Fried Beets

I've been in the midst of an awkward living situation for the past few months and have had the utter joy of living with my partner's older brother while him and his wife are in the process of moving overseas. As someone who has had very few roommates in her life, I am overjoyed that at the end of the month we will have the place to ourselves and life will be back to normal. 

I think the best part of the last three months was when I got a lecture from my partner's brother about "not leaving dirty dishes in the bathroom." This lecture turned out to be a misunderstanding spurred by the fact that I had left a bowl of my homemade citrus and coconut body scrub on the bathroom counter. Apparently when the coconut oil hardens (as coconut oil does when it is cold), this mixture ends up looking like "moldy cereal with almond milk."

I'm totally guilty of being an almond milk drinker, but dude, I didn't leave moldy cereal in the bathroom. It's body scrub, I swear. I think by the end of this experience we are all excited at the possibility of having our own personal space again. 

I do have to say one thing I am grateful to him for and that is this recipe. I thought I had enjoyed beets every possible way that one could enjoy beets: roasted, boiled, steamed, and raw. But fried? Ooh, this is dangerous business. 

The important thing about this recipe is to keep a close eye on the beets as they cook. Since beets contain a lot of natural sugars, they can quickly burn if they cook too long. The cooking time depends on the type of pan you are using and the heat of your stove so my best advice is to turn them frequently and pull them when they are just fried and crisp. If the edges start to turn black, they are definitely done and should be removed immediately. If you don't have a fresh lemon and parsley, these are delicious enough with some simple black pepper and salt on top. 

Fried Beets
Serves 6 as a side

2 pounds beets, tops removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parley, chopped
Freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Wash and peel beets. Slice into matchsticks.

Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the beets and saute for 20 - 30 minutes, turning frequently, until beets are fried and crispy. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice and fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Recipe shared at Weekend Wellness

Love Your Liver Juice & SPUD Juicing Program

I'm really excited to share something fun with you today.  I was recently contacted by SPUD (Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery) and asked if I would be willing to try out their new juicing produce boxes and share them with you. An excuse to juice more fresh, local produce? Of course I was up for the challenge!

I've seen SPUD's delivery trucks around Seattle, but didn't know too much about their company until recently. The more I learn about them, the more I love their mission. SPUD was founded in 1997 as a sustainable way to directly connect local farmers with customers. 100% of their produce is either certified organic or locally and sustainable produced and over 50% of their products are sourced locally.

One of the things I love most about SPUD is that it's incredibly convenient to order produce online and since the deliveries are consolidated into specific routes, one of their vans leaves with their warehouse with over 100 orders, reducing both pollution and traffic. Pretty cool, huh? SPUD currently serves 6 urban areas in North America: Seattle and the Eastern Puget Sound, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and Orange County, Vancouver, Victoria and Vancouver Island to Nanaimo, and Calgary (see their full delivery map here).

SPUD recently started a new Juicing at Home program and now offers Organic Juicing Boxes for people who are looking to boost their health by juicing and want a convenient way to save time and money. They have five different produce boxes to choose from and, if you need a juicer, you can even purchase one through their weekly payment program and start using it right away. (I love this idea!)

I was really excited to try out SPUD because it's hard to get local produce here in Seattle during the winter and a lot of produce in the grocery store just isn't as fresh as I'd like it to be. I couldn't wait to check out my box when it arrived! (Although Inspector Kitty beat me to it!)

I opted to try out the Organic Dynamic Beauty Juicing Box, which includes apples, beets, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, cucumber, ginger, kale, lemons, green bell peppers, and spearmint. I honestly haven't seen local chard and mint this beautiful since summer! All of the produce arrived colorful, crisp, and fresh. I couldn't wait to get juicing!

SPUD even let me test out the Hurom Slow Juicer, which is one of the juicers they offer in their juicing program. I've always heard such wonderful things about this slow juicer so I was really excited to try it out for myself!

I have to say that one of the things I loved most about SPUD's organic juicing boxes is that is is so convenient compared to grocery shopping! I work downtown so I usually end up shopping at the Whole Foods nearby my office and then carting home groceries on the bus. This isn't always easy since juicing tends to use up a lot of produce! I love that this box of beautiful, fresh local produce was delivered right to me - and all I had to do was complete a simple online order!

