Red Wine Poached Beets and Goat Cheese a la Mexique

Every time I go to Mexique, chef Carlos presents another meal that I just can't live without!  Of course, rather than keep going every week, I've figured out how to make it at home and am sharing it here with you.  This is a beautiful looking dish, listed on their menu as "betabel," perfect this time of year.

Fragrant, savory

Beets.  It is what's for dinner.

Delicious, healthy

Ingredients

• 2 medium beets
• 3/4 cup of red wine
• 3/4 cup of water
• balsalmic vinegar
• goat cheese (5 oz or so), frozen
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• flour
• watercress (or another sweet green) 
• cooking oil

1. Peel the beets and cut into slices.
2. Over medium-high heat, warm the beets, wine and water (to cover the beets) until boiling.  Cover the pot and reduce heat to medium.  Simmer 30 minutes, or until beets are soft enough to eat.
3.  Cut the frozen goat cheese into four pieces.  Dip each piece into the egg to coat, and then the flour to coat.
4. On each plate (this recipe serves four), drizzle balsalmic vinegar.  Top with watercress, then 2 slices of beets.
5. Turn up the heat on the liquid that held the beets and boil to reduce to a more syrupy texture.
6. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the coated goat cheese over medium approximately 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
7. Place one slice of fried goat cheese on each plate and drizzle with the redwine reduction.