Easter Weekend!

I hope you all had a lovely long weekend! Undoubtably many of you over-indulged this weekend. I'm always curious to know what people eat at holiday celebrations. For some it's the same thing each year and for others a new menu each time. My family seems to enjoy either ham, lamb, or a traditional turkey dinner. This years dinner featured: turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry jelly, mashed potatoes, boiled peas and carrots and white buns. Although it's quite yum, this traditional meal is not my favourite. I often describe it as being 'boring'. Although I was grateful for all the wonderful food, my favourite dish this dinner was my roasted beet salad (a fav of my friend Linda as well!) 
Sarah's Roasted Beet Salad
beets (organic is always best!) 
olive oil
maple syrup/balsamic/raspberry vinegar
sea salt & pepper 
choice of nut (pine nut, walnut, almond, pecan)
choice of cheese (feta, goats, shaved parmesan)
oranges


1. Peel your beets and cut them into wedges. Toss the beets with olive oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven until tender. This takes a good 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. I like to leave them with a bit of bite. 
2. Let the beets cool until just slightly warm in the roasting pan. 
3. Put the beets into a bowl and add the juices from the pan. Add segmented oranges (or any other fruit you might enjoy instead) and your choice of cheese. If you want to see a colour contrast with the cheese, add it in just before serving (as it will soak up that lovely beet colour). 
4. Add your choice of toasted nuts before serving. I like to toast my nuts in a dry non-stick pan. 
5. Flavour to taste! You may want a little extra salt and pepper. Perhaps a drizzle of aged balsamic or a glug of olive oil. If you choose to use raspberry vinegar, only season the beets with olive oil before baking them. 


This simple recipe is so delicious. It's really just about finding which combinations you enjoy. If you'd like to bring this for lunch or eat it as a main dish, serve it on top of quinoa with a side of greens. I love to eat this salad when it's still a little warm. Enjoy! 


To end this post, I must share with you a few photos of the glorious strawberry tart I made on Sunday. The sun was streaming into my parent's house which was perfect to capture those juicy red strawberries. Feel free to click on the photos for a closer look!
A simple tart with a pastry crust, filled with mascarpone (an Italian cream cheese that I mixed with some sugar, lemon juice and vanilla) and topped with sugar glazed strawberries. I then boiled down port with strawberry juice to drizzle on top. Divine! 
Such a beautiful presentation. 

I loved the port/strawberry drizzle! 


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