Baked Beet Salad

This salad was inspired by a coworker/friend’s lunch this week. She is a vegetarian and at times vegan, who always has an interesting combination of vegetables sourced from her local co-op (kind of jealous about that). Being the great friend that she is, she encouraged me to try her baked beets. Initially I scoffed, as beets are one of those foods that I continue eat, despite not particularly liking them. I figure they’re an acquired taste, therefore, I keep eating and hoping one day I change my feelings. Well, thanks to Meg, that day has come. I guess if I’m honest, breading, or in this case almond-ing (I used almond flour as the breading) probably helps anything taste better.

The process is a little time consuming, but only because you first have to boil the beet. This should take about 40 minutes or so, or as soon as you can easily stick a fork in it! (Ha! No pun intended!)

Once your beet is boiled, let it cool (I ran it under cold water because I was impatient), cut off the ends and peel it. I used a peeler, however you could probably use your hands if need be. WARNING: While cooking with beets – your hands and every.single.thing. you or the beet touch, will be beet red (sorry, total pun intended that time). Seriously though, my kitchen looked like a murder scene. Any how, once it’s peeled, slice the beet into 1/4 inch slices.

Next, crack an egg (white) into a bowl. I usually stir it so it’s not weirdly separated. On a separate plate or bowl, use about 1/2 cup of almond meal (or regular bread crumbs). Don’t worry if you feel like it is not enough, you can always add more, but you cannot save any if you over pour initially. Dip the beet slice into the egg, making sure to coat both sides. Do the same into the almond meal or bread crumbs. Once they are evenly coated, place them onto a greased (I used coconut oil spray) baking sheet. Before putting them in the oven, I sprinkled them with some sea salt for added flavor. I baked them at 425F for about 7 minutes on the first side. I then flipped them (you’ll feel that they’re hard), and gave them about 2 more minutes to brown the other side.

While these puppies were browning in the oven, I constructed the rest of the salad. About two cups of arugula, a handful of crushed walnuts, about a tablespoon of feta, and a handful of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans – I use them from a can, rinsed, to remove added sodium).

This salad was SUPER easy, fast, and delicious. I added grilled chicken as a protein and topped with a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glaze. I don’t personally need a lot of dressing on salads, but if you do, feel free to add any balsamic dressing you usually would.

Recipe:

For the baked beets:

• Preheat oven to 425F. Bake 7 minutes, flip, 2 minutes. Total – 9 minutes.
• 1 Beet
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• dash of sea salt

Salad

• 2 cups of arugula
• handful of walnuts
• handful of chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of feta
• 1 tablespoon (healthy drizzle) of balsamic glaze