Roasted Beets, Fennel & Arugula with Feta over Quinoa

This is great served warm or al fresco. Everyone in my family considers this a comfort food. Serves 4-6.

  • 10 large beets of any color quartered and quartered again into wedges

  • 1-2 bulbs of Fennel roughly chopped the same size as the beet wedges

  • 1 tbl of dried thyme

  • 2 cups of quinoa

  • A block of high-quality feta in water

  • 4 cups of veg or chicken broth (or one box of Pacific Organic)

  • Med - large heavy bottomed saucepan and a roasting tray

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Pour olive oil into your hands and rub the wedges of the beets all over.. Do the same separately with the fennel.

  3. Toss the beets with dried thyme in the roasting pan, add the rough chopped fennel, and bake for 30 mins then gently turn and test for tenderness. Turning them gently helps preserve the color of the fennel - you can also roast them separately and combine them later. Cook them another 15-20 minutes until they can be speared through with a knife.

  4. While the beets and fennel are roasting cook the quinoa in the broth according to the package instructions.

  5. Toss the beets and fennel with fresh arugula and plate up on top of a mound of steaming quinoa and sprinkle crumbled feta on top. If taking on a picnic as a salad, combine all of the above and toss when your serve.

Christina Manning Lebek