Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz Read Free Book Online Page B

TIME: 15 MINUTES ONCE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE PREPARED, BUT MORE LIKE 2 HOURS IF NOT

    PER SERVING
    (¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 230
Calories from fat: 50
Total fat: 6 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 40 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sugars: 16 g
Protein: 7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 190 mg
Vitamin A: 25%
Vitamin C: 80%
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 10%
    T his is a salad I enjoy a lot during the winter months, when beets are still abundant and citrus, although imported, is in season. This recipe is a cooking lesson unto itself—you’ll learn a quick and yummy way to prepare roasted beets with no oil, how to create beautiful gems of orange segments, and how to toast sesame seeds. Making it once will give you a few skills that will last a lifetime and you will never have to read the recipe again.
    1 navel orange
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 recipe Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
¼ cup dried currants
2 cups red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 pound Tinfoil Beets (see box, page 40), cooled
    First, prepare the orange segments. Slice a thin layer off the top and bottom of the orange, then place the orange right side up on the cutting board and simply slice the peel downward, using a chef’s knife and following the natural curve of the orange. A little of the white part (called the pith) is okay; just try to get as much orange as you can. Then slice the orange widthwise and cut each piece into ¾-inch segments.
    INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT
    Wild rice has an alluring earthy flavor, but the price can be not so alluring. If your budget isn’t feeling wild about it, go for a wild rice blend instead. That’s got some long-grain brown rice thrown into the mix, but you still get that wild rice taste, texture, and color .
    TIP
    For time management purposes, prepare the beets and the quinoa the night before or a few hours before so they have ample time to cool. But if you want to make everything on the same night, it actually tastes pretty good warm, too. But the key word is warm, not hot .
    Then toast the sesame seeds. Preheat a small, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Place the sesame seeds in the pan and stir often for about 2 minutes. They should be toasting by then (if not, then raise the heat). Use a spatula to toss continuously for another minute or so, until they are varying shades of toasty brown. Remove from the pan ASAP to prevent burning.
    Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl. Add the wild rice, currants, and lettuce. Using tongs, toss to coat. Add the orange segments and sesame seeds, and toss again. Last, fold in the beets. Serve.
    Tinfoil Beets
    Unwrapping a tinfoil beet is a lot like unwrapping a present. Well, maybe not really, because you know exactly what’s going to be in there, but it’s still somehow such an exciting surprise. Roasting brings out the beet’s sweet flavor, so they’re like precious rubies in a candy box when ready to eat. I usually do two pounds at a time on a weeknight or Sunday afternoon, and use some of them that evening as a side dish with whatever I’m eating. Then I refrigerate the rest and use them in salads or just for a quick snack throughout the week.
    The cooking method and time really varies depending on the size of the beets you’re using. If using small beets, say golf ball size, and they are very fresh, then don’t bother to peel them first. Just slice in half, wrap in foil, and roast. And remember to save the beet greens to sauté with some olive oil and garlic. But if using those big honkers of a beet that you’re more likely to find come January and February, then it’s a little different. Peel them and then slice top down into segments (like orange slices) that are about ¾ inch thick at their widest. If a beet is especially big—say, softball size—then I sometimes will slice widthwise, too. Then, keeping all the slices together in a neat package, place on tinfoil and wrap so that you can easily unfold it from the