Salads & Starters

June 23, 2012

What to do with Radishes… Four Super Easy Radish Recipes 1

by Andrea • Salads & Starters • Tags: ,

what to do with radishes - radish recipe ideasIf you’re a gardener like me, you probably know that radishes are super easy to grow and they’re usually one of the first crop that’s ready to be picked.  I have to admit that I never even thought I liked radishes and have always just given them away to friends and neighbors.  This year I planted a row of Watermelon Radishes, which are red on the inside and white on the outside.  When I picked them I thought they were too cool looking to give them all away, so I started asking around for ideas of what to do with them… and this is the result!

Radish Recipe #1:  Radish & Butter Sandwich

Ok, I know this may sound totally disgusting because that was my initial reaction when one of my best friends told me to try this.  But I did try it and surprisingly I really liked it.  The butter seems to cut out the spiciness of the radishes.

Ingredients:

  • Bread
  • Butter
  • Sliced Radishes
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Um… you do know how to make a sandwich, right?  Just checking.  ;)

Radish Recipe #2:  Sauteed Radishes in Butter

Ingredients:

  • Radishes cut into wedges
  • Butter
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Heat butter in a skillet on moderately high heat.  Add radish wedges, salt & pepper, and sautee until they start to brown on the outside and become tender on the inside.

Radish Recipe #3:  Cucumber & Radish Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 Large Radishes
  • 1 Cucumber
  • 1/2 cup of Low Fat Sour Cream
  • Fresh Dill
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Cut the radishes and cucumber into thin slices – I used my mandoline slicer for this.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl until mixed well.  Chill, and serve.

 

Radish Recipe #4:  Radish Spread

This recipe is super addictive at parties and it’s a great way to use up a bunch of extra radishes.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese
  • 3 Large (my watermelon radishes seem to be super-sized) or 10 Small Radishes
  • 3 Green Onions (white & green parts)
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a food processor OR finely chop or grate the radishes and onions and blend with remaining ingredients.  Chill and serve on crackers, fresh bread, cucumber rounds, or spread on sandwiches!

Other ideas:

  • Pickle them
  • Add thin sliced radishes to fresh green salads
  • Roast them in the oven with some EVOO and salt & pepper

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May 24, 2012

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans 2

by Andrea • Salads & Starters • Tags: , ,

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese and candied pecans

I’m on a total beet kick lately… just… can’t… get… enough!  LOL  I made roasted beets the other night, and decided to use my leftover beets to make a delicious salad with goat cheese and candied pecans.  I could eat a whole bowl of just the pecans… talk about dangerous!

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a fan of easy recipes that don’t require a ton of ingredients or a lot of time.  Roasting the beets for this recipe is what takes the most time, but the actual prep time is very minimal… maybe 15 minutes.
Candied sugared pecans
Ingredients:

  • 4-5 medium beets
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 oz goat cheese
  • mixed salad greens
  • fresh mint (optional)
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Roast the beets:  Wash them well and cut off the stems.  Rub a little olive oil on each beet, and wrap them in aluminum foil.  Bake them at 400 degrees for 60 to 90 minutes.  The longer you let them bake, the better the flavor.  Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
  2. Marinate the beets:  Mix the vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt & pepper (to-taste), and a touch of fresh mint in a bowl.  Unwrap the beets and peel the skin off while they are still warm.  If they roasted long enough, the skins should come right off just by rubbing the outside of the beet.  I recommend using a paper towel to rub off the skins, otherwise your fingers will stain red.  Slice the beets and place them in the bowl to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Candy the pecans:  Place the pecans, water and sugar in a pan and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.  The water and sugar will first turn into a sticky syrup consistency, and then it will suddenly “candy” making the pecans appear as if they are coated in sugar.  Once this happens cook for just 30 seconds more and then remove from the heat and let cool.
  4. Prepare your salad:  Add the beet mixture on top of your mixed salad greens, and top with crumbled goat cheese and the candied pecans.

A Few Substitution Suggestions:

  • Walnuts instead of pecans (save $$)
  • Feta instead of goat cheese
  • Balsamic instead of red wine vinegar

 

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