I think beets are misunderstood. They look… well, kind of weird and not very appetizing before they’re cooked. But if the saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” can be applied to a root vegetable, I think the beet qualifies. Not to be relegated to just making borscht, the beet can make an appearance on your plate as a delicious side to any meal.

Roasting beets is really simple, but when it comes to removing the skin after they’ve been cooked, be prepared for some messy business. I donned rubber gloves because I was afraid of staining my hands, but it seemed to wash off the gloves and cutting board with no problems. Maybe next time I’ll risk the staining and see what happens!

Marinated Roasted Beets

Ingredients
3 large red beets
1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Heat oven to 400 F. Place beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and make a pouch out, sealing it tightly. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let beets steam in the packet for 10 minutes. Open pouch (careful for the steam!) and let beets cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.

After beets have cooled enough to handle, remove and discard skins and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix beets with the vinaigrette. Marinate in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

These aren’t your everyday ho-hum deviled eggs. These are moist without the addition of too much mayo and the smoked salmon lends a hint salty goodness. Plus, the addition of fresh chopped cornichons — instead of using pre-made relish — adds an unexpected crunch.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
8 large eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped smoked salmon (2 ounces)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cornichons, cut into 1/4-inch dice, plus 2 teaspoons pickling liquid from the jar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Old Bay seasoning, for sprinkling

Directions
In a large saucepan or pot, cover the eggs with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Drain off the water and shake the pan gently to crack the eggs. Cool the eggs slightly under cold running water and then peel them under running water. Pat dry.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Transfer the yolks to a mixer. Add the salmon, mayonnaise, cornichons, cornichon liquid and Dijon mustard. Mix well on low scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mound the filling in the egg-white halves and sprinkle with Old Bay. Serve lightly chilled.

Recipe adapted from foodandwine.com.

Mushroom sauce with thyme and vermouth? Yes, please! Holy cow is this meal good. The earthiness of the mushrooms and thyme are great  – and paired with the smooth vermouth? Heck yes! I’m so used to cooking with wine, sherry and even beer but I have never thought to use vermouth. You have to try it!

Pork Loin Chops with Mushrooms and Thyme

Ingredients
2 thick-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. In an oven-safe skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place skillet in oven and cook until pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 F.

When pork chops are done, remove from the oven, transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest.

Meanwhile, add remaining olive oil to the pan. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add vermouth and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in mustard, thyme and any juices that have accumulated on the plate from the pork. Cook until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com.

When I first started cooking, I thought asparagus was a “fancy” vegetable that you only had on special occasions or at nice restaurants. Little did I know, when it’s in season (spring – early summer) you can find it easily at your local farmers market or grocery store. And to my joy, a recent trip to the Sprouts near my house turned up a crop of asparagus that looked too good to pass up. Not too thick and not too skinny – just right for roasting and no special occasion required.

Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

Ingredients
2 pounds thick asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place asparagus in a shallow baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle oil over asparagus and roll the stalks around until coated. Sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper.

Bake until asparagus are crisp-tender and cheese has melted and is crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

Olly olly oxen free: a catchphrase used in children’s games to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game.

Where, oh where have all my posts gone? Where, oh where could the be? Yes, I’ve been away for a bit, but fear not. I’m still in the kitchen. I’m still running. I’m still keeping busy — a little too busy at times — and  have gotten a little sidetracked.

I’ve been hiding from an issue that I’m about to open up about. This is a tough one because I am afraid of what people might think, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it might be helpful to get it out there — for me and for anyone else who struggles with the effects of “too much”.

Running is a big part of my life. Bigger than I tend to focus on here lately, but even with my blog’s name, you kinda get it, right? Well, if you’ve been following along for the past year or so, something has been awry with my training for quite some time (see here and here for examples) and I have just pushed it aside and pretended like nothing was wrong. Anyone who bottles up their thoughts and emotions knows that this can lead you down a disastrous path. It can feel like running in the dark with no headlamp — uncertain, scary, troublesome, embarrassing.

I thought there was something physically wrong with me. That my breathing issues were being caused by asthma or allergies or even that pesky scar tissue in my lung from having a mean case of Valley Fever years ago. I was searching for something — anything — to give me a reason for what I was (am) going through. No such luck. After my “failure” at this year’s Rock ‘n Roll AZ marathon, I finally went to my doctor to see what was going on. After some chest X-Rays, CT scans and a bunch of hmmm’s, I still had no answer.

That’s when things started to get real for me. And no, I’m not talking about the cheesy “Real World” drama kind of real. I’m talking about the “holy crap there’s a bunch of stuff on my mind and I  don’t know how to deal with it” kind of real. Between the ultimate disappointment for my first DNF, a trend of bad long runs/marathons, a bad case of bronchitis, a growing work load, personal stress and a bunch of other crap that I’ve kept inside… something was bound to breakdown. In my case, it was my breathing. And unfortunately, now it comes in spells when I’m not even running.

I get it. My mind is telling me something is not right and it’s trying to get my attention with this annoying breathing thing. I know, brain. I need to pay attention to what you have to say. I need to relax. I need to stop bottling things up. I need to let go of the stuff stowed away that’s not doing me any good to keep around. Oh sure. Sounds easy enough, right? If it was easy, I wouldn’t need to be opening up here. If it was easy, I wouldn’t be constantly forcing myself to take deep breaths because I feel like I’m not getting enough air. If it was easy, I’d be better right now.

Good news — yes, there’s some good news — is that I’m on the right track. At least I think I’m on the right track. My running is going well (including the AMAZING experience I had on my first Ragnar Relay team), but my confidence has been shaken and I’m struggling to get it back. I’m working on it. I’m working on me. I’m working on getting through this to find a happier, healthier me. I know I have some work to do, but I’m willing to do what it takes. In the meantime, I’m still here.