Having all this beautiful produce already at home has also made it incredibly easy to indulge myself in daily juices and I feel great knowing that I'm taking the time to do something really important for my health on a daily basis. 

SPUD also has two juicing promotions going on for the month of January so if you've been looking for an affordable way to start juicing, this is your chance!

1. If you sign up to buy a juicer (with weekly installment payments) and 6 months of juicing boxes, you'll receive a $140 SPUD gift certificate! (This is a great option if you're looking to do a long-term juicing program for yourself.)
2. Or, if you do a one-time payment on a juicer, you'll get 4 weeks of organic produce free ($140 value)!

The first juice I made was a liver detoxification juice, based on a recipe included in my produce box. This juice promotes the flow of bile and fat to and from the liver. The liver is the most important organ for metabolism and detoxification so if you are looking to lose weight and clean up your system, this juice is for you!

Love Your Liver Juice
Makes one 8 - 12 oz juice

2 medium beets
1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 lemon, peeled
small handful cilantro
1 chard leaf
1/2 red apple (optional)

Recipe shared over at Wellness Weekend, Healthy Vegan Fridays Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays

Beet Detox Juice

If you live in the United States like me, yesterday was Thanksgiving; a time when most people eat their weight in stuffing and gravy. After all that heavy holiday food, I'm guessing that some of you might need a break. At the very least, maybe your digestive system does? I have just the thing: my favorite beet detox juice.

I'm a big fan of fresh vegetable juices and I always notice a huge difference in my body when I juice regularly.  (If you're new to juicing, check out my vegetable juice tutorial.)  I'm not one of those people who advocate extreme juice fasts, but I think there are a lot of benefits to adding juice to a healthy diet.  

This detox juice is one of my favorites because it's naturally sweet, even without adding fruits to the juice.  If I've had a big dinner the night before, I like to start my day with a glass of water and then drink this juice before my morning smoothie.  Beets are loaded with iron, antioxidants, and a cancer-fighting agent called betacyanin (the pigment that is responsible for its purple-red color), making this juice a powerful blood cleanser.  Drink up!

When making fresh juices, I recommend using fresh, organic produce to ensure that you are getting the most nutrients in your juice and that you are not ingesting chemicals. The ingredients are listed below in the order that I run them through my juicer. Depending on the size of your juicer spout, you might need to chop some of the vegetables in half.  If you are new to juicing, you might want to add more carrots or an apple to help balance out the stronger flavors (e.g. garlic and beets) in the juice.

Beet Detox Juice
Serves 1 -2

1 small clove garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger
5 kale leaves
1 lemon, peeled
3 medium beets and beet greens
2 medium carrots, tops removed

Raw Beet Ravioli

Why is it that women in action films always run around with their hair down?  This isn't real life. Come on.

In real life, I can barely stand to have my hair down when I'm sitting at my desk... let alone running two miles after a car chase while carrying a giant gun.  You know if this were you that you'd have your hair tied up.

And if you had really been running around for a day and a half without sleep or a shower, your hair would not be looking so good.  You can't fool me, Kate Beckinsdale.  (Although your hair is gorgeous. Really.)

The point is, I'm not going to try to fool you here.  These aren't real ravioli.  There I said it.  These are slices of raw beets filled with a creamy nut "cheese" and topped with pesto oil.  It isn't pasta. But it sure is tasty.  For reals.

Thanks to all of you on Facebook this week who shared your beet recipe suggestions!  In the end I decided that I had to keep it simple, so here you go.  This recipe is easy, fast and makes the perfect summer dinner when paired with a nice salad (like this one). Enjoy!

Raw Beet Ravioli
Serves 4

3 - 4 medium candy-striped beets (or any color of your choice)
Raw almond "cheese" (recipe below)
Pesto oil (recipe below)
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Chop the ends and tops off the beets and thinly slice using a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife.  Lay one slice flat, top with a little nut "cheese" and lay another beet slice on top.  Drizzle with pesto oil.   Top with freshly-ground black pepper and serve.

Pesto Oil
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add the basil, garlic, and sea salt to a food processor and pulse.  With the motor running, add the olive oil and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.


Raw Almond "Cheese"
1/3 cup raw almonds
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 - 3 tablespoons water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Soak almonds in water for at least 1 hour, then drain. Add almonds to a food processor with salt, nutritional yeast, and 1 tablespoon of water to start.  Scrape down the sides of the processor and add more water as necessary until it reaches a consistency similar to ricotta.  Add the chives at the last second and pulse until incorporated.

