I am publishing this recipe for all of you Beet Naysayers out there who think you don’t like beets. I challenge you to try this recipe and then tell me how you feel about beets! This recipe makes beets taste so delicious that I had about 20 people come up and tell me that they thought they never liked beets, but this dish changed their mind about beets after serving this it at the recent Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) annual conference.
Beets are one of the most medicinal veggies available. They are very rich in iron and very helpful in building and cleansing your blood. Warning: if you are not a regular consumer of beets, they may turn your urine pink. Do not be alarmed. It will return to normal again soon. Ladies, beets are very good to help replenish you after your monthly cycle or if you have given birth. Any red foods for that matter are good for replenishing after this time.
Beets are normally something I would emphasize eating in the fall and winter seasons as they are a root vegetable, but I recommend eating them in the spring as well as they are very cleansing and especially cleansing and healing to the liver. And now is the time to clean that liver! So eat some beets!!! Oh, and if you happen to get the beets with the greens on them, make sure you eat the greens too!
| Spring Beet Salad (The Beet Naysayer Challenge) |
- 3 medium to large size beets – can use red or golden beets or any heirloom, interesting variety
- ¼ cup Feta, crumbled
- ½ cup Pecans – toasted and rough chopped into pieces (toast at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes)
- ½ cup Basil (optional)
- zest and segments of one orange
- 1 Garlic clove minced
- ¼ – ½ cup of Mayonnaise (homemade is best with olive oil; otherwise try finding Hain brand Safflower Mayo or Wilderness Family Naturals Mayo – avoid any mayo made with canola or soy oil)
- 1 T Olive Oil for rubbing on beets
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Scrub beets well. It is not necessary to remove the skins but you can if you like.
- Rub olive oil, salt and pepper all over the beets.
- Place them on a baking dish or cookie sheet and place inside oven. Bake until tender and a fork pokes through easily. This will take about an hour.
- Once cooled, dice beets into little squares. (An alternative way to cut them is to grate them. This gives a softer texture that may be more welcoming to people that are new to beets).
- Place in mixing bowl. Add mayo, garlic, pecans, basil and oranges and toss together. Stir in feta at the end. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve and Enjoy!
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