Roasted Beets Lemon Salad

I just love the color nature has created in fruits and vegetables. One of the most vibrant is the color in the beets, is a purple and red hue that is so unique.  You can garnish a plate with beets and make it more attractive immediately.  However if I wanted to eat cooked beets and avoid the ones from the can, the boiling process was a little annoying. First wash them, boil them for a long time and then discard the rosy water that might spill on your clothes and never goes away, it doesn’t sound like fun. Does it?

 But it was until very recent that I found out you can roast beets. Roasting them sounded farfetched because I thought I needed a barbeque grill and special trays, but no, it turns out you can grill them in your oven and the results are delicious.   The fresh flavor is present, the texture is somehow crunchy, and there isn’t as much mess as there is with the boiling.  Since I learned how to prepare them I have been using them in many ways: as a side dish, in soups, etc. But my favorite way to eat them is in a salad with lemon dressing. The sweetness of the beet and the zest of the lemon create a sweet and sour flavor that is really appetizing.

*Roasted beets can be refrigerated for up to one week in a plastic container, discard them if they look dull.

Roasted Beets

I usually buy 4 large beets to use during 1 week.  WASH the beets, PEEL them and CUT THEM in thick slices (I will say 4 to 5 slice per beet). In my experience if you dice them before roasting, they get a mushy texture. PREHEAT the oven at 375 F.  In a cookie sheet or any baking tray spread 1 TBSP of Olive Oil.  PLACE the beets slices and roast them for 20 minutes.  After the first 10 minutes I open the oven and with a fork I turn the beets around so they can evenly roast. TAKE THEM OUT of the oven and LET THEM COOL for 10 to 15 minutes. You can slice them in tinnier pieces or use the whole slice.

 

LEMON DRESSING SALAD

1 Bag of Baby Lettuce Salad

2 Tbsp of finely chopped white onion    

20 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 Cup of diced Roasted Beets

Juice from 1.5 lemons

1 Tsp of Paprika

1 Tsp of Black Pepper

1 Crushed Garlic Clove

½ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fetta Cheese to garnish (optional)

Salt to season

In a salad bowl, mix the onions, tomatoes and lettuce. And refrigerate it until you are ready to eat it  (the onion flavor permeates to the lettuce leaves if the ingredients are mixed before eating). In a separate container mix the oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices.  Whisk it until all the ingredients have incorporated. Let it stand for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to eat the salad, add the dressing and mix it. At the end add the beets and the cheese, so they won’t smudge while you shake the salad.  Enjoy a fresh and healthy salad.