Beet Salad

As a cook in the restaurant industry, I have noticed a recent popularity for beet salads. Sure, beets are great for you, but if you slap on a bunch of cheese and dressing the calories creep up and the health benefits disappear.  The other night for dinner, I used this recipe from The Vegan Stoner to make my own at home.  For my own tweaking, I roasted the beets in the oven at 400F (depending on the size of the beets this could take up to an hour) and when they were cooked, I placed them in an ice bath so I could easily peel them. I then removed them from the water allowed them to rest to fully cool before slicing them.  While the beets were cooling, I made a simple vinaigrette in my food processor by blending olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper until smooth.  As for the "cheese" I blended some fresh parsley, sun dried tomatoes and chopped garlic  in the food processor until evenly combined. I then pulsed my tofu until it was crumbled, placed everything in a bowl, ensured it was evenly combined and allowed it to rest in the refrigerator.  A tip is beet leaves have a very strong flavor, so it may be best to combine them with some other lettuce or spinach. After everything is ready and the beets are cooled, slice the beets to your liking and plate the salad however suits you!! I know this seems like a lot of work, but  the recipe is mostly waiting for the beets to cook/cool. Also, the salad is so delicious and pretty, it is worth the wait. The best part of beets to is they keep for a couple of days so you can have leftovers!!

http://theveganstoner.blogspot.ca/