-Roasted Beet Napoleon with Cotija Cheese and Micro-Greens

Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Vino de Casa Red Blend

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 beets (any color you would prefer - have fun and mix the different beets for a burst of color)
• Cotija cheese (as needed)
• 1/8 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
• Beet Juice (reserved from the roasting process)
• Package of micro-greens
• Toasted slivered almonds
• Olive oil
• White pepper and salt (as needed)
• Cayenne pepper (as needed)
• 4 medium pieces of tin foil

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the beet's stem and base off and place each beet on a separate piece of tin foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil, salt, white pepper and cayenne on each beet and wrap with foil. When all the beets are wrapped place them in a pan or sheet tray and roast in the oven until beet is cooked through. In order to know when the beets are done slide a toothpick into the center. If there is no resistance the beet is done (45 minutes to 1 hour).

When the beets are cooled, unwrap and reserve the natural beet juice in a bowl. Mix the beet juice and balsamic vinegar together with a slash of white pepper and salt to taste. This will be the fabulous dressing for our beet napoleon. Take a rag or paper towel and rub the beets to remove the unwanted skin. Slice each beet width wise (4-5 slices per beet) and thinly slice the cheese. We are now ready to assemble this beautiful dish.

To assemble, place a beet slice on a clean surface and top with a slice of cotija cheese (this cheese does crumble so be delicate – don’t worry as art is never perfect though!). Follow this step until you have 4 layers of beets and cheese. Serve as is or cut it into a square for looks. Place micro-greens on top, drizzle balsamic dressing and toasted almonds around the plate and enjoy!