Crispy Baked Beet Chips

You know the phrase "needle in a haystack"?  Do people still say this when they can't find something?  I think it's time we changed this up.  I mean, who has a haystack anymore?  Heck, people barely have needles nowadays, right? 

I bought a needle this week to use in a beading project.  This is how I learned that the phrase "needle in a haystack" is out-of-date.  Really, the phrase should be "needle in a bed."  Because, let me tell you, it is an urgent matter when you lose one in there.  Who cares if you lose your needle in a haystack?  Are you sleeping in the haystack?  No, you're sleeping in the bed.  With the needle.

It's been 24 hours and I still haven't found it. I suppose this is why one should never work on a beading project in dim light just before going to sleep.  Live and learn.

Speaking of learning, I also learned an important lesson this week involving beets: they make dang good chips.

Have I caught your eye with kale chips before?  This is a similar tasty snack involving thin slices of beets baked in the oven.  They are so simple and incredibly delicious. 

Start by slicing your beets very thin.  The thinner your beet is, the quicker it will cook and the crispier it will be.  Since I don't have a mandoline, I tried using a vegetable peeler and also slicing by hand.  A vegetable peeler would have worked perfectly, except that my beets were very small and it was hard to use the peeler on such a small surface.  Slicing them by hand didn't get them quite as thin so some batches had to be cooked longer than others.

Once your beets are sliced, toss them with a little oil and then lay them flat on a baking sheet.  After 10 - 20 minutes (depending on how thin your slices are), you'll have crispy little bites of root vegetable goodness.

Crispy Baked Beet Chips

Serves 6

3 medium beets (or 6 small beets), sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss beets with oil and lay flat in a single-layer on a sheet pan (baking multiple batches if necessary).  Bake for 10 - 20 minutes, until chips are crispy.  Remove from oven and top with sea salt.  Serve.

Sesame Roasted Beets and Greens

Here are the things they don't tell you about hot yoga:

Before your first hot yoga class, you should really paint your toenails. Trust me.  You'll want to have something pretty to distract you from the thought that this is how you are going to die.

It's hot. I know you must have gathered that much from the name of the class, but it's really hot. And when the room is that hot and the studio gets really crowded... it smells. Sorry to say it, but some classes make it hard to come back.

You can totally do it.  If I can do it, you can do it. Promise. 

I started hot yoga two weeks ago and have completed six classes to date.  I am not a "yoga person" by any means.  I do a couple of yoga classes at my gym here and there, but hot yoga was never something that appealed to me.  Standing in one spot and dripping sweat all over myself?  No thanks. 

I started my hot yoga experiment to see if it would help alleviate my knee pain.  So far I have had very positive results, which is one of the reasons why I have forced myself to stick with it.  Hot yoga and I kinda have a love-hate relationship at the moment.  I think we're frenemies. 

One of the things that I do enjoy about hot yoga is how it strengthens the mind and body connection.  I usually make a point each day to try to listen to my thoughts and make the positive ones outweigh the negative ones.  During my first class, it became apparent very quickly how strongly my body responds to my thoughts.  For instance, I would think to myself "I am going to fall out of this pose."  And so I did.  But, if I tried the pose again and thought, "I can hold it this time."  I did.  Incredible.

In the studio that I go to, the room is long and narrow so everyone can see themselves in the front mirror.  I find it very powerful to look into my own eyes for an hour and a half.  Some days that takes a lot of courage and work to give myself love that entire time.  I think for women especially this is really powerful because we learn so quickly to avoid mirrors or use them as means to critique ourselves.  Before hot yoga, I don't think there ever was a time when I looked myself right in the eyes and said, "You can do this."  Or, "look how strong your body is in this pose." Or, "Wow, your arms look awesome today." 

Here's one more thing they don't tell you about hot yoga:

Even if you really don't like it... even if you kinda hate it... even if you dread every class... you'll kinda love it.

Here are the things they don't tell you about beets:

Don't ever eat them from a can.  I'm serious.  If you have a can of beets in your pantry, please compost them right now.

Buy beets when they are fresh, preferably with the greens still attached. 

Don't overcook them and if you are not a beet lover, don't boil them.  Roast them.  Always.

