Beets- Love them or hate them... here are two salad recipies to try!

Before I give my recipes, and before those that hate beets graze over this post, I want to share some of the nutritional attributes to beets and why we should all be eating them.

1. It has the amazing power of cleansing blood and ridding the body of unwanted ailments
2. low in fat and calories and but rich in FIBER (yes women love that) and other vitamins and minerals
3. Contains significant amounts of vitamin-C.

the relationship between beets and I began when I was a young girl. My mom used to, and still does, eat pickled beets out of a can. ICK... that sounded terrible and made me never want to eat a beet or even try one EVER! I am sure many of you can agree that beets don't seem very appetizing that is why I want to open your eyes and get you tasting new yummy things like these two wonderful salads I have to share.

This first recipe I acquired in a cooking class I did while I was in college with my boyfriend at the time. The class was called "Couples in the Kitchen" so all the recipes were directed so that both you and your significant can play a role in the kitchen; we had a great time. Some of my most favorite recipes that i have used over and over to WOW my friends have come from this class.

Chickpea with Roasted Beets, Garlic, and Herbs
(not a very creative recipe name but that is basically what it is)

• 4-5 medium sized beets, trimmed of their tops
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas ( I just put in a can 14.5 oz can drained and rinsed. Original recipe was made with home cooked chickpeas, but that's for a different blog)
• 2 heads of garlic
• Juice and zest of two lemons
• 1-2 large shallot bulbs, julienned
• 4 ounces feta (or more if you like ;-)
• 1/3 cup sherry vinegar
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• A bunch of flat leaf parsley
• salt and pepper
• Olive oil for beets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In baking sheet place a sheet of foil down, enough so that you can make a "pouch" for the beets and the garlic. Place the trimmed beets cut side down. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Trim the the top 1/4 inch off of the whole garlic clove and brush with oil. Cover tightly and bake until garlic is blond and soft; poke beets with a skewer or knife to make sure they're cooked all the way through. You may need to remove the garlic first.
While the garlic and beets are roasting, take the thinly julienned shallot and place in a small bowl. Heat the sherry vinegar in the microwave or in a small sauce pan until steaming hot. Pour over the sliced shallot. This reduces the strength of the shallot while maintaining a little crunch. In another bowl, most likely the bowl you will be serving the salad in, add the lemon juice and zest and the chickpeas and stir gently. When the beets and the garlic are done and cooled, carefully peel the beets and dice in to medium sized pieces. Add to them chickpea mixture and squeeze the garlic out of the whole clove over it. Stir gently and drizzle with the olive oil. (You don't have to add as much oil if you like your dressings more vinegary). Toss in the minced parsley and feta cheese. Add sherry vinegar and shallot mixture and serve promptly.
***if you aren't serving this salad same day you can make the garlic and beets ahead of time and combine everything quickly the day of****

This next recipe is one i stumbled on just recently. I went to one of my good friends going away parties and it was a true feast. we had a spread of smoked pork and mango salsa, quinoa, curried cauliflower, Hawaiian rolls, corn on the cob and much more... I rolled out of the party because I was so full. My favorite thing on the table beside the mango salsa was the salad someone had made. I had to ask her what was in the salad because I wanted to recreate it. NOTE: this would be a great salad for a valentines dinner because of the vibrate red color it gives. Also I do not have specified amounts of ingredients

CAB Fresh Greens Salad
(I made up this name but named it CAB for chickpea, avocado and beet salad but I also named it this because it would be paired well with a nice Cabernet Sauvingon)

• 5 oz. of fresh greens (baby romiane, or mixed greens, NO romaine) depending on how many people you are serving it could be more greens or less.
• 3- 4 carrots peeled and shredded (i just used my cheese grater)
• 2 raw beets peeled and shredded
• 1/2 can- whole can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 2 avocados
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• green or red onion (optional)

This is a much simpler recipe than the one above but just as good. Basically there are no directions to this recipe so just throw it all together and serve! Definitely my favorite salad right now.