beets

last night i had dinner at a kitschy restaurant that requires a very far in advance reservation time. upon opening our meals and deciding on a starter, our eyes were all drawn to the same thing. bread made with beet juice. beet juice? the waitress assured us it was fantasticly good and what she would recommend. after a couple of pieces, i concurred. beets found their way into my runnersworld perusal today as well. beets seem to be following me a little bit and i'm going to take it as a sign to try a beet recipe. hard to envision it all working together, but usually if it's ok by runnersworld, it's ok by me.

Beets with Avocado and Orange
Red-wine vinegar
2 medium to large red beets (about 1 pound)
1 2-inch piece black licorice
4 tablespoons fruit vinegar (try raspberry)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/4 cup walnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 orange, divided into segments and cut into bite-size pieces
1 avocado, medium dice
2 tablespoons chopped basil

Boil a pot of water. Add a splash of red-wine vinegar and the beets. Boil covered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until you can stick them with a fork and it comes out clean.

Meanwhile, put the licorice in the freezer to let it get rock hard.

When the beets are cooked, peel and chop them (while still warm) into bite-size pieces.

Whisk together the fruit vinegar, mustard, wasabi, and walnut oil. Toss beets in the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the orange, avocado, and basil.

Remove the licorice from the freezer and shave atop the salad as you would Parmesan cheese.

Serves six.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 169
CARBS: 15 G
FIBER: 4 G
PROTEIN: 2 G

FAT: 13 G