Even if you really don't like beets... even if you kinda hate 'em... even if you dread the thought of eating them... you'll kinda love this recipe.

Roasted beets are perfect in winter because they are in-season and full of Vitamin C.  Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness which is why I recommend this method of cooking for people who say they don't like beets.  This recipe utilizes the beet greens as well as the root so you use the entire vegetable.  I like to use different kinds of beets in this recipe for a more colorful presentation, but any type of beets will work. Serve this with some brown rice and lentils for a hearty and healthy meal.


Sesame Roasted Beets
Serves 4

2 bunches of beets
3 Tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 leek, ends removed and chopped
1 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
salt and pepper, if desired
sesame seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the greens from the beets and set aside.  Chop the beets. Toss beets with one tablespoon of sesame oil and lay flat on sheet pan.  Roast for 25 - 30 minutes, turning twice, until beets are tender (but not mushy).

Chop the beet greens.  Add one tablespoon of sesame oil to a pan over medium heat.  Add the leeks and sauté for two minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for an additional minute.  Add the the greens and liquid aminos and cook for 15 - 20 minutes, until tender.  Add salt and pepper if desired.

Drizzle beets with remaining tablespoon of sesame oil.  Garnish beets and greens with sesame seeds and serve warm.

Roasted Root Veggies with Shallots

Today I come to you with a simple recipe and a heart-felt thank you.  Thank you, dear readers, for being such a wonderful part of my life and bringing so much energy and purpose to what I love to do: talk about vegetables!  Thank you for all your comments, tweets, emails, and allowing me to relish you with stories about beets and farmers markets... as well as giving in when I (practically) force green smoothies down your throats.  Without you, I would just be a woman in her pajamas talking to her cats about her love for kale.  Nobody wants to be that person.

I've been working on a gratitude project for the last couple of weeks and documenting all of the things that I am most grateful for in my life.  You, of course, are at the top of my list, along with my family, my friends, and my health.  I am also incredibly grateful to be approaching the one-year mark at my job where I get to do amazing work like introduce kids to kale smoothies and teach people how to cook with quinoa for the first time. 

What are you most grateful for?  I hope that wherever you are you find yourself experiencing health, happiness, and a passion for everything that you do in this world.



This almost isn't a recipe as much as a suggestion... to roast some fall vegetables, treat yourself to good food, and make your health a priority.  You deserve it.

Roasted Root Veggies with Shallots
Serves 4

6 carrots, sliced in half, tops trimmed
6 golden beets, sliced in quarters, tops trimmed
any additional veggies of your choice
4 shallots, quartered
a few tablespoons of oil (any oil that can tolerate high heat will work: avocado, almond, canola, grapeseed, or safflower are all great.)
any fresh or dried herbs you desire (I used fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage)
freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Lay vegetables on a sheet pan and toss with oil and herbs.  Roast at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Serve warm or cold.

Spicy Roasted Golden Beets

Some people's apartments smell like vanilla and cinnamon sugar.  These people make me jealous.  They make me want to go home and light vanilla-scented candles while baking cookies.  But I just end up watching Bridesmaids instead. 

Other people's apartments smell like citrus and orange blossoms.  These usually happen to be the people that have perfectly organized kitchen drawers and labels in their pantry.  As much as I have tried to be like you, it just isn't going to happen.  Not this year at least. 

I've been told that my apartment smells like lavender, but I sometimes worry that it really smells like beets and cats.  I think the neighbors might be in on this little secret too since I've been roasting root veggies every night this week.  Oh well.  Maybe it will just inspire you to come home and make roasted beets.  I promise I won't judge if you end up watching Bridesmaids instead.

Spicy Roasted Golden Beets

Serves 4

2 bunches of medium golden beets, tops trimmed and quartered

2 Tbs coconut oil

Spices:

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon paprika

a pinch of chile powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss beets with oil and lay flat on sheet pan.  Toss with spice mixture.  Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Sprinkle with some additional salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve warm.

Quinoa Pasta with Golden Beets and Greens

Have you ever had a conversation with your significant other that went something like this:

Sunday, 4 pm, apartment is filled with beautiful sunlight.

Ashley: I'm going to go somewhere dark for awhile.

Me: Um, okay. Is something wrong?

