Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Pistachio #BrunchWeek

Thanks so much for stopping by for another Brunch Week recipe! This week (May 5th-10th), we’re sharing great brunch recipes in preparation for Mother’s Day and the summer brunching season. Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen have done a great job organizing everything and lined up some amazing sponsors for a completely awesome giveaway – you can read more about that here.

I love it when I can “trick” Shawn into enjoying whole grains. He’s convinced that he doesn’t like them, but he really does! He was on board with this roasted beet salad at first, but got a little leery when I said I was thinking about adding some farro to help bulk it up and add more texture. But then he tasted a piece of cheese with a pistachio and noted that the combination of flavors was “pretty cool.” I could tell he was warming up to the idea when he served himself up a huge helping. He took one bite and said, “I like it!”

Which was good, because I liked it too. A lot.

You might expect something with these ingredients – beets, farro, blue cheese, nuts – to be earthy and funky, but the lemon and shallot dressing makes it surprisingly light and spring-like. It’s also really versatile: eat it as it on alongside an omelet for brunch, spoon it over some baby spinach to make an entree salad, or stuff it into a whole wheat pita for a heartier meal.

Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Pistachios

Author: Lauren Keating

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 beets, greens discarded
¼ cup farro
¾ cup water
½ shallot, minced
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
¼ cup pistachios, chopped

Preparation

Heat the oven to 450ºF. Wrap the beets in foil and place on the middle rack. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool. Gently rub away the peels. Cut into a small dice and refrigerate until chilled. (This step can be done several days in advance.)
Combine the farro and ¾ cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the farro and soft and the water is absorbed. Let cool.
Peel the lemon and remove the seeds. Add the lemon, shallot and olive oil to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Thin with 1 tablespoon water.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled beets and cooked farro. Toss with the dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and pistachios.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 140 Fat: 8.7 Carbohydrates: 13.5 Fiber: 2.7 Protein: 4.1

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Don’t miss the rest of today’s brunch week recipes!

Brunch Beverages:

Raspberry-Mango Batido from Foxes Love Lemons

Blackberry Mimosas from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine

Brunch Egg Dishes:

Spinach Bell Pepper Frittata from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Corn Souffle from Hungry Couple

Croque Madame Muffins from Cooking in Stilettos

Fajita Vegetable Quesadillas with Eggs and Avocado Hollandaise from Sarcastic Cooking

Bacon, Cheddar, Zucchini Quiche from The Kitchen Prep

Brunch Breads and Grains:

Blueberry Cornmeal Waffles from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Busy Bee’s Granola from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Chocolate Dipped Banana Hazelnut Pancake Kebabs from Food Faith Fitness

Springtime Sweet Rolls from Eat Your Heart Out

10 Minute English Muffin Cream Cheese Danish from Neighborfood

Lemon Poppyseed Scones from Real Housemoms

Apple Croissants from Hip Foodie Mom

Vanilla Chai Quick Bread from Savvy Eats

Fig and Oatmeal Breakfast Bar from My Catholic Kitchen

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Brunch Fruits, Vegetables, Sides:

Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachios and Blue Cheese from Healthy. Delicious.

Caramelized Onion, Apple and Gruyere Bites from Take a Bite out of Boca

Savory Truffles from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Brunch Desserts:

Orange Marmalade Pound Cake from Love and Confections

Hazelnut-Blackberry Cottage Pudding from The Vintage Cook

Orange Surprise Inside Pound Cake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Strawberry Hazelnut Crumble with Coconut Whipped Cream from The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Corn Fritter Shortcakes with Maple Whipped Cream from The Spiffy Cookie

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New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alright, I know, I knowwwww. Enough Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes already!

I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself!

I always find myself making them since they are my brothers favorite thing. He has come to expect them with every visit. And he visits pretty often. And I get bored doing the same recipe over and over again so I try out a new one every time he comes. The ultimate plan was to find my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie that I could put my stamp of approval on and tote as “the best”. I decided I would try 5 of the biggest favorited recipes on the web:

Pudding Packet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cooks Illustrated Original Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cooks Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (with browned butter)
Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” Chocolate Chip Cookies
THESE! NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie

And now that I have officially made them all, I can tell you which has won my heart…

Cooks Illustrated PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Talk about a flavor explosion in your mouth. These cookies use browned butter to achieve the most delicious, caramelly flavor. One bite and I was hooked.

Truth be told, I didn’t make this decision lightly either. Each cookie was really very good. And it was a real toss-up between my three favorite: NY Times (posted here), Alton’s ”The Chewy”, and CI Perfect cookie. The only reason CI won out was because of the three they were the most convenient to make (recipe using only All-purpose flour, no bread flour) and offered the greatest depth of flavor. Not to mention it uses a melted butter method rather than a creaming method, which I think is quicker and easier.

That said, you should know that the NY TIMES chocolate chip cookies are incredible in their own right. If you have the bread flour and time to let the cookie dough sit 24 hours in the fridge…. you should definitely give them a go! They are worth the time to at least experience once.

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serves: 18 large cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour
1 & ⅔ cups (8½ ounces) bread flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 & ⅓ cups (20 ounces) dark chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao content
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
Scoop 3½-ounces of dough, roll into a rough ball (it should be the size of a large golf ball) and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have six mounds of dough on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the parchment or silicone sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto another cooling rack to cool a bit more, until just warm or at room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough (or keep some of the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bake cookies at a later time). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

adapted from New York Times

Triple Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies

These cookies are insane. Marvelous, delicious, rich and perfect. What makes them so unique and special is the chocolate I used. It was a package of mixed chocolate disks from Chocoley. Are you familiar with this company? If not, I suggest you get to know them like now! And then, order yourself ~~a bag~~ many bags of this chocolate cookie blend so that you can enjoy these cookies, too!

THE BEST TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SEA SALT COOKIES!!!!

COOKIE DOUGH!!!

I have a new technique for making extra thick cookies and I have had great success with this…

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. (I use the convection setting but regular will work fine). Chill your cookie dough at least 30 mins but
longer = thicker!
2. Measure your cookie dough to 2 ounces for each mound.
3. As soon as you throw the cookies in the oven, immediately shut the door and lower the temp to 375 RIGHT AWAY. My theory is that the high heat of 425 immediately “sets” the base of the cookie to be thicker!!! Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the tops are getting nice and golden. Will continue to set up while cooling on cookie sheets. This recipe produces a crisp outside and a thick, soft, chewy center!!! REPEAT for the next batch preheating to 425 again.

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 sticks soft butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup regular sugar
1 T. vanilla extract

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 bag Chocoley Cookie blend
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Beat butter and both sugars until well blended. Add in vanilla, egg and yolk until light and creamy. Add in flour, salt and baking soda just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate by hand. Chill 30 mins or longer. Drop by 2 ounce mounds onto parchment. Place in oven and IMMEDIATELY lower temp to 375. Bake 9-11 minutes or until tops golden. Sprinkle with sea salt of desired and let cool on cookie sheets.
MAKES 21 COOKIES (2 OUNCES EACH)

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