Recipe: Beet Salad

💡This recipe uses a secret time-saving trick … PREcooked beets! You can find them right in your grocery produce section.

Or, you can buy fresh beets and roast them yourself – just scrub them, place in a foil packet, and roast until tender at 400ºF/200ºC for 45-60 minutes. 

Either way, this recipe is a winner and is great chilled or at room temperature!

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium beets

• 1 large carrot, finely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp honey

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the beets into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes and place in a large serving bowl along with the carrot and celery.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, sea salt, and pepper. Pour over the beets and toss until the veggies are fully coated. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by Yana Gayvoronskaya 

Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Grits

Looking for a fun and different side dish? Here you go!

This pairs well with spicy shrimp or chicken. You also can kick this up a notch by adding ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 2-pound head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed, and chopped into florets

• 1½ cups of unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, cashew or coconut)

• 1 tbsp coconut, avocado or olive oil

• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast OR ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

• Sea salt

• Ground pepper

Directions:

1. Depending on the size of your food processor, place about half of the cauliflower into the bowl and pulse until it breaks down into rice-sized grains. Remove and repeat until all the cauliflower has been minced.

2. Place in a medium saucepan along with the milk, oil, ½ tsp salt and several generous “grinds” of pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently, simmer for about 10-12 minutes until the mixture is smooth and looks like grits. Stir in the nutritional yeast or the cheese. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.

Recipe by: Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by HandmadePictures from Getty Images

Recipe: Steamed Veggies

Ingredients:

• Any vegetable of choice, cut to bite-sized pieces (broccoli, pepper, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, etc…)

• ½ tsp sea salt (optional)

Directions for Steaming in a Pan:

1. Bring a ¼ inch of water to a boil in a large sauté pan.

2. Add salt to the water if desired. Add your vegetable of choice, cover and then steam your veg  until they are as tender as you want (about 3-5 minutes).

Directions for Steaming in a Steamer Basket:

1. Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a pot (where you will then place your steamer basket into).

2. Place veggies into the steamer basket, set over the boiling water.

3. Cover and steam until cooked to your liking (about 3-5 minutes).

Photo Credit: Canva by Tonelson from Getty Images