Sometimes it can be tough to get our family to eat their greens, but not when it comes to this salad. We fried up a healthy portion of goat cheese, and added crisp beets to achieve the perfect balance between creamy, crunchy and delicious.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the roasted beets:
- 4 medium beets
- 14 g / 1 tbsp Mirage margarine, melted
For the dressing:
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 10 ml / 2 tsp honey
- 4 g / 2 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 small lemon)
- 1 g / 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 76 g / 1/3 cup Mirage margarine, melted
For the goat cheese:
- 62 g / 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp water
- 57 g / 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 10 g / 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 11 oz / 300 g goat cheese log
- 42 g / 3 tbsp Mirage margarine
For the salad:
- 140 g / 10 cups mixed mesclun greens, loosely packed
- 138 g / 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 12 g / 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Directions
For the roasted beets:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Trim the leafy greens from the beets, leaving 1 inch (2.5 centimetre) of the stems attached. Wash the beets and pat dry.
- Place beets in a baking pan large enough to hold them a single layer and toss them with the Mirage margarine. Tightly cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil. Roast beets until easily pierced with a sharp knife, about 1 – 1 1/4 hours.
- Remove from oven and allow beets to cool. Peel the skins off the beets and and cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimetre) pieces.
For the dressing:
- Using a handheld or standard blender, combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, lemon zest and pepper; blend 20 seconds. Slowly pour in the Mirage margarine and blend for 30 seconds.
For the goat cheese:
- Place the flour in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs with the water. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and rosemary.
- Slice the goat cheese into 8 even rounds.
- Dredge one slice of cheese in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Dip cheese into the egg wash, then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture, patting the crumbs on firmly to adhere. Place on a plate and repeat with remaining cheese rounds. Once all the cheese has been breaded, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Melt Mirage margarine in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the breaded goat cheese and cook until golden brown; 4 minutes on each side.
For the salad:
- Toss the greens with about 1/2 cup (120 millilitres) of the dressing, divided between 4 plates. Sprinkle the beets over the greens. Top each salad with 2 rounds of fried goat cheese and garnish with the chives and sliced almonds. Serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side.
Chef Notes
- Save the greens trimmed from the beets. They can be sautéed with garlic and Mirage margarine for a quick side dish – or added to soups, stews, or even smoothies!
