Beets And Tangerines With Mint And Orange Flower Water Recipes

BEETS WITH CITRUS-MINT DRESSING

Steps:

• Place golden beets in a medium saucepan, and baby beets in a small saucepan; add water to cover beets by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until beets are tender, 40 to 45 minutes for golden beets and 15 to 20 minutes for baby beets. Drain beets, and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Peel beets. Cut the golden beets crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and cut baby beets in half lengthwise. Arrange beets on a serving platter.
• Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the mint. Drizzle beets with the citrus-mint dressing, and garnish with mint sprigs.

BEET, FENNEL AND MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place beets in medium roasting pan, add water to cover bottom of pan; cover with foil. Roast 40 to 45 minutes or until beets are tender and can be pierced with a fork or knife.
• Cool slightly; remove skin from beets and cut into wedges.
• Trim off fennel leaves and stalk; cut into very thin slices.
• Combine salad, mandarin oranges, mint, beets and fennel in large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss to evenly coat.
• Sprinkle cheese over salad.

TANGERINE & ROASTED BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Scrub beets and trim tops to 1 in. Place in a foil-lined 8-in. square baking pan. Cover and bake at 400° until tender, 50-60 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Peel and slice; transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper., Meanwhile, for dressing, in a small saucepan combine vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in tangerine zest, salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature., For serving, arrange the tangerines, onion and beets on lettuce leaves. Drizzle with dressing; garnish with additional tangerine zest.

BEETS AND TANGERINES WITH MINT AND ORANGE-FLOWER WATER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems still attached. (Save the leaves for sautéing later-they are delicious!) Clean the beets well, and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover tightly with foil, and roast about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced. (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of beet.) When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Let them cool, and then peel them by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut them into 1/2-inch wedges.
• Slice the stem and bottom ends from the tangerines. Stand the tangerines on one end and, following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and cottony white pith. Work from top to bottom, rotating the fruit as you go. Then hold each tangerine over a bowl and carefully slice between the membranes and the fruit to release the segments in between. Discard the seeds and reserve the juice.
• Combine the diced shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup tangerine juice (from segmenting the citrus), and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, and a drop or two of orange-flower water (be careful, it can be overpowering; a little goes a long way). Taste for balance and seasoning.
• Toss the beets in a bowl with half the vinaigrette and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• Arrange half the beets on a large chilled platter, and place half the tangerines among the beets. Scatter half the mint over the salad. Follow with the rest of the beets, tangerines, and mint. Sprinkle a few drops of orange-flower water over the salad.