Roasty Root Salad with Feta, Walnuts and Honey-Dijon Dressing

January 30, 2015

Salads are not diet food. In fact, every time I’ve been on a "diet" I’ve avoided salads altogether and ended up with a box of cookies in a closet somewhere.

Unfortunately, there’s no room for leafy greens when you’re stuffed with chocolate chips!

This often underappreciated dish can be a bright, bold creation that’s not in the least bit boring. It can also be savoury or sweet (or both!) and nothing short of satisfying.

For me, I crave forkfuls of crisp, tart greens wilted onto warm bites of crunchy baguette. This way I get plenty of flavours and textures in one mouthful, making it a fresh but comforting combination.

Right now, we’re all a bit rounder than before and less rested than we anticipated. Add the pressure of emerging from a calorie-dense cocoon and I’m ready to skip town altogether.

That said, no one’s talking about cutting calories here. The trick is to focus on what you can have as opposed to what you can’t. If you avoid setting up roadblocks in the first place then you’ll encounter less on your way.

When you combine seasonal produce with your favourite ingredients the possibilities are endless and the outcome sensational. I find roasting vegetables gives them a caramelized flavour and also does a delicious job of filling me up. This recipe also gets a salty bite from feta, the crunch of walnuts and a subtly sweet dressing that brings it all together.

On a nutritional level, the combination of healthy fats, protein and energy from these nutrient dense foods will keep your appetite more than appeased.

Resolutions are like these radishes: make of them what you will. Your preference may shift from day to day, but as long as you are looking for ways to use them then it’s all good.

Makes 4 servings

3 bunches of radishes
5 to 6 beets
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 cups (2 L) packed leafy greens (lightly rinsed and dried)
½ cup (125 mL) feta cheese, crumbled (or another soft goat cheese)
1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped walnuts
Honey-Dijon Dressing*

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
Trim greens from root vegetables and discard. Rinse vegetables with water and pat dry.
Chop radishes into halves or quarters and peel beets before chopping into wedges of 6 or 8 (depending on size).
Add vegetables to baking tray and toss with a generous splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Once cooler, toss with greens, feta and walnuts until well combined.
Toss with dressing as well as another dash of salt and pepper just before serving.
Roasted vegetables can be kept in the fridge for three days until ready to use.

*Honey-Dijon Dressing
2 tbsp. (30 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. (15 mL) liquid honey
1 tbsp. (15 mL) lemon juice
¼ cup (60 mL) lightly flavoured olive oil

Add mustard, honey and lemon juice to bowl.
Whisk together before whisking in olive oil.
Continue whisking until dressing is thick and uniform.
Can be kept for one week in the fridge.
Double or triple this dressing recipe to have enough for the whole week.

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