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25 Feb