It’s amazing how well the beets do after harvest and being washed and kept cold. My husband isn’t a fan of anything off the beaten path. He’ll eat the cooked beets and I’ll drink the juice!