W30: Beet Salad

By Dski

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 2 bunches beets, roasted and sliced OR shortcut! use 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of beets
• 1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced, OR freshly-chopped chives
• 1/3 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine orange juice, vinegar, spices, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Whisking continuously, drizzle in the olive oil. Use your CrossFit muscles to keep that whisk whirling.
3. Toss the beets, spring onions, and pistachios into a large bowl. Lovingly dance them around in the dressing.
This tastes best if you allow the flavors to meld for an hour before serving, and I like it at room temperature. You do what you like!
To roast the beets:
Wash them but don’t bother peeling; the skins grow tender during roasting and you save yourself a step AND avoid red fingers. Keep the beets whole – or cut in half if they’re very large — for roasting. Toss the beets with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in a 375 oven for roughly 45-60 minutes. I don’t know how long I left mine in the oven – just poke one with a fork and when it’s tender, they’re done.
To toast pistachios:
You can toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet for the last 7-10 minutes of the beet roasting. (Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!) Or, if you forget the way I did, just throw them in a skillet over medium-high heat on the stove and shake ‘em around for about 2-3 minutes. Again, keep a vigilant eye to avoid charring. When they’re cool, coarsely chop them (which makes it sound like you should yell cuss words at them [coarse language]).
The oil:
I thought the salad was a little oily, so on my next attempt, I might try only 1/3 cup olive oil instead of the 1/2 cup.
Cumin:
The original recipe did not include cumin, but you know how I feel about cumin. Spice. Of. Life. I think next time, I’m going to try adding 1/4 teaspoon ground to the dressing. (If you do this, can you let me know how it goes?)
The shape of the beets:
I cut them into half moon slices about 1/4-inch think. I’m curious about what would happen to the experience if I sliced them thin-thin… and if I tried them in thicker chunks. Again, if you experiment, share the results!
The green tops:
Do not toss these! Promise me you won’t toss these! They’re delicious and super nutrition power-packed. Here’s what you do: wash them. A lot. Rinse off all the grit. Then coarsely chop and throw them in a pan with a little water and steam ’til tender. THEN – and this is what turns them from soggy greens into deliciousness – add a little coconut or olive oil, plenty of salt, and a few garlic cloves. Sauté ’til they’re the way you like ‘em and eat. Feel great about using the entire beet!