This is a great use of delicious fall beets. I love this easy, healthy and portable lunch.

Ingredients

• 3 cups roasted beets* golden or red, 1/4 inch slice
• 3/4 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 4 large basil leaves, minced
• 1/2 cup good quality blue cheese, crumbled
• 12 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• squeeze of lemon
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup albacore tuna fish, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl toss all of the ingredients together.

Roasted Beets

Ingredients

• 4-5 large beets
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°
2. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet.
3. Wash beets and towel dry.
4. Place beets on the foil and rub beets with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
5. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until fork tender.
6. Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool.
7. Once cooled, with the back of a knife peel of skin and cut off tops and bottoms and discard.

Sometimes you find a recipe that simply can’t be topped! In this case, I like to use a sugar cookie recipe by Alton Brown of the Food Network. You can use your favorite cookie recipe or in a pinch use the pre-made dough from the store. I like to give these cookies as a gift to co-workers or my UPS driver, and they are a perfect party favor or place card holder on your holiday table.

To package as a gift, I sprinkle shredded coconut in the bottom of a cello bag or clear box to dust your tree in a coconut snow!. Place assembled tree on top of the coconut and secure the package with a decorative ribbon.

You will need 5 metal star cookie cutters from small to large, 6 inch wooden skewers, frosting and cookie decoration.

Pre-heat your oven according to your recipe. After your dough has chilled, on a lightly powdered sugared board roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut out the stars and place on a sil-pat or greased cookie sheet. With a skewer make a hole in the middle of each star big enough for the skewer to fit through. Make two of the smallest star for each tree so you have one for the tree topper!

Run a skewer up into 1/2 of the smallest stars and place the skewed cookie on the cookie sheet. Bake according to your recipe.

1. Once cookies are baked and cooled. Frost each star leaving room around each hole in the center of the cookie. Decorate the outer points of the star. Frost and decorate the skewed top star. Allow to dry for at least 2 hours.
2. Skew the rest of the stars from smallest to largest on each skewer with a star topper. Cut down the skewer if it is too long.
3. Package, Serve or Enjoy.

If you are making your cookie dough, add 1/2-3/4 (depending on how minty you like it) teaspoon peppermint extract in place of the vanilla extract in your recipe. Continue to follow your recipe.
If you are in a pinch you can place store bought dough in a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and kneed well.

Pre-heat your oven according to your recipe.

Once dough is chilled, roll out on a lightly powdered sugared board.

Cut out your cookies and bake according to Alton’s recipe.

Allow the cookies to fully cool.

Add dark chocolate to a medium microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes, stopping and stirring the chocolate every 20 seconds or so, until the chocolate has fully melted.

Have a cookie sheet lined with a sil-pat or parchment ready.

Dip one half of each cookie in the melted chocolate. Allow the extra to drizzle off back into the bowl. Place the dipped cookie on to the cookie sheet, dip remaining cookies and allow the chocolate to set for at least 2 hours.

Serve and Enjoy.

I make the frosting up to 5 days ahead. Since the cookies are store bought I keep them on hand throughout the holidays so I always have a quick dessert on hand.
Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup or 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
• a scant 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 24 ginger thins or gingersnaps

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together cream cheese, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until well incorporated.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon of frosting on the back of 12 cookies.
3. Place the bottom of a un-iced cookie on top of an iced one. Repeat with remaining cookies.
4. Decorate cookies with the remaining icing.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz package or 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium/high heat until oil is glistening. Add the peas and carrots to the skillet and cook on high for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Turn heat down to low and add garlic, sesame seeds, salt and pepper.

*If you can’t find black sesame seeds you can use toasted sesame seeds.