Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad

I didn't quite have all the ingredients needed for this salad. I think the salad would have been spectacular with them -- but I trudged on and used what I had. A quick search on the internet for baby beet recipes brought me to the website for Whole Foods Market and a recipe for Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad. I didn't have any shallots and I didn't have Roquefort. But, the beets were just fantastic and the dressing was delicious. I had some Parmegianno-Reggiano and shaved some over the salad in place of the Roquefort. Not a perfect substitute but it was delicious. Here's the original recipe from the Whole Foods website.

• 1 pound baby beets, stems trimmed to 1-inch
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste
• 3–4 cups washed and dried spinach leaves
• 1/4 pound crumbled Roquefort cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beets then wrap in parchment-lined aluminum foil and roast in center of oven until tender, 45-60 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut in half. Whisk together shallot, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Toss beets in a little dressing. Place spinach on a large platter, top with beets then cheese. Drizzle lightly with dressing. Serve remaining dressing on side.

I saved the beet greens to use with dinner tomorrow night.