Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Dressing

Oh my goodness I love beets.  We tried growing them last year, but they bolted before any beet root came.  Darnit.  Good thing the farmer's market is loaded with them in the summer.  Warm beet salads with goat cheese and nuts make me smile.  For tonight's Pork Tenderloin and Black Beans, I decided to go with the Cuban theme and make a cold beet salad, similar to one I order at a restaurant I love.

Here's how I did it:

Scrub your beets under running water to remove any dirt.

 

Place in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.  

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour, or until easily pierced with a knife.

To peel, gently rub under running water to prevent bright pink stained hands.

Cut into cubes and transfer to a large bowl.

For the dressing, I started with a thick, aged balsamic and orange infused olive oil.

I drizzled the beets with both, seasoned with salt and pepper and gave it a taste.  

Needed somethin' else.

I added the juice from half an orange and a splash of white wine vinegar.

I stirred in about 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro.

Yum.

Here it is in my bowl: