Winy's Kitchen: Beet-Avocado-Pear “Carpaccio”

By Winy Chen, Registered Dietitian at Beach Cities Health District

The first “American” vegetarian restaurant I dined in was the Moosewood Restaurant near Cornell University, where I studied.  The restaurant was named one of the thirteen most influential restaurants of the 20th century by Bon Appetit magazine. And thanks to the Moosewood Cookbook, I’ve been inspired to cook many vegetarian dishes. 

Below is a Moosewood recipe called “The Vegetables That I Can’t Live Without,” by Mollie Katzen.

Beet-Avocado-Pear “Carpaccio”

Ingredients

• A handful of arugula leaves
• 1 pound beets, cooked and peeled and sliced
• 1-2 Tb walnut oil or olive oil
• 1 medium ripped avocado, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 Tb cider vinegar
• 2 medium-sized perfectly ripped pear, thinly sliced
• 1 Tb fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup gorgonzola cheese
• ½ cup minced walnuts, lightly toasted

Directions

1. Scatter the arugula onto a medium-large platter. Place the beet slices over the arugula.  Drizzle the beets with olive oil.

2. Place avocado slices over salad mixture and immediately drizzle the avocado surfaces with vinegar to prevent discoloration.  Layer the salad with pear, then sprinkle lemon juice over pear.  Top the salad with crumbled cheese and walnuts.

Note: You may substitute pear with Del Monte Sun Fresh pink grapefruit slices which gives it a very beautiful appeal.