Caribbean Citrus & Beet Salad with a “How-To”

I never used to like beets at all until I tried them roasted.  I know it’s obvious that FRESH beets should be better than canned beets, but, wow ~ what a HUGE difference it makes to have fresh, crunchy beets versus the soggy canned versions.  Roasting beets brings out their sweetness and I think gives them a tab bit of a nutty flavor.

This recipe was inspired by the BEST Beet & Orange Salad I’ve ever had at Mammarella’s.  They serve up HUGE beets with pistachios, mixed greens and a fantastic citrus dressing.  I always add a little grilled chicken for protein and it makes a complete meal.

Who knew that I could make a version at home that has FANTASTIC stats and is only 6 points a serving.  Roasting beets is really easy so I’ve included a How-To at the end of this recipe to show you all you do not have to be scared to make your own. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do 🙂

CARIBBEAN CITRUS & BEET SALAD

SALAD:

8 cups Organic Romaine Lettuce, chopped

2 beets, roasted and cut into cubes (one yellow & one red beet) ~ see below

2 oranges, segmented

4 Tbsp blueberries, optional

4 Tbsp shelled pistachios

1 lb chicken breast sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus Spice & Grilled, sliced

4 tsp shaved parmesan

DRESSING:

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 orange, juiced, approximately 1/4 c

1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Roast your beets as noted below.  While your beets are roasting, grill your Caribbean Citrus Chicken and prepare all vegetables.

2.  Create 4 salads by layer your salad starting with 2 cups Romaine, 1/4 beets, 1/4 orange segments, 1 Tbsp pistachios and blueberries, 4 oz grilled chicken and ending with 1 Tbsp parmesan. 

3.  Drizzle each salad with 2 Tbsp dressing.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 LARGE salads

Approximate Nutritional information per salad, calculated using sparkrecipes.com:

Calories 310.4,  Total Fat 9.7 g, Saturated Fat 1.9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g, Cholesterol 67.0 mg, Sodium 220.1 mg, Potassium 1,229.7 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.6 g, Dietary Fiber ,7.8 g, Sugars 10.9 g, Protein 32.9 g

HOW TO ROAST BEETS

WHAT YOU NEED:

Beets, I used two large beets I picked up at Whole Foods

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt & Pepper, if desired

Foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with a layer of foil or parchment paper.

1.  Rinse/scrub your beets to remove any residual dirt.  Trim  the stem and and the bottom so that it can stand up on its own.

2.  Place two layers of foil down and place your prepare beet on top.  Drizzle with 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

 

3.  Drizzle with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper if desired.

4.  Wrap your beet up tightly in the foil to make sure it seals and will steam as it roasts.  Repeat this for your second beet.

5.  Place on your prepared cookie sheet and roast for 20-60 minutes depending on the size of your beets.  Since I had large beets, I roasted them for 60 minutes.  You should be able to poke with a fork and have it be soft yet crunchy.

6.  Allow your beets to cool then carefully unwrap them.  You may with to wear gloves for this next part.  Use a paper towel to rub the skin off the outside and it should come off fairly easily.

Perfectly roasted deliciousness!!!

7.  Slice your beets into circles and quarter.  They are awesome straight up or in salads such as the Caribbean Citrus and Beet Salad above.

  RED BEET!

Golden Beet!

All together with my FAVORITE new salad.  Super easy, right?

See, I think this salad totally deserves it’s own post, what do you think? 😀

We both have the day off ~ woohoo!  I am hopefully doing a little blog catch up, taxes and having some fun too this weekend.  Off to enjoy the sunshine and maybe a movie!

Have a great Friday all!