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Citrus Beet Salad with Fennel and Pumpkin Seed Oil

March 4, 2018 By Caroline

Gorgeous jewel-tones, earthy beets, licorice-scented fennel and citrus bursting with flavour—this salad brings it all together. But what really makes this special and takes it over the edge is the Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil. Made in the Austria in the region of Styria, the oil has a distinctive nutty, rich taste with a deep green hue. Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil is made from a unique pumpkin variety that produces seeds without shells. These seeds produce rich oil with a darker green colour when compared with regular pumpkin seed oil. It tastes amazing drizzled over salads and should not be used for cooking or heating—it is meant to be enjoyed straight up.

Citrus Beet Fennel Salad with Pumpkin Seed Oil

I was introduced to the idea of the venerated Pumpkin Seed Oil by long-time family friends, Frank and Etta. With a twinkle in his eye, Frank leaned over during dinner and asked me, “Have you ever tried Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil?” I had to admit I had not only never tried it, I’d never even heard of it. He explained it is very rare and hard to find in Canada, but in Austria where he was from, it was a celebrated condiment to be used on everything from ice-cream to salads to cheese. He spoke of it with such nostalgia and affection, it left an impression on me.

Imagine my delight when I found a tin of the precious oil at my regular grocery store! It is touch and go and not always available there, but I’ve also seen it at a few gourmet food shops in Toronto and noticed you can order it online via Amazon as well. It is very expensive, but truly unlike any other oil I have ever tasted. It carries a nutty taste with more richness and greater intensity than that of Walnut oil. It complements the earthy roasted beets and serves as a lively rich counterpoint to the citrus in this salad.

To begin, trim, rinse and chop the beet greens into ribbons, and set aside. Wrap the beet roots in foil and roast in a preheated 400° oven for about an hour until tender. Allow to cool, then peel the beets and slice each one into 8 wedges.

beets in foil ready to be roasted

Trim and slice about half of a large fennel bulb into strips, and place in a large bowl. Add the reserved beet greens and chopped cilantro. Drizzle freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice over the salad with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to combine.

Toss Citrus Beet Fennel Salad

Cut peel and pith from the oranges and slice into segments, adding them to the bowl. Stir gently to avoid breaking the fruit. Plate the salad, and drizzle a generous amount of Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil over the plates just before serving.

Close up of citrus and beets with fennel

Earthy, roasted, sweet, sour and nutty—this delicious salad is a feast for the eyes. A beautiful dish that’s great to share with guests, yet easy enough to make for a weeknight side salad.

From time to time I find myself leaning over, speaking in a hushed voice to a foodie friend, “but have you tried real handcrafted Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil?” I’m a Pumpkin Seed Oil convert now, seeking to impart the sense of reverence and love for this special liquid of greenish golden hues as Frank did for me.

Orange Beet Fennel Salad

Citrus Beet Fennel Salad with Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil
5 from 2 votes
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Citrus Beet Fennel Salad with Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Bursting with flavour and gorgeous jewel tones, this salad drizzled with nutty Pumpkin Seed Oil is a feast for the eyes and palate.

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Austrian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3 beets with greens
  • 1 naval orange
  • 1 blood orange
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange or lemon juice
  • 1/2 large fennel bulb, sliced
  • chopped cilantro to taste
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Instructions

  1. Prepare beets: remove greens, rinse, dry and chop into ribbons. Set aside. Clean beet roots, and wrap in foil. Add to a preheated 400° oven and roast for 1 hour, until tender. Allow beets to cool, then peel and slice each beet into 8 wedges. Set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, combine sliced fennel, beet greens, cilantro, salt, pepper and juice. Remove peel and pith from the oranges and slice into segments. Add to the salad bowl and toss gently. 

  3. Plate the salads, and drizzle the Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil over top just before serving.

Citrus Beet Fennel Pumpkin Seed Oil Salad

Filed Under: Recipe, Side Tagged With: Austria, beet greens, beet root, Beets, blood orange, citrus, fennel, orange, pumpkin seed oil, Styria, Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Forbidden Mango Peanut Rice Salad

September 26, 2017 By Caroline 16 Comments

Have you tried Forbidden Rice? At one time in China it was reserved for royalty alone, which is how it got its name. It seems those emperors were onto something—black Forbidden Rice has more powerful antioxidants, fibre and protein than both red and brown rice. Not only is it good for you, it tastes great and looks striking, especially when set off by the gorgeous mango and orange in this recipe. Make it on a Sunday afternoon, pack and enjoy for heathy lunches during the week.

After cooking the rice, spread it out on a baking sheet to make it easier to evenly drizzle the dressing over. It also helps speed up the cooling process.

Black rice spread evenly onto rimmed baking sheet

The dressing is a simple mix of lime and orange juice with olive oil and some chilies, salt and pepper.

Citrus dressing in a bowl

Depending on the season, I like to change up some of the vegetables a bit. For hot summer weather like we’ve seen in Toronto the past few weeks, I like to go with cucumbers and cilantro. When it gets a bit cooler, I switch the cucumbers up for roasted beets, cutting up some of the beet greens to mix in as well. To roast the beets, wrap in foil and bake at 400° for about 1 hour, until a knife slides through easily, cutting off the outer skin after roasting.

Beets in foil

Also makes for a killer picnic salad to take along to the beach! This recipe was inspired by the Black Rice Salad with Mango and Peanuts via Epicurious.

Mango salads shot from above, on a beach blanket

 

Forbidden black rice not only looks striking, it's even better for you than brown rice!

 

4 from 5 votes
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Forbidden Mango Peanut Rice Salad

Lush mango and bright citrus top healthy and delcious "forbidden" black rice with cilantro and a few other crunchy vegetables. Topped with dry roasted peanuts and spicy peanut sauce, this is a great portable lunch feast great for a summer picnic or working lunch.

Course Lunch, Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 oranges
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice, gathered from cut up oranges
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • dried chile flakes to taste
  • 2 cups Forbidden black rice
  • 2 fresh mangos
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
  • 1–2 jalapenos, to taste seeded and sliced
  • 1 seedless cucumber sliced into 2" lengths, 1/4" wide
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 2 red beets, roasted and chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 cup beet leaves, sliced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup salted, dry-roasted peanut
  • 1/3 cup Thai style peanut sauce

Instructions

  1. Bring rice and 2 3/4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Season with salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 additional minutes. 

  2. Slice top and bottom from orange, cutting through the peel and pith to reveal the fruit. Working top to bottom, slice the peel and pith from the sides of the orange. Cube orange, discarding the centre pith and any seeds. Combine lime juice, orange juice, oil and dried chiles in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to blend. Reserve orange cubes. 

  3. Spread rice onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the juice dressing over the rice, stirring to coat. Season with additional salt if required. Divide rice among four plastic lunch containers. 

  4. Top each container with cut up mangoes, cilantro leaves, jalapenos, cucumber and roasted beets and sliced beet leaves if using. Drizzle evenly with peanut sauce.

  5. Wrap peanuts in plastic wrap or wax paper. Pack separately and sprinkle onto salad immediately before eating, to ensure they remain crunchy.

Filed Under: Pleb Feasts, Recipe Tagged With: Black Rice, Cilantro, cucumber, Forbidden Rice, Mango, orange, peanut sauce, peanuts, pleb feast

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Welcome to my kitchen journal, a place where I will share my favourite heritage recipes honed over the years, as well as document new evolutions and experiments along the way. Great feasts become vehicles for fond memories—the best meals are the ones someone made with love, for you. Follow me to explore traditions, document stories and experience the joy of the feast. Read More…

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