Pocono Pabulum for Mind & Body: Roasted Beet Salad

Roasted Beet Salad

Happy New Year! It's been almost two months since my last post, for which I apologize. The holidays were very busy, and while I was consistently cooking, I never got around to sharing many recipes. But I have a lot saved up so I promise to keep them coming, starting with the healthiest ones first, since I am sure many of you have committed yourself to a more healthful lifestyle as of a week ago. So while that resolution still holds, I hope you enjoy my recipes.

I made this salad back in the fall when the weather was starting to turn cooler. Although my favorite go to meal in the winter is soup, sometimes having something fresh still hits the spot. This roasted beet salad satisfies your craving for a crunchy salad as well as a warm, hunger squelching entree. I had honestly never roasted beets before, so this was a new experience and I was pleasantly surprised. Beets are literally one of the most nutritious foods on the planet,* full of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B folate. You would be hard pressed to find a food with more health benefits for every aspect of your body, from your muscles, to your liver, and brain function. And although I know the flavor of beets can be a hard sell for some people, roasting them like I did for this recipe brings out the natural sugars, and both of my kids, even my super picky daughter, loved them. I rounded out the salad with spicy arugula (a mix of kale and radicchio would be great too), chopped red bell peppers, walnuts, dried cherries, and goat cheese. Of course you can add whatever you like to the salad, but keep the dressing light, like the citrus vinaigrette recipe below. I did serve some pesto encrusted salmon on the side with this salad, but it could easily stand alone as a meal by itself.

* http://www.health.com/nutrition/beets-health-benefits

Roasted Beet Salad
with Citrus Vinaigrette

salad greens and dressing

Roasted Beets:
12 beets, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme

Dressing:
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
juice of one orange
3 T. shallots, diced finely
1 T. honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
6 C. arugula
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 C. walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 C. dried cherries (or cranberries), chopped
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Toss together the beets with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme, and roast in a shallow pan for 40 minutes at 400F. While the beets are cooking, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, red bell pepper, walnuts, and dried cherries. When the beets are done, toss them into the salad, with the dressing, and top with the crumbled goat cheese. Makes 4 large salads.