Moxy Thoughts

This has been one busy week for our family!  I’ve been on the road for most of the week for work, the boys had their last week of swim practice and we started a new construction project on the house, digging up a slab of concrete in order to create a half basketball court for the kids and a much better view of our vineyards.  So this Sunday, I wanted to make something simple and full with vitamins for lunch that we could fill up on as we lounge around and relax for the first time in weeks.  One food that is particularly flavorful and full of great benefits is the beet, and I happened to have a couple of beets in the refrigerator – to be perfectly honest, I nearly always have a few in there as they’re so good for Derek’s insulin management.  Did you know that beets are a unique source of betaine, which helps protect cells, fights inflammation and protects against many chronic diseases.  It’s quite literally a wonder-root!  Plus, the crimson color of the root is made up of phytonutrients that may even help ward off cancer.  Not sure what else you need to convince you to try these little wonders, but I’m sold!

The one thing that’s a bit annoying about beets is prepping them – they can be a huge mess.  The best advice I was ever given on how to manage them is to wear rubber gloves and use a plastic cutting board.  Beets have been used to dye all kinds of things and so your hands and cutting boards are no match for their saturating red color.  I use a basic peeling tool to quickly remove the skin and then I rinse and scrub each of the roots with my rubber gloved hands to remove any remaining dirt.  Once that’s done, chop down to about 2″ wide strips in order to manage getting the strips easily shredded in your food processor.  If you have a large enough processor, go ahead and shred your carrots right on top of the beets.  Use a ratio of carrots to beets that matches your own taste, more beets if you love those, more carrots if that’s your preference.  I went for 50:50 in this case.

For the dressing, I like to use fresh squeezed lemon, red wine vinegar and freshly sliced herbs like tarragon and sage to add freshness and acid that balances the roots in this salad.  Of course, my favorite finish to this salad is delicious feta or goat cheese, these add creaminess and comfort that is simply delicious!

I hope you’ll try this one out when you’re craving a satisfying salad that’s loaded with vitamins and flavors.  Please let me know how you made this one you’re own.  Enjoy!