Roasted Beets With Smoked Ricotta

Ingredient

500g baby beets - trimmed and washed
1tbs Red Island extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Smoked Ricotta
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup smoked cheddar
Juice of 1 lemon
50ml hot water
Salt to taste

Walnut Salsa
1 cup walnuts
1/2 long red chilli, deseeded and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
50ml red wine vinegar
30ml Red Island extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Pre heat your oven to 170 degrees.

Place the beets in a roasting tray ands toss in the extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.

Cover the tray and roast in a pre heated oven at 170 degrees for 45 minutes.

Leave the beetroots to cool slightly. Once you can handle the beetroots, whip away the skin from the flesh of the beetroots with an old tea towel.

For the smoked ricotta, please the ricotta and cheddar cheese into a blender, along with the warm water, lemon juice and a pic of salt.

Blend the cheeses together until they are smooth.

Place the walnuts on a tray and dry roast them in an oven preheated to 170 degrees for 7 minutes. Once they have cooled, roughly chop the walnuts into 1cm chunks.

Place the chopped walnuts into a bowl, along with the diced red chilli, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper.

Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

When ready to plate, place the beetroots on a bowl and give them a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

On your serving plate, spoon down a generous amount of the smoked ricotta. Top the ricotta with the roasted beetroots and finish the dish with a few spoons on the walnut salsa.

Recipe by Andy Allen