Salad

I eat salad constantly. I love it! I love trying or inventing new dressings, finding new fun veggies to add to create a delightful spend of flavors and crunch.

I have fallen madly in love with beets after having several roasted beet salads in restaurants around town. So I found a great way to roast beets so I can eat them whenever I want!

I took two medium sized beets, cut off any stem parts and scrubbed the dirt off. I put on a piece of foil and drizzled with olive oil, then wrapped the foil around it. I then baked the beets in the oven at 425 degrees for about an hour and a half. You want to roast them until they are tender with a fork and time depends on size. I'd say start checking at about the 40 minute mark. If you have enough leftover, you can use the beet infused olive oil for making a dressing. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, use a knife or just your fingers to peel away the outer skin. I then cut them into slices and stored in a Tupperware container.

Generally my salads consist of a combination of two types of greens, generally green or romaine with spinach. I've also been adding some kale in there for an added nutritional boost. I top with tomato, zucchini, squash, a radish or two and a tablespoon of plain sunflower seeds from the bulk section of the supermarket. This week, though, I've substituted the tomato for the beets and the seeds for a sprinkling of feta cheese. I generally put in some leftover protein such as salmon, chicken breast or, this week, steak tenderloin.

Also this week I tried making a salad dressing from scratch. Normally I use a low fat hidden valley ranch, a yogurt blue cheese, OR just some olive oil and vinegar. For this, though, I got out the magic bullet. I blended about a tablespoon each of Dijon mustard, olive oil, pre-minced garlic, and 1-2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. Add a dash of salt and pepper and blend away to creamy tangy goodness.

So there you have it. A majestic salad combination if I don't say so myself. I hope you find time to make one for yourself - it's so delicious and it doesn't hurt that it does a body good! :)