This slaw is crunchy, light and refreshing – a perfect complement to a meal. The sweetness of the apples is a nice contrast to the slight licorice/anise flavor of the fennel and the creaminess of the dressing pulls it all together.

Ingredients
1/2 head green cabbage
Ice water as needed
1 lemon, halved
2 fennel bulbs
2 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon milk, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 green onions, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Using a sharp knife, cut the cabbage in half through the stem end. Using a mandoline (or very sharp knife), slice the cut face of one half into thin slices. Place the sliced cabbage in a large bowl and add ice water to cover. Set aside.

Fill another large bowl with ice water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. Fill a large saucepan three-fourths full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the juice of the remaining lemon half to the boiling water.

Cut off the stems of the fennel bulbs and remove any bruised or discolored outer leaves. Working with 1 fennel bulb at a time, cut the bulb in half lengthwise and cut out any tough core parts. Using the small julienne blade of the mandoline, slice each half and place immediately in the bowl of lemon water. Repeat with the remaining fennel bulb. Once the fennel is all cut, transfer with a slotted spoon to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. (Reserve the bowl of water and lemon for the apples.) Drain the blanched fennel and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer to a fresh bowl of ice water and set aside.

Working with 1 apple at a time, quarter it and cut away the core. Starting with the rounded side, slice each quarter on the mandoline and place immediately in the reserved lemon water. Repeat with the remaining apple.

In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, milk and the salt. Whisk to combine. The dressing should be both sweet and tangy, and the consistency should be pourable, not thick. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Drain the cabbage, pat dry and place in a large bowl. Drain the fennel, squeeze gently to remove excess water, pat dry and add to the bowl of cabbage. Drain the apples, pat dry and add to the bowl. Add the green onions and parsley. Pour the dressing in and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (It’s best to refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or overnight to let the flavors soak in.)

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma

The Ragnar Relay Del Sol is this weekend (February 25-25). What is Ragnar? Basically, me and 11 friends are going to hop into two vans and head up to Wickenburg to start a 200-mile relay race! (Yes, I said 2-0-0 miles!) It will take us about 32-ish hours to make it to the finish line which leaves plenty of time for laughter, great conversations and general silliness.

Next up, the Grilled Cheese Throwdown. Seriously. Best. Event. Ever. If I’ve never confessed it here before, I am a sucker for a good grilled cheese sandwich. Between grilled cheese and mac ‘n cheese, I scour a restaurant’s menu for the cheesy goodness – even if I ultimately order the spinach salad with cranberries.

Really, though. What’s not to love about grilled cheese? Bread…good! Butter…good! Melted, gooey cheese…ummm, hello!? Great! I attended this event last year and had a blast. I never knew some of the most popular local restaurants in Phoenix and Scottsdale had their own take on this classic meal. I can’t wait to wrap up my weekend of driving and running this Sunday (February 26) with an evening of stuffing myself with the best grilled cheese sandwiches the Valley has to offer. (NOTE: this year’s throwdown is sold out, but if you follow Girl Meets Fork, you’ll get the heads up on next year’s event!)

Bring it on, weekend! I am ready for all the challenges ahead.

I buy MaraNatha almond butter. I’ve seen it sold at Costco, Walmart, Target and Sprouts Farmers Market, so it’s easy to come by. They have a variety of types to choose from: smooth, crunchy, organic, sea salt and maple. Lots of great choices, but for these cookies, I went with the smooth no-stir almond butter. (NOTE: It says no stir, but I still find it best to take a butter knife and mix it a little before using it.) The maple or sea salt version might be tasty, as well.

Almond Butter Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, almond butter and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Beat in both sugars. Scrape down the sides of bowl and stir in half of the dry ingredients. Add the egg and stir well. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients.

For each cookie, roll 1 heaping tablespoonful of dough into a ball and arrange on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading. Using the back of a fork, flatten the balls and form crosshatch design on the tops. Bake cookies until dry on top and golden brown on bottom, about 14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

And the great part about this dish is you can mix it up each time you make it by substituting the sausage for other breakfast meats such as crumbled bacon, strips of crispy prosciutto or maybe some spicy chorizo (I may have to try that next time).

Sausage, Egg and Potato Bake

Ingredients
1 bag refrigerated shredded potatoes, such as Simply Potatoes
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup country sausage, cooked and drained
 4 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine shredded potatoes, shallot, chives, 3/4 cup of the cheese, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper. Press potato mixture into an oven-safe dish, such as a ceramic pie plate and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove dish from oven and make 4 wells in the potatoes for the sausage and eggs. Sprinkle sausage into each well and carefully crack an egg over the sausage. Season eggs with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the potatoes. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until desired doneness of eggs.

(I mean, seriously! Look at this place!)

I love watching Ina’s Barefoot Contessa shows on Food Network, so I decided to add her “Back to Basics” cookbook to my collection of recipes. Best. Idea. Ever. I have tons of bookmarks for recipes all throughout the book, including this salad. The combination of cold, warm, crunchy, soft and chewy makes this salad a well rounded meal. The spiciness of the arugula and the slight sweetness of the squash provide a great balance, plus the bright colors make it pretty to look at. Ina really knew what she was doing when she created this recipe!

Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics”

Ingredients
1 cup roasted chicken breast, shredded
1 (1 1/2-lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4″ pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the squash on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, Kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the dried cranberries during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple juice, vinegar and shallots in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place arugula, chicken, squash, walnuts and cheese in a large bowl. Spoon just enough dressing over the salad to moisten – being careful not to overdress – and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Barn photo courtesy of HouseBeautiful.com.