ROASTED BEET SALAD

If I wasn't a graphic designer, I would probably be a beet farmer like Dwight from The Office. :) All joking aside (b/c clearly beets are a serious matter) I flippin' love beets. I have tried them on Ellis' tiny taste buds and she doesn't share my same opinion on the topic. I guess she got her Daddy's looks AND his taste buds since she can suck a lemon dry. ick!

If you're a beet fanatic like myself, give this recipe a try. It is one of my very favorites!

Ingredients:
6 red beets
Organic arugula
Feta cheese - crumbled
Candied walnuts (or toasted almonds)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons orange joice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:
To make dressing - mix all ingredients together and shake (I love my salad dressing shaker)

To cook beets - preheat oven to 350º. Place beets in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork.  When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. (If it doesn't peel off easy, use a carrot/potato peeler.)  Slice the beets into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble - put a few handfuls on arugula on each plate. Add cooked, sliced beets, sprinkle with feta cheese and candied walnuts and drizzle with dressing.

FALAFEL WITH AVOCADO SPREAD

I know some of you are wondering, what is falafel? 

According to Wikipedia, falafel is: A Middle Eastern dish of spiced mashed chickpeas or other pulses formed into balls and deep-fried.

Well, this falafel is neither made with chickpeas, deep fried nor made into balls. 
My definition is: Kind of like a black bean burger. :)

Anyways, Jodie made it for one of our Monday night dinners last year and it has been a favorite in our house ever since. I love it b/c it is delicious, but also b/c I can freeze it. I make a double batch (8 patties), and we usually eat two and freeze six--- or you can just freeze all eight so they are all ready in the freezer for fast dinners. I also make a double batch of the avocado spread and freeze what we don't use in sandwich-size ziplock bags. I freeze enough spread in each bag for two patties b/c when I thaw the patties, I usually thaw two at a time. The avocado spread actually stays green if you freeze it right away. I also think the lime juice helps to keep its color.

Ingredients

Patties:
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread:

1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream (I never use fat free anything)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:
Pita pockets
Red onion slices, separated into rings
Microgreens (I skip these)

Preparation:
• To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated. (If frozen, cook for about 6-7 minutes each side)
• To prepare spread, combine all ingredients - stir well. 

To assemble:

Spread about 2 tablespoons of avocado spread over patty and place it in a pita pocket; top with onions and greens.

grease the pan and cook each side until crispy

avocado spread

(Recipe from Cooking Light - September 2007)