Oh my god, I am so sore it hurts to think. It might be the P90X gods punishing me for my not-so-nice words yesterday. Even worse, I went out for drinks after work last night, skipping my workout, so somehow I have to manage something respectable tonight.
Luckily I can sit nice and still at my desk to enjoy lunch, which is a delicious salad. Not just a puny salad, either. It’s the real life, fills-you-up, satisfying kind. I’ve actually been looking forward to it all morning.
While reading Dinner: A Love Story earlier this week I was salivating at the sight of their beet and orange salad and knew I had to replicate it. 2013 is the winter of the beet in the Pereira household, so this landed right on top of the list. It is heaven and I cannot stop myself from raving about it. My poor colleagues probably hate me.
Want to see how absurd it looked when I was packing it into my lunch bag this morning?
Yes, I get kind of weird about my food touching. With salads especially, everything has to get shaken up together at just the right moment to avoid over-saturation. (I say this like some sort of expert. Truth? I don’t even like lettuce. I made this salad with spinach because it’s the only thing I can manage.)
Despite having lots of add-ins, it’s actually very easy to make. I roasted beets the other night, and then chopped and stored them in the fridge and I pre-mixed the dressing in advance, as well. Otherwise, I pulled everything together pre-7 AM and still made it out the door on time.
The flavors are perfectly matched and the colors, absolutely divine. It’s a great proportion of tang, to sweet, to salt, to tart.
Base:
- Lettuce/spinach/greens
- Fresh chopped mint (I only had dried… it still works)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Add-Ins:
- Chopped beets
- Chopped cara-cara oranges
- Pistachios
- Feta
Dressing:
- Equal parts EVOO and white balsamic vinegar
- Just a little Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A sprinkle of sugar
For more exact measurements, enjoy the recipe here.