roasted beet and goat cheese salad

When I was a kid, my parents used to eat pickled beets all the time.  Well, maybe it wasn't all the time but it seems like they were always appearing on our dinner table with my mom urging me to "try some!"

The look and smell of them made me sick.  I still have never tried a pickled beet, and believe me I have come a long way in my eating....  Maybe one day I will eat a pickled beet and love it.  For now I will stick with roasting them.

Roasted beets are pretty heavenly.  If you slice them super thin, they get crunchy like potato chips and make a great snack.  If you slice them a bit thicker {about 1/4"} they will be crisp on the outside but have a sweet, chewy center.  They.Are.So.Good.

Throw them on top of greens, top with a little goat cheese, some nuts {hazelnuts are my current salad fave}, and a little balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  It is an amazing little lunch or dinner.

In order to roast the beet - cut off the top, peel, and slice.  I put wax paper down on my cutting board so that it doesn't get stained red from the beet.

Toss the slices in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast in a 400 degree over for about 45 minutes to an hour {depending on how thick the beet is cut}.

Top salad greens with the warm roasted beets, chopped hazelnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

YUM.