Super Beet Salad

Beets have a bad reputation.  I cannot tell you how many times people have stopped me at the grocery store as I am putting my beets in my cart and asked me, “What do you do with those?” My childhood memory of beets is these stinky purple things my grandmother served plain.  In the entire family, only my grandmother and my father would eat them. 

Beets provide tasty nutrients but most people do not know what to do with them.  Mix boiled beets with lemon juice and garlic for a disco in your mouth.  Add them to salad for a splash of color, taste and nutrients.  Beware; canned beets are nowhere near as good.   Buy fresh, symmetrical, dark purple beets; put them in a pot and cover them with water, then boil them for an hour or so until you can poke them easily with a fork; just like potatoes.  Once they are cool, the peel just slips right off with your hands.   

 

Rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and low in calories, who wouldn’t want to tap into this delightful vegetable?  Here is a recipe for a delicious salad to get you off on the right foot.

Ingredients:

1 large boiled and peeled beet

½ head romaine lettuce chopped

1 medium tomato diced

1 banana pepper chopped

¼ cup gorgonzola cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ small onion finely cut

1 clove garlic crushed

Serves: 4 about 2 ½ cups each.

Directions:

Put lettuce in the bottom of a big serving bowl.  Then top with beet, tomato, pepper, onion and finally the gorgonzola cheese.  In a small jar mix together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic then pour on top of the salad.  Your master piece is complete.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Per one serving: 164 calories, 11g carbs, 13g fat and 19g protein.  This salad is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and monounsaturated fats (healthy fats) just to name a few.