Ashley: No, everything's fine. I'm just going in the bedroom and closing the curtains.

Me: ...Why?

Ashley: I feel like there is too much sunlight today. Exits room.

Does anyone else think that is strange behavior?  Should I be questioning if I am dating a vampire?  I guess I better wait it out in the kitchen until I am sure.  And since I'm in the kitchen, I might as well create something for dinner.  (Maybe with extra garlic? Just in case...?)

On a non-vampire related note, have you been composting your beet greens?  'Cause if so, we might need to have a chat right now.  Beet greens are the most nutritious part of the beet plant, even more so than the beet root.  Pretty cool, huh?  I usually juice mine or blend them in green smoothies, but I've been adding them to stir fries and pastas lately.

This pasta is a hearty, one dish meal that takes a little cooking time, but minimal prep time.  I love using quinoa pasta and golden beets in this recipe, but you could easily use any type of pasta and beets that you like.  Just don't forget the garlic.  

Quinoa Pasta with Golden Beets and Greens
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
2 bunches of beets and greens
1 cup french lentils, uncooked (optional)
1 pound of dry quinoa pasta
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions:
Wash the beets thoroughly.  Chop the beet greens and put them aside.  Place the beets in a medium pot, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Cook on medium heat for 45 - 60 minutes, or until the skins can be rubbed off with your fingers.  (To test one, fish it out of the pot with a pair of tongs and run it under cold water until it's cool enough to handle.)  When the beets are ready, give them a few minutes to cool, then peel the beets using your fingers and cut them into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils (if using).  Add two cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer.  Add the lentils and cook until they are done (but not mushy), about 25 minutes.  Drain if necessary.  

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium-low heat and sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and beet greens and sauté for an additional 3 -5 minutes, until the greens are tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and toss contents with the olive oil, pasta, and beets.  Top with freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and a little nutritional yeast if desired.  

Fresh Cantaloupe & Beet Juice

I hate to admit this, but I think I've fallen victim to bad reality television.

It all started about a month ago when I decided it was time to find out more about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Three different people mentioned it to me within the same week and I figured it was worth checking out.  So I downloaded ABC's media player and began searching for episodes.  But ads for The Bachelorette kept popping up.

I'd heard of The Bachelor before, but The Bachelorette?  This sounded worse... and yet, somehow interesting.  I thought it would be really funny to watch five minutes.  Then five minutes turned into an hour.  I should have gotten out then, but I figured I might as well finish the episode.

And if you watch one episode?  Well, you might as well watch another, right?  That's how they get you.  You've been warned, my friend.

So every Monday night, there I sit on my couch... watching Ashley Hebert in her quest to find her true love and secretly rooting for her to pick JP.

The only thing that redeemed me last night was this juice.  I usually don't put fruit in my juice, but I was in the mood for something sweet and this fit the bill perfectly.  If you think you hate beets, I would definitely encourage you to try this because the sweetness of the melon complements the beet perfectly and gets rid of that "earthy" taste that tends to go along with beets.  If you're really nervous about the beet flavor, you can also leave out the beet greens or use a more mild green like spinach.  And if you're new to juicing, check out Vegetable Juice 101 for some basics.


Fresh Cantaloupe and Beet Juice
Serves 2 (or 1 giant juice just for you!)

3 medium beets
1/2 cup beet greens
1/2 cucumber
1 lemon, peeled
2 large sprigs of basil or 1 sprig of mint
1/4 of a medium cantaloupe, rind removed
1/2 cup watermelon, rind removed

Run the ingredients through your juicer.  Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Fresh Marinated Beets

Anyone who lives with their significant other knows the joy of having the place all to yourself for the evening.  This is your chance to do everything that you've been wanting to do... everything that you don't want anyone else to know about.  And, if your evening agenda happens to include making a giant beet salad and eating it all by yourself while watching The Notebook?  Then I think we need to be friends.

If it's true that you are what you eat, then I am a beet right now.  Really.  I'm just a giant walking red beet.  I don't know if I just need extra iron right now or think beet-red teeth have suddenly come into fashion, but I just can't get enough.

The other day my co-worker was telling me about how she likes it when people bribe her with food.  One of the chefs we work with even went so far as to bribe her with a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.  Hmm, sure, that sounds okay... but if you really want me to do something for you this week?  Bring me some beet salad.

