RECIPE: Max’s ‘Warm roasted beetroot, red chicory, shallot, samphire, toasted walnut & blood orange salad.’

 

As we head towards the end of the month we offer you a delicious and healthy salad to lift your spirits in these final few days of January.

 
 
 
 

And just like that, January is nearly over.

Hands up out there if you were on a healthy food kick? Keep your hands up if you didn’t break that regiment in favour of something that seduced you into thinking it was tastier than healthy eating.

Fear not, we’re here to support you for that last stretch.

We present to you Max’s ‘Warm roasted beetroot, red chicory, shallot, samphire, toasted walnut & blood orange salad.’

So packed full of vitamins and nutrients, you be able to forgive yourself for falling off the ladder this month.

(And you’ll be able to use that blender that you purchased)

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

  • 6 x Large purple beetroot, cooked, peeled & cut into wedges

  • 3 x Banana shallots, peeled and finely sliced

  • 6 x Blood oranges

  • 2 x Red chicory leaves.

  • 6 x Sprigs fresh thyme

  • 75g Samphire

  • 50g Walnut halves

  • Salt to taste

  • A pinch or two of sugar

  • Extra virgin rapeseed oil

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a large baking tray with parchment paper

2. Peel the cooked beetroot and keep the skin (discarding the root top).

3. Cut into wedges, 12 per beetroot should be about right.

4. Add the wedges & the sliced shallots to the lined tray and coat in a little rapeseed oil, salt & fresh thyme, roast for 30 mins.

5. In a separate tray, crumble the walnuts into large chunks and roast in the oven for 8 minutes till golden brown.

6. In a blender add the zest and juice of the blood orange, (be sure to catch any seeds otherwise the dressing will be horribly bitter). Add the leftover beetroot skin, salt, a pinch of sugar & enough oil to make a dressing.

7. Blend till smooth and vibrant purple. Taste and adjust salt/sugar accordingly.

8. Allow the beetroot and shallot to cool slightly then gently mix them in a bowl with the chicory and samphire and a couple of tablespoons of the dressing. Add the rest of the dressing to your taste.

(If you prefer, you can cook your samphire for a couple of minutes in simmering water before adding it to the other ingredients)

9. Assemble the salad in the middle of the bowl & sprinkle on the toasted walnuts.

10. Serve warm and enjoy!

 
Simon Houston