1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch
1 large navel orange
8 large Boston lettuce leaves
1-2 Tbsp. diced red onion
1/4 cup orange juice
Set a steamer insert into large, deep saucepan. Pour in cold water to
a depth of 2 inches, making sure it does not touch bottom of steamer.
Arrange beets in one layer in steamer. Cover tightly and set pot over
high heat. When water boils, reduce heat and simmer beets 45 minutes, or
until thin knife meets slight resistance when inserted into center at
the widest point. Transfer beets to plate and let cool just enough to
handle.
To avoid staining your work surface, lay a sheet of plastic wrap over
it. Slip your hands into plastic sandwich bags. Cut tops and root tip
off beets. With your fingers, pull and slide off beet skin. Cut each
beet crosswise into 6 slices.
Grate 2 teaspoons zest from orange and set aside. Cut off top and
bottom of orange. Setting orange on one of its cut sides on your work
surface, slice off peel in strips, letting knife follow the curve of the
fruit. Cut orange crosswise into 8 slices.
To assemble, line 4 salad plates with lettuce. On each plate, arrange
6 beet slices and 2 orange slices on top of lettuce. Sprinkle each with
one-fourth of onions. If serving family style, line a serving platter
with lettuce, top with all beets and orange slices, and add all onion.
For dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange and lemon
juices, vinegar, salt and pepper until salt dissolves. Whisk in oil and
add zest. Spoon dressing over the salad. Serve immediately.
Beets and Citrus, a Beautiful Combo
By Dana Jacobi
for the American Institute for Cancer Research
Although I was always a fan of the humble beet, I could understand
others’ tepid responses to the root vegetable. That is, until I attended
a beet tasting in Napa, California, and truly fell in love.
The tasting (similar to a cheese or chocolate tasting) included beets
of every color – red, yellow, orange, pink and even candy-striped
Chioggia beets, named after the region in Italy where they originated.
We sampled varieties as small as a marble and ate slices from a
softball-sized beet that were remarkably tender.
The differences in flavor were striking and proved that there’s a
variety for every taste preference. If the earthiness of beets bothers
you, try golden or orange beets, which are a bit sweeter and milder
tasting.
From a nutritional standpoint, beets are also a winner. They are rich
in folate and potassium and are a good source of fiber. Plus the
pigments that give beets their vivid colors are potent antioxidants.
Beets are related to chard and their leaves are nutrient-rich. I
recommend steaming and coarsely chopping beet greens, then drizzled them
with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and serving them
lukewarm.
The taste and texture of the commercially jarred pickled beets that
most people are familiar with are quite different from home-cooked fresh
beets. When cooked from scratch they are creamy and tender and have a
somewhat meaty texture. Eating them at room temperature emphasizes their
sweet side.
I particularly enjoy red or yellow beets (or a combination of the
two) paired with oranges, as they are in this salad. The acidity of the
citrus adds appealing contrast. The recipe explains how to cook and peel
beets without staining your hands or work surface – helpful tips if
this dish succeeds in making you a fellow beet-lover.
“Something Different” is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best
Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook:
Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.