This is a really simple recipe involving a little vinegar and oil.  I personally like simple beet salads without a lot of fuss or added sugar, but you can easily adapt this one to suit your tastes.  Adding in some fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and any kind of mint really brings out the flavors of the beets.  You can also use edible flowers (like those pictured above) as a garnish or to add a bit of spice to the salad.

Fresh Marinated Beets
Serves: 4

6 medium beets
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
some fresh herbs for garnish

Place the beets in a medium pot, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Cook on medium heat for 45 - 60 minutes, or until the skins can be rubbed off with your fingers.  (To test one, fish it out of the pot with a pair of tongs and run it under cold water until it's cool enough to handle.)  When the beets are ready, give them a few minutes to cool, then peel the beets using your fingers and cut them into bite-size pieces.

Toss beets with the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice.  Top with pepper, salt, and herbs if desired.  Serve warm or chilled.

Beet Salad with Leeks and Parsley

I recently became a volunteer assistant for PCC Cooks.  PCC Natural Markets is an amazing co-op here in Seattle and they have their own cooking classes.  Assistants volunteer their time doing prep work for the chefs and cleaning and in return they get the information from the class for free.  It's a pretty good deal if you ask me. 

A couple of weeks ago I got the pleasure of working with Devra Gartenstein, author of The Accidental Vegan and Local Bounty (one of my favorite cookbooks!).  She also owns Patty Pan Grill which is Seattle's oldest farmers' market concession.  Their vegetable quesadillas are amazing and I never seem to leave the market without 'em.

Devra's class inspired me to start using leeks in more dishes and get back to the basics with my vegetables.  This recipe originally comes from Local Bounty and has been a favorite of mine for quite some time.  It's quick and easy to prepare and always looks beautiful (especially if you use different types of beets).

This salad may be served hot or cold, although I prefer it cold after chilling in the refrigerator for several hours to let the flavors meld together (this also resulted in my gold beets picking up a little color). For myself, after my long and hectic day, it was exactly what I needed to add some beauty to my dinner and my evening.

Beet Salad with Leeks and Parsley
Adapted from Local Bounty by Devra Gartenstein

1 pound beets (I used a mix of gold and red)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium leek, cut in half lengthwise, cleaned well, and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Place the beets in a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.  Cook on medium heat for 45 - 60 minutes, or until the skins can be rubbed off with your fingers.  (To test one, fish it out of the pot with a pair of tongs and run it under cold water until it's cool enough to handle.)

While the beets are cooking, heat the oil in a small saucepan.  Add the leek, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.  Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the leek is soft.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.  Peel the beets using your fingers and cut them into bite-size pieces.  Add the beets to the leek mixture and toss well until combined. 

Beet and Orange Salad

 This week I...

• Hosted two dinner parties with great friends.  
• Ate dessert every single day (Ok, I'm lying... I had dessert twice on Tuesday)
• Ordered tickets for the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Don't judge...)
• Spent an entire afternoon napping with my cat.
• Deleted my myspace account because of their lame privacy policies
• Went to a cooking class at PCC. (I won't give it all away, but just know that there are very delicious things heading your way via this blog.)   
• And I made this salad. 

I've been craving oranges for some time now so I've been scheming about how to use them in a salad.  I think I'm just getting anxious for clementine season.  The sweetness of the oranges compliment the beets nicely.  Even for people who aren't a big fan of beets, I bet you could handle this one.  

The oranges also serve a nutritional purpose in this salad because your body needs to have Vitamin C along with greens in order to properly absorb the iron.  The olive oil also adds a nice fat to help with vitamin absorption.  

This salad comes together very quickly and is perfect for a dinner party because you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time.  I actually cooked the beets the night before and left them in the fridge to cool because I wanted them served cold.  This recipe will serve a light salad for four or a larger salad for two.  If you do not have sherry vinegar on hand, you can easily substitute red wine vinegar or some apple cider vinegar in the dressing.

Serves 2-4
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
3 navel oranges
5 beets (I used red, but you could use any variety of your choice)

Dressing: 
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the beets and trim off the greens and pointy ends. Place the beets on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Cover with a light coat of olive oil and wrap the foil over them so they are covered. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beets are soft, but not slimy.

Mix the ingredients for your dressing together and set aside.  Slice your oranges.  I found this easiest to do by slicing the ends of the oranges off first and then cutting the rest of the skin away with a small paring knife.  I then sliced the oranges into thin slices.

