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!
How-To Roast Squash
One of my FAVORITE things about the Fall and Winter is SQUASH. I LOVE all the different varieties that you can find at the market and have fun trying out different ways to bake, roast and cook them. I think my FAVORITE method of eating any type of squash is by far Roasting it. It’s quite simple and roasting just brings out all the sweet, nuttiness in the squash and makes it so tender it just melts in your mouth. I think another reason I LOVE squash is that you serve it sweet like dessert, savory as a side or even use it as a healthier alternative to FRIES!
This is the first time I’ve used Kabocha Squash and I LOVED it. The flavor reminds me of a cross between butternut squash and pumpkin. Here are two easy methods for roasting squash plus a few variations to help you spice or sweeten it up. Enjoy!
HOW TO ROAST SQUASH
INGREDIENTS:
1 Kabocha Squash
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sprinkles of Sea Salt ~ 1/4 tsp
Dashes of freshly ground pepper ~ 1/8 tsp
OPTIONAL VARIATIONS:
* You can make your squash sweeter by adding cinnamon, brown sugar and butter like this Brown Sugar Butter Acorn Squash.
* FRIES!!! Butternut Squash Fries are an amazing alternative too!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with foil and nonstick spray.
2. Rinse the outside of your squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice your squash into pieces, think cantaloupe slices, leaving the skin on.
3. Place squash slices onto prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping your slices over once half way through.
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much squash you’d like to enjoy!
ENJOY!
STEP-BY-STEP:
Rinse and dry your squash to remove any residual dirt.
Slice in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
You can roast your squash in two halves, just skip to step #3. This method would be the preferred method if you are making the Brown Sugar Buttered Squash.
However, I prefer to roast them sliced because they are more fun to eat that way
Place your squash slices on your prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
NOTE: Any sea salt will work, however, I prefer to use a course salt that has a intense flavor like this Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. You will be surprised how different it tastes from what you can pour out of a shaker ~ a little goes a long way
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.
If you are brave, you eat the skin too, but, if you are like me, you leave the skin behind
This method works great for just about any squash, however, Kabocha and Acorn Squashes work best.
and Enjoy!
How to Make Your Own Ketchup
It is super easy and cheap to make your own ketchup. You can adjust the flavors and spicy to find a combination that works for you. Here is the recipe that I used to make the Molasses Baked Beans that you will see posted next.
MAKE YOUR OWN KETCHUP
Source of Inspiration: The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids Cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
1 can tomato paste
1/4 c water
2 Tbsp Sucanat or Raw Sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
Optional: A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a tightly sealed container and Enjoy!
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