recipe: BEET SALAD WITH ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

I looooove salad!  Most salads have a ton of nutrients and can be very good for you.  However, you can negate all those good things with store bought dressing.  Most dressings are loaded with bad calories as well as a ton of sodium.  Here is a simple vinaigrette dressing that doesn't use any oil.  It tastes great and it's actually good for you!  Check it out...

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

• 1 large beet
• 2 Persian cucumbers (aka mini seedless cucumbers)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 gala or Fuji apple
• 1 cup (or large handful) of green beans
• 1 naval orange
• 2 tablespoons red onion

Dressing:

• 1 naval orange
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

To prepare the beet:
Heat oven to 400.  Rinse beet, poke a few holes in the skin with a fork, rub a little extra virgin olive oil on the skin, and wrap tightly in foil.  Place in the oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and place under cold running water, you will be able to just push back the skin and remove it.  Chop the beet into bite size pieces and place in the refrigerator to chill.

To prepare the green beans:
Wash beans, cut off ends, place in a saucepan with about an inch of water and boil for about 10 minutes or until the beans are little tender.  Remove from pan, chop into bite size pieces and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Chop cucumber, apple, avocado, and onion and place into a mixing bowl.  Add the chilled beets and green beans.  Peel orange and chop into bite size pieces, add the orange to the bowl.

To prepare the dressing:
Peel second orange, pull apart and place into a blender.  Squeeze in the juice from the lemon wedge.  Add the balsamic vinegar.  Blend.

Add the dressing to the salad.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss and serve!

This makes a great side dish for a large meal, like Thanksgiving which is right around the corner.  Or just divide it into a couple portions and eat it as meal for one!

GTBB,
Bad Joan