Recipes: Roasted Beet Salad with Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette

Roasted beet salad with spicy citrus vinaigrette.

10 small red and/or golden beets

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups baby lettuce greens, fris e or arugula

1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup blue cheese or feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut off tops of beets; place beets on large sheet of foil on baking sheet. Close foil to seal tightly. Roast beets 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven; let beets steam for 10 minutes. Open pouch; cool beets.

Combine orange juice, vinegar, Tabasco sauce, honey and salt in small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until blended. Remove skins from beets, when cool enough to handle, and cut into wedges. Toss beets with half of vinaigrette. Let stand 10 minutes to marinate.

Toss greens with remaining vinaigrette to serve. Place on serving platter. Top with beets; sprinkle with walnuts and crumbled cheese.

Yield: Serves 6.

Source: Tabasco Hot Sauce