Domestic Experiments...

So now that I am a stay at home mom, I have had the time to renew my passion for cooking...and eating of course. I didn't have a kitchen for so long and with a newborn, there just wasn't the time. Now that Rowan likes to hang out in the kitchen with me, we have a lot of fun cooking together. One of my favorite things to do is go through cookbooks and cooking magazines to look up new and different recipes and try them out on my willing husband. I enjoy cooking and eating healthy meals, so I am always in the market for vegetable and chicken recipes that offer a new spin on the usual steamed veggies and grilled chicken that we have grown tired of. I found a recipe in this months Cooking Light for a roasted beet salad. Being the wannabe foodie that I am, I always see chefs utilizing beets as part of their menu on shows like Top Chef. When I think of beets, I think of the jarred beets that my southern mom served as a side in nearly all of her dinners. I thought...the fresh ones look so beautiful and the recipe that I found seemed easy enough. To my delight, it was really good, easy, and my husband actually did enjoy it (well - it did have cheese on it.). Here is the recipe...I recommend trying this one!

BEET AND ARUGULA SALAD

3 BEETS (RED AND YELLOW OR WHATEVER IS AVAILABLE)

2 TBLSP. RED WINE VINEGAR

1 TEASP. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1/2 TEASP. SALT

1/2 TEASP. PEPPER

6 CUPS ARUGULA

1/4 CUP KEFALOTYRI CHEESE (I COULD NOT FIND THIS GREEK CHEESE IN CENTRAL MARKET, YOU CAN SUB PARM. REGGIANO OR GOAT CHEESE - I USED GOAT CHEESE BECAUSE GRANT LOVES IT)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in a baking dish, bake at 425 for one hour and ten minutes or until tender. Cool; peel and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Arrange beet slices in a single layer on a platter. Drizzle with half of vinegar mixture.

Combine remaining vinegar mixture and arugula in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Top beets with arugula mixture. Sprinke with cheese.

8 servings; 50 calories, 1.8g of fat