Once your beets have cooked and cooled, slice them into medium slices (about 1/2 inch thick) and plate your spinach.  Arrange your beets and orange slices in alternating layers atop the spinach and cover with the dressing.  Garnish with some parsley. 

Carrot, Cabbage, and Beet Slaw

It's August. The sun is out and the weather is only going to get warmer this weekend. This can only mean one thing: it's picnic season. Get out there people.

Here's my little contribution to your picnic. I adapted this recipe from Cherie Calbom's class and added in some beets. The result is a beautiful rainbow-colored salad that tastes just like summer. Enjoy!


Salad:
3 medium carrots, grated
3 cups coarsely shredded green cabbage
3 cups coarsely shredded purple cabbage
1 beet, fined sliced into strips
1 cup minced purple onion
2 teaspoons dill weed

Dressing:
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cups vegenaise (I was pretty stringy in my batch and only added about half this amount.)
1 tablespoon agave

Mix the carrots, cabbage, beet, onion, and dill. Next make the dressing: mix the lemon, vegenaise, and agave. Add the dressing to the salad and mix. Chill until ready to serve. Top with a sprinkle of extra dill, salt, and pepper.

Raw Beet and Fennel Salad

This is one of the most amazing salads I have ever tasted. Maybe it's because I'm in love with beets at the moment. Or that fresh fennel and cucumber is a heavenly delight. Or maybe it's that all this raw food is going straight to my head. Regardless of the reasons, it is a delicious and very easy-to-make salad.

If you are lucky enough to have a mandoline, then it's time to pull it out. If not, then grab your sharpest knife and get to work. I do not have a mandoline so I did this by hand. The beauty of this salad is the thin slicing. Even if you do not think you will like the taste of raw beets, when they are paper-thin, they are very delicious. If you are nervous about trying the raw beets, I also recommend letting them soak overnight in the dressing to soften up a bit. I tried this with some leftover salad and it was even better the next day.

I've made several batches of this over the past week and have begun to use a vegetable peeler on the beets. A peeler will give you perfectly thin slices without a ton of work. Experiment for yourself and see what you like best. Be sure to report your findings!

These past two weekends have been so beautiful that even with my CSA produce, I have to make a trip to the farmer's market. You can find pretty much everything that you need for this salad at the market. If you don't want to use cabbage, then feel free to use fresh greens instead.


Serves 2.

1 head of cabbage (I used green)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb (or two medium), thinly sliced
2 small carrots, thinly sliced
1 red beet, thinly sliced
1 golden beet, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs agave (or to taste)
1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Puree mint, lemon juice, oil, agave, and mustard in a blender until smooth. Prepare your vegetables. You can either arrange them on a plate and drizzle with the dressing or you can toss the dressing with the salad. (I told you it was easy!)

Blissful Beet & Berry Smoothie

I haven't been feeling the best the last couple of days and I think I might be fighting something off. Yesterday my stomach was hurting really bad and it made me remember one of my favorite cures for a stomach ache: aloe juice. I know it might sound weird, but I've used it the past couple of years for stomach pain, heart burn, and general indigestion. It's amazing! You can read more benefits about it here, but I highly recommend it! I learned this morning that it also neutralizes toxins in your body, regenerates tissues, improves the immune system, and helps fight cancer. You can't go wrong there.

You also can't go wrong with a beet & berry smoothie! I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs: Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. It was absolutely delicious! I left out the stevia and substituted spinach for kale. Drink up!

1 medium beet, baked until soft, peeled and cut in chunks
1 cup mixed fresh or frozen berries
3 large or 4 medium kale leaves (or spinach)
1/2 medium cucumber, cut in chunks
juice of 1/2 lime
1 scoop of rice protein powder (or hemp)*
1 cup rice milk (or hemp or almond)*

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. (Note: if you use fresh berries, you may wish to add 1-2 ice cubes for a cold smoothie). Drink immediately. Makes 1 large or 2 small servings.

Soy-free, gluten-free (make sure you are using soy & gluten-free milk & protein powder)*

If you wish to make this smoothie raw, substitute fresh apple juice for the milk and throw in some raw almonds instead of protein powder. If your blender can handle it, you can use raw beets, or you can use beet juice instead of apple.