Roasted Beet & Beef Salad with Mustard Dressing

The texture and flavour of Gorganzola marries nicely with roasted beets, but this robust salad tastes just as good without the cheese

By Paul Finkelstein

• Seasonal Vegetable & Tofu Stir-fry
• Baked Salmon with Citrus Salad
• Paul Finkelstein's favourite family meals

Dressing: 
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-fat sour cream
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp (2 mL) honey
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh dill, finely diced
2 tsp (10 mL) water
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Salad:
1/2 cup (125 mL) onions, finely sliced
1 cup (250 mL) roasted (or boiled) beets, peeled and diced 
2 cups (500 mL) pear slices, 1/4 in. (0.5 cm) thick, peeled and cored 
4 handfuls fresh baby spinach 
1/2 cup (125 mL) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 
2 180-g pieces beef tenderloin, grilled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp (30 mL) sesame seeds

Roasting beets helps to bring out their natural sugars. (To roast, brush clean, unpeeled beets with a little olive oil and put them in a 350°F oven for about an hour—the cooking time will vary depending on size. Check if they are done by using a skewer. If you’re partial to a less sweet flavour, boil them on the stove for about 30 minutes or until tender.) While the beets are still warm, place them in a kitchen towel and gently rub them to remove the outer skin; any remaining dirt will come off at this time. Then rinse them before preparing the salad. Serve with warm crusty baguette slices.

For dressing: In a small bowl, add sour cream, Dijon mustard, honey, fresh dill, water and lemon juice. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For salad: In a medium bowl, place onions, cooked beets, pear and a couple of tablespoons of the dressing. Gently fold together. Divide washed spinach equally among four plates, and spoon beet mixture overtop. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Add equal amounts of cheese and beef to each plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serves four.

Per serving: 383 calories, 31 g protein, 21 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 20 g carbohydrates, 5 g fibre, 96 mg cholesterol, 438 mg sodium