A Power Outage and a Lemon Dijon Beet Salad

Ah yes, the fall storms have arrived. And with that, down power lines and a day without electricity. Lawns are now ankle high with fallen leaves and pine needles, while the trees are exposing their bare limbs. The fall windstorms always tend to leave us with more work to be done. Yet today, the power outage, gave me a mental reboot instead.

Yes, it was a candle lit dinner for one. Just me and the Lemon Dijon Beet salad I made earlier today. Luckily, I had prepared some fresh food that didn’t require heating. Otherwise I would be purchasing the very rare Thai food take-out instead. However, with a full and content stomach, I mustered the energy to gather my random candles, and placed them all around my living room. With a flickering glowing light, I laid down on my couch with Mr. Bill in my arms allowing myself to do absolutely nothing. All I had was my charged IPad which proudly displayed its ability to function amongst the dark silence. I picked Dustin O’Halloran, and allowed the soft piano tunes lull me into a peaceful state of mind. Ahh……

 

Well now that the power is up and running once again, I can share with you my dinner recipe. Roasted golden and red beets display their bright colors, while the creamy lemon Dijon vinaigrette adds a refreshing burst of citrus. It’s easy, it's delicious, and it's vegan!

Since it seems that as of late I have been on a red beet kick, I will leave you with only the recipe. There are other wonderful beet recipes that include more in depth nutrition information about these delicious tubers. Such as this hummus, this smoothie, and this post about root vegetables.

 I hope you enjoy this simple yet elegant salad! And I promise the next post will not be about beets....

For the Creamy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette:

Makes about ½ cup dressing

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons light coconut milk (using regular coconut milk makes it even creamier)

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

Zest of 1 organic lemon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 organic lemon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a 1 cup volume measuring glass add the Dijon, the coconut milk, sweetener, and lemon zest. Stir until combined.

2. Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while stirring. Once combined, add the lemon juice a splash at a time, stirring in between. 

3. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Pour dressing into a sealable glass jar.

For the Lemon Dijon Beet Salad

Serves one, or two for appetizer

Ingredients:

Handful mixed greens

Creamy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

2 roasted medium red beets, peeled and sliced thin 

1 roasted medium golden beet, peel and sliced thin

Cilantro sprigs as garnish (or basil)

Directions:

1. See how to roast beets here. Place mixed greens onto a serving plate, and drizzle with a little bit of the dressing (you don’t need much because the dressing is very flavorful). Top the greens with the sliced beets. Drizzle with a little more of salad dressing, once again a little goes a long way and garnish with fresh cilantro or basil.

Optional: Top with fresh goat cheese and/or chopped roasted walnuts.