Kale and Roasted Golden Beet Salad

I kind of overloaded on kale for a while–kale in salads, kale in soups, kale in smoothies–and so I have been taking a little kale break.  But a couple of weeks ago I saw a roasted beet salad (which I adore) on a restaurant menu, so despite the kale, I took a chance.  Everyone had menu envy when they saw the salad come from the kitchen.  It was a wonderful combination with dried cranberries, basil, hazelnuts–that was a delicious surprise!–and feta.  I just had to try to recreate it, and here is my version!  I sprinkled on some hemp seeds, which add healthy omega fatty acids, and a delicious nutty taste.

Serves 4-6

• 2 medium organic golden beets, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 TBSP olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups organic green kale, thinly sliced
• 8 large leaves organic basil, thinly sliced
• 2-3 thinly sliced organic red onion rings, cut in half
• 1/4 cup dried organic cranberries (I softened them for about 10 minutes in warm water, and then drained them)
• 1/4 cup roasted organic hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, if desired
• 2 TBSP hemp seeds
• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
• 2 TBSP sesame seed oil
• ground salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
• Peel and chop the beets into bite-sized pieces.
• Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 TBSP olive oil.  Toss until coated, then sprinkle with salt and pepper

• Place in the oven and roast for 12 minutes, then stir them around with a spatula and roast another 10-12 minutes, until they start to brown.  Check for tenderness with a fork.  They should be slightly browned and tender.

• Toast the hazelnuts by placing them on a small baking dish and toasting them under the broiler (I used a toaster oven.)  You’ll want to watch them fairly carefully so that the nuts do not burn.  Every few minutes shake the pan around.  Remove from the heat when they start to brown and smell toasty.  When the nuts are cool enough to handle, roll them between your hands to remove the papery skins.

• Then slice the kale.  First, remove the toughest part of the stems and then place the leaves on top of each other and roll them all up together into a bundle.  You can then easily slice the leaves into long strips.

• Cut the basil into strips in the same manner
• Combine the dressing ingredients
• When the beets are cool you can assemble the salad. 
• Put everything in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing.  
• Toss and serve!

Love,

Lassen’s