Beet Dealer

After the almost unavoidably indulgent holiday season, I am reminded of the negative physical effects of unhealthy eating. Fatigue, bloating, crankiness, weight gain, did I mention fatigue? YAWN I'm pretty sure the amount of excess we partake in this time of year makes us all more conscious of the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. It's no wonder one of the most popular New Year's resolution is to eat healthier.

There is a quote I love by Shunryu Suzuki "Each of you is perfect the way you are, and you can use a little improvement" I'm not trying to completely change my eating habits. I'm simply trying to become more aware of what makes me feel good and do more of that, and eating healthy makes me feel good.

With that in mind I made a really tasty, pretty beet and lentil salad with a cumin vinaigrette.


I absolutely LOVE beets. Unfortunately so many people are only familiar with the canned variety, I do NOT like canned beets. It's a shame that so many people say they don't like beets when all they ever tried came from a can or jar (or boiled, which is not much better). If this has been your only exposure to beets then I wouldn't blame you for thinking you don't like them. But I think you owe it to yourself to give fresh beets a try. Just one bite, what could it hurt? Go ahead, roast one up, maybe start with a golden beet which has a more mild, subtle flavor, sprinkle it with a little salt and take just one. little. bite.

Beets are delicious little balls of earth candy. I think my favorite way to have them is roasted. Because they are so earthy, I like to pair them with something sharp, feta, vinaigrette, feta and vinaigrette... and I love them with cumin, it adds a delicious toasty flavor to their earthiness.
I've always wanted to use the beet greens because 1. they are delicious, similar in flavor to spinach and 2. it seems so wasteful throwing them away. Unfortunately my local grocery store usually has bunches of beets that have very, very wilted greens. I finally went to the nearest Whole Foods and found beautiful organic beets with equally beautiful greens. Finally!



Beet and Lentil Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

3 red beets with their greens
3 golden beets with their greens
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup lentils (I used red, but you could use regular lentils)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Cut the greens from the beets. Place the beets in a pan, add about 3 tablespoons water, a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt. Cover the pan with foil and put in the oven until they give a bit to the touch, about 1 hour. Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Peel them and slice into bite sized wedges.

Remove the stems from the beet greens and thoroughly wash them. Stack the greens and thinly slice them. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat and add the greens and salt to taste. Saute until they start to wilt, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile cook the lentils. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup lentils and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the lentils.

For the vinaigrette
In a pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add finely chopped garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Salt to taste.

In a bowl combine the lentils, greens and beets. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Adjust the seasonings if needed.