Roasted Beets with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

I recently brought a platter of Roasted Beets and Roasted Asparagus, which I served with a Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, to a family gathering here in New Orleans. Those of you who read this blog will know that the roasted versions of these vegetables are standards of mine. So I was surprised when cousins I hadn’t seen in many years asked what I had done to the beets.

“We buy pickled beets in a jar” they said, “ but never had anything like this.”

I was reminded of two things. First, my blogger buddy, Dorothy of Shockingly Delicious, had twisted my arm to do a guest blog post a couple of years back, sharing my Cherry Tomato, Olive and  Israeli Feta Salad.

“But it’s so simple,” I told her.

“It may be simple to you because you are trained and cook professionally,  but you forget that not everyone knows how to do this,” she responded.

The second thing I remembered was how blown away I had been when I first tasted roasted beets well over twenty years ago. They really can be a revelation, and luckily, I got to see that -and share it – again.

Serving them with the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing was new for me (of course, roasted beets can be added to any salad – with any kind of dressing – to brighten it up) , but worked fabulously.

This is a sauce I most often serve with cold salmon, and occasionally on a fish taco or a tostada. I don’t quite know what possessed me to try it with roasted beets, but this creamy sauce that manages to be herbaceous, fruity, citrusy and tangy all at the same time has a lot going for it.  Isn’t it great to discover a new use for an old standard?

Peeled Roasted Beets

Oven Roasted Beets

• 2 medium to large beets
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. Trim the stems ends of the beets. Wrap them in foil leaving the a bit of the stem end exposed. Pour olive oil over the exposed end.
2. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan (you’ll thank me for this when it’s time to clean your pans)  in a 375 degree oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the beets are tender (test for tenderness with a paring knife).
3. Allow the beets to cool slightly, then slip off the skins. Cut or slice them anyway you’d like to serve.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

• 1 1/2  cups mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 ounce Feta cheese
• 8-10 springs leafy cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno, fine dice
• Juice of lime
• Zest of 1 lime
• Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor and blend until  smooth.  Stir in the white pepper.

Yield: @ 2 cups

This dressing improves overnight.