Lunch: Goat Cheese Parfait with Golden Beets, Apples, Potatoes and Olive Vinaigrette

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Apples

Health benefits of Goat Cheese Parfait with Golden Beets, Apples, Potatoes and Olive Vinaigrette

Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

2 large yellow beets
2 Cortland or Macintosh apples
2 Yukon gold potatoes
1 tablespoon canola oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound goat cheese, softened at room temperature
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced chives
1 shallot, minced
1 cup mixed olives, pitted
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
12 leaves fresh flat-leaf parsley, cut into chiffonade
25 to 35 leaves baby arugula

Instructions

Special equipment: a 3-inch ring moldPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place each beet, apple and potato on a separate sheet of aluminum foil. Rub each with a drop of canola oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap individually in the foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven. The apples will finish first in 10 to 15 minutes, followed by the potatoes at 20 to 30 minutes and then followed by the beets at 30 to 40 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of each item, but the apples, beets and potatoes are done when they are tender but not falling apart. Once each item is finished, it should be allowed to cool slightly and then be kept in a warm place. While the apples and vegetables are cooking, put the goat cheese, creme fraiche and 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil into a medium bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula until it is creamy. Add the chives, shallots and some salt and pepper and mix together. In the bowl of a small food processor, pulse the olives until they are finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer the chopped olives into a small bowl and add the sherry vinegar, parsley and the remaining 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Remove the skins and peels of the cooked potatoes, apples and beets. Dice each into medium-small pieces and keep in separate bowls. Season each with salt and pepper. Add the diced potatoes, apples and 2 tablespoons of the olive mixture to the goat cheese mixture and stir together. Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of a serving plate. Fill the mold with some of the goat cheese mixture and slowly and carefully remove the ring, pushing down on the top of the goat cheese with the back of a spoon or spatula while lifting up on the mold if necessary. Repeat with the remaining goat cheese and 3 additional serving plates. Garnish each plate with a few dices of yellow beets and 4 or 5 small arugula leaves around the goat cheese parfait. Top each parfait with some additional arugula leaves and then drizzle the olive vinaigrette around each plate and on top of the arugula, goat cheese and beets. Serve immediately.
NotesA 3-inch ring mold is used to shape the parfait and create a nice presentation. You can find these molds in cooking shops or on-line.