Lightly Smoked Beet Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place beets in a large baking dish, setting aside the prettiest beet; drizzle beets in baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Cover with parchment-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake until tender, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Thinly slice reserved beet and carrots crosswise on a mandoline; transfer to ice-water bath and let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Slice the top and bottom of whole grapefruit with a paring knife. Set one of the flat sides on your work surface. From top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel and white pith. Trim off any remaining pith. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment, staying close to the membrane, to release. Discard membrane. Set grapefruit slices aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together grapefruit juice, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil until emulsified; set vinaigrette aside.
• Once beets are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel away skin. Place peeled beets on the rack of on indoor smoker or a wire rack if using an outdoor grill. If using an indoor smoker, preheat a grill pan over low heat in a well ventilated area. Place wood chips in smoker and top with rack. Carefully light wood chips; cover and place on grill pan. If using a grill, preheat to low with a small fire lit off to one corner. Place wire rack on grill and top charcoal with wood chips; close grill. Let beets smoke for 20 minutes.
• Transfer smoked beets to a large bowl along with sliced beets and carrots, grapefruit slices, arugula, herbs, and pistachios. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with cheese. Serve.

Steps:

• First, light your charcoal barbecue or fire. Wash the beets and snip off the greens, reserving them. Fold a large piece of foil -- about 12-18" (24-36" unfolded), depending on the size of your beets -- in half to form a double layer. Lay the greens, then the beets, then the rosemary on top of the foil. (Note: if you don't have greens with your beets -- or want to save them to cook separately -- that's okay, just make sure the coals are at medium heat, not flaming, when you add your packet of beets.) 2. Roll up the foil, folding in the edges and twisting the ends together. Stab the foil a few times all over with a knife to allow the smoke to get inside and flavor the beets. Lift the rack of your barbecue with tongs and carefully insert your foil package among the coals, making sure you place some coals on top too. 3. Leave it to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beets are tender, then remove the package and allow it to cool down. Unwrap it and remove the beets, discarding the greens and rosemary sprigs. 4. Once cooled slightly, peel the beets and discard the charred skin. The skins should slip right off, but if they don't, gently scrape them away with the back of a paring knife. Cut the beets into irregular chunks and place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and half the parsley and tarragon. Toss, have a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 5. Put the cottage cheese into a bowl and add the juice and finely grated zest from half your lemon. Stir in 2 glugs of extra virgin olive oil, the thyme leaves and some salt and pepper and gently fold it all together, so the oil and lemon marble through the cottage cheese. Taste the dressing and squeeze in a bit more lemon juice if you like. 6. To serve, divide the dressed beets between four salad plates. Top each plate with a spoonful of cottage cheese dressing. Scatter over the remaining herbs and enjoy!

Steps:

• Place beets into a large pot, cover with cold, lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beets are soft and can easily be pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Peel and cut into cubes.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir smoked tofu until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Combine tofu, beets, and apple in a bowl.
• Mix yogurt, horseradish, and maple syrup in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and mix well. Let stand until flavors combine, about 15 minutes.