Hello, my name is Angela. It’s very nice to meet you.
Lately I’m enjoying…
- Sunshine
- Walks around the neighbourhood
- Bunny spottings
- Epsom salt baths before bed
- Homemade juice
- Fresh hair do’s
- Homemade Lemon Sugar Scrub on face and body
- Purging unwanted household items for donation
- Horses on the farm
- Melting snow and peeking grass
- Tea with girlfriends
- Deep stretches
- Anything no bake, especially date squares!
- Colour on my plate and in my closet
- Red and Gold BEETS
What are you enjoying lately?
This week, the sun is back and the temperature seems to be ever so slowly creeping upwards. Five degrees and sunshine? I’ll take it. And I’ll raise you 20 degrees. bahaha.
This better not be an April Fool’s joke because I’m finally ready for Spring…bring it on!
Yesterday, I was in such good spirits, all I could think about was making an energizing raw salad to fit my mood. I always feel so uplifted when I eat salads, so I thought I could take it to a new level with this fun beet, carrot, and apple salad served over a bed of greens.
My relationship with beets growing up was a rocky one and I occasionally still have nightmares about the pseudo Jell-O canned beets my dad used to encourage me to try. Last year, I fell in love with beets when I started to juice with them. After juicing, I got a bit more daring and tried this amazing cooked beet salad at Karyn’s on Green in Chicago. Things have been going pretty well in our relationship, so I decided to put my fears aside and give a raw beet salad a shot! Who knows, maybe we’d take our relationship to a whole new level?
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Spring Clean Raw Beet, Carrot, & Apple Salad
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 large red beet, peeled
- 1 large golden beet, peeled
- 1 apple (sweet variety), chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced (or less if you are not a garlic fan)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Red pepper flakes, to taste (I used a couple shakes)
- 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp salt)
- 2-3 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 3-4 tbsp Chopped almonds
Directions:
1. Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets. You can use a food processor with a grater attachment if preferred). Chop apple and place the grates beets, carrot, and chopped apple into a large bowl.
2. Assemble the dressing by whisking together the minced garlic, EVOO, lemon juice, vinegar, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Adjust dressing to taste. Pour the dressing onto the vegetables and mix well. Allow to sit for at least a half hour so the flavours can develop.
3. Add in your desired seeds and nuts and serve chilled or at room temperature over a bed of greens. Makes 2 servings.
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This would be a good time to whip out those ginormous lunch lady gloves that are supposed to be a size ‘small’. ;)
Creepy, yet functional. And no pink stained hands!
Oh…Eric tells me that I forgot to mention an OXO gadget yesterday. I did it on purpose because I never use this thing!
Meet the Apple Slicer. Eric LOVES this gadget and I make fun of him for being too lazy to slice an apple. I mean, do we really need to save time slicing an apple? Are apples difficult to slice? I never see a need to use it, but he uses it all the time and constantly raves about it. I used it yesterday for this salad and I have to admit it was a bit fun. ;) Shhh don’t tell him I said that.
Sometimes I put produce stickers on it to annoy him. Remember, our war? It rages on my friends.
For this salad, you can grate everything by hand and kick it old school like I did or you can use a food processor if you have a grate attachment.
Note to self: Figure out how to use processor grate attachment stat.
At the last minute, I mixed in a hefty portion of sesame seeds and some chopped almonds for some healthy fats and protein. The chopped almonds gave it a nice texture and crunch!
When I first tried this salad, I was not very impressed. It just tasted a bit off and the flavour wasn’t what I expected after using so many wonderful seasonings. I read the original recipe and I realized that it said to let the salad stand for about 30 minutes to let the flavours develop!
Ah, this made sense. And you know what? It rocked my world after letting it stand for about 30-40 minutes and it was even better several hours later when I had it with dinner. It was a bit sweet, a bit tangy, a bit spicy, and a bit garlicky. Somehow it just worked for me. I really had a kick to my step after eating this! I enjoyed it with an Ezekiel English muffin with hummus.
I’m off to see my doctor about my tailbone. I am happy to report that my tailbone pain has improved quite a bit over the past several days. I’m doing lots of back stretches twice a day as well as Epsom salt baths and light walking. Sitting is not good for the back, so I have been trying to stay active on my feet and get up from the desk frequently to stretch. Today, I’m hoping to get the approval from the doc to do some non-impact elliptical exercise at the gym until I’m back to 100%. This girl needs to sweat!
Coming up: One of my favourite baked goods so far in 2011. They have no refined flour, no white sugar, no added fat, no soy, and can be made gluten-free to boot. :)
i’m afraid of beets too! but i do often like them when they are shredded, so maybe i wil like this recipe!
Mmmmmm I love beets :)
I need to grow some big girl balls and try some beets! I have no idea where to start and if I’d like them! Time to change that!!
I haven’t seen any bunnies yet! I’m on the lookout though! Once I see them then spring really has arrived!
That apple slicer would be my bf’s favorite too. He’s totally like that. I’m diggin’ this salad! I’ve made something similar and used it as a sandwich filling with veganaise. I hope your Dr lets you get back to a bit of exercise, I can only imagine how stir crazy you must be getting!
i’ve been craving beets so bad lately!! that’s it! i’m goin’ to buy some today! :D
That salad looks absolutely gorgeous! I love beets – can’t wait to make this salad!
Oh yum…I love beets! Especially when roasted….but this salad looks delicious! Tons of fun flavors in there to compliment the beets.
Epsom salt baths are a great way to incorporate more magnesium into our bodies which most of us are chronically depleted from (kind of like Vit D, too) – from stress, exercise, toxins, illness, caffeine, etc. It all depletes Mag. And epsom salts are one great way to add it back in…and the benefit is muscles that function better, better sleep, better digestion, and more. Sorry for that trivia :)
I love beets! And ALWAYS wear gloves when I work with them too. Bloody looking hands for days just isn’t cool otherwise :)
Great photos, as per usual.
And the next recipe that’s a 2011 fave? Can’t wait!
I didnt know that about epsom salts! I do take a msg supplement though and I love it!
More trivia: cooking your food in a cast iron skillet contributes to your iron intake.
WOW!!! That looks amazing! All the beautiful bright colors remind me of spring.(can’t wait) Plus I’ve always loved beets, even if their just plain old boiled in the pot, there a great munchy when you want to feel refreshed! Hope it works out at the doctors!
Apples can be challenging to slice, lol. Or maybe I’m just a tiny girl at 103 pounds, lol. I always use an apple slicer so I’m no stranger to that funky object above! ;)
Thanks for the delicious salad recipe though! Everything looks clean, organic and tasty – my kind of good eats!
Have a good one Angela,
Vanessa
I’ve only had beets a few times many many years ago… and uh, not impressed. However, I was like 7 and I’m pretty sure they were frozen (thawed of course) or from a can. I think it’s time to redintroduce these (fresh) babies. I would love to try them in a juicer, they make everything such a pretty color!
yummm! that beet salad looks delish, what an amzing colour! wish i could have a big plate for my breakfast this morning. Thanks for another great recipe thats so clean, as for the produce stickers, my partner had about 50 stuck to his fridge when i moved in a year ago, they are still there even though i am dying to remove them lol.
lol nice!!! u should send them to the produce sticker collector http://fruitstickers.xost.ru/ bahahahaa
Oh my, how I adore beets and their cleansing properties — what a lovely salad!
I love raw beets grated into salads but I’m not sure if I’d like an ENTIRE salad of raw beets. It seems a little intense for me. That being said, I have a fridge full of beets that are desperately in need of using up so maybe I’ll try it. Does letting the salad sit for a bit reduce the bite of the raw beets?
It does slightly I think. Also the beauty of it is that you could add as much or as little grated beet as you prefer! Totally versatile :)
Such a beautiful salad! Looks delish and perfect for spring!! :D
This looks so clean and fresh. I’m definitely feeling the whole “eat with your eyes first” thing here! Gorgeous!
Beautiful pictures! I enjoy the chill of approaching winter. It means lots of hot soups, warm blackets and the smell of fire in the fireplace. I enjoy being back to uni after such a long break.
mmm fireplace smells…makes me want to have one last fire this season!
I don’t think my parents ever tried to feed me canned beets as a kid, so luckily I don’t have any bad memories of them haha. :P I tried them (fresh) on a whim last summer though and I totally fell in love with them. I’m definitely going to have to try this salad!
What vibrant colors, it is almost too pretty to eat! Beautiful pictures Angela!
That salad looks delicious and gorgeous! I love beets too but sometimes it’s hard to find the other colours!
What a beautiful salad! How neat that waiting 30 minutes completely changed the taste… I agree that it makes sense though. Wonderful mix!
That salad is gorgeous–great photos!
We have one of those apple slicer things and I don’t like it (may have something to do with the fact that I once got cut removing it from the dishwasher) but my dad and brothers do. I think guys just like gadgets.
heh yea I think they do too. It’s like a cheap tool they can afford to ‘make’ something with. Ouch I wouldnt want to get cut by it either!
oh my – this looks amazing!
hope the tailbone feels better soon!
SEriously, I just adore you. Your recipes, your mind, your body and your SOUL. You are the epitome of someone who is truly LIVING.
Awww thank you Rebecca!
Oh. My. Gosh. Can I just thank you 1,000 times for this recipe. I just got beets in my CSA box and I had NO IDEA what to do with them. I see a sunny Saturday and a raw beet salad in my future. :-D
Enjoy!
I’m enjoying… challenging full-time work that uses my skills as a researcher and writer. Well, most of the time I’m enjoying it. Right now I just want to go home and bake.
LOVE raw beet(root)! Shall be making this soon :)
For dinner today i had a beet salad too and it was ahhh-mazing. I ate it with spinach, red onion, raw mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots naan croutons with polenta cakes and drizzled salsa on top. It was yum! I will try it with apples and grate the beets and carrots next time and your dressing is soo simple and sounds delicious! Thank you.
I love the colour of this salad. It is simple too pretty. Oh…your upcoming recipe sounds awesome! I’m waiting in anticipation!
This looks super delicious!! I’m going to have to make this ASAP. It’s like a spring refreshing salad and super lovely :)
I completely fell in love with beets after I got over my fear of their exterior! Now, I roast them, juice them, grate them over salads. They top my list of favorite veggies, right next to kale! :) check out my blog for a beet-veggie-burger recipe! http://thegfpseudovegan.blogspot.com/2011/03/still-cold-still-craving-winter-veggies.html
I love my apple slicer :) It is not lazy at all-it is resourceful!! haha
OH my my…that LAST photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With all this talk of beets, I can’t help but be reminded of Dwight from the Office :D
Delicious! However, I did add some sesame seed oil because it just sounded soo good at the time I made it, and I just added some of Gena’s cashew cream (http://www.choosingraw.com/roasted-cauliflower-and-parsnip-soup/) since it was sitting next to the salad in the fridge when I went to grab it and Oh My Gosh,… I can’t get enough of this Yumminess!!!
yum sounds great!
I am slowly starting to like beets. Juice is ok, and cooked beets are all right too. One day I might love them. Maybe this salad will help?
That looks delicious! I think this would be the perfect opportunity to figure out how to use the shredder attachment on my food processor. Can’t be that difficult, right?? Love the lunch lady gloves, lol. By the way, I brought the No Bake Date Squares into work and everyone LOVED them. I think I loved them the most which is why I had to bring them to work or I probably would have eaten the entire batch.
I only recently fell in love with beets. I roasted them and they were incredible. And then I started juicing with them and I liked em even more! I has some on my salad at WF last weekend and another positive experience! This looks super fresh too! I will have to try it! I always love your suggestions angela!
Angela,
just wanted to share one of my latests treats-yum!
I saute lots of bits of kale in a little olive oil,
add sriracha to taste ( and sometimes a little maple syrup)and then
top it with crunchy organice peanut butter -which melts into the
kale and tastes AMAZING with the spicy sriracha,crunchy pb
and beautiful kale.
I hope you try this….I will keep reading to see :)
Bon appetit!
I just so happened to have all the ingredients at home so I made this salad for dinner last night. So good mixed with cold quinoa and garbanzo beans!
Oh Angela I just LOVE the list of things you are enjoying lately! And your pics are totally beautiful :)
C’mon spring, hurry up so that we can enjoy you even more!
YAY for Sugar Scrubs! I make my own Sugar scrub for my face by just adding a little sugar to my face wash! Works like wonders! :D
I know I would love this salad because my favourite juice is apple beetroot and carrot – ABC – I even don’t bother about getting beetroot juice on my hands – it washes out quickly enough – enjoy the sunshine!
Hi Angela — I discovered your blog just a short time ago and absolutely love it . . . just tried this raw beet salad yesterday and can’t believe how good it was!! Even my (very non-veg!) family loved it :-) . . . I was vegan for all of last year and then went back to being “just vegetarian” but your blog has inspired me to think about returning . . . I missed the way I felt eating that way (I think I’m suffering from dairy “sludge” once again :-) Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration!
I just made this and OH WOW! Amazing!!!! :) Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for this recipe – I made it for lunch today and it rocked my world too! I made a few adjustments – I used only red beets because that was all I had on hand, and I subbed in pumpkin seeds and chopped pecans for some of the sesame seeds and almonds, and roasted all the nuts and seeds first. It was so delicious! :-)
I loved this! My husband, who mainly likes vegetables in cooked form and hates sweet things, actually really liked this! I think the key is that it’s a very balanced salad – a little tangy, a little salty and a little sweet. Plus great textures!
This was delicious! I ended up getting very large beets, so it was a *big* batch, and I still had tons left over, even after serving it at a small dinner party. Because I didn’t think beets would freeze well, I decided to add it to a pretty standard lunch I make, and the results were amazing! I took a version of my quick quinoa salad (quinoa, tahini, olive oil, salt, red pepper) w/ any green veggie (broccoli, peas and spinach are my go-tos), and then just added in the beet salad! SO YUMMY!
After discovering your website through the CLEAN diet community, I have been a daily follower…Thanks so much for your daily glow!
Angela, I made this the other day and thought it was great! I loved the dressing instantly. My husband thought it was yummy, too. Perfect for hot weather when I don’t feel like turning the oven on. Now all I have to do is get some plastic gloves like you!
As a variation, I would use orange juice, ginger, and sesame oil. It was very tasty with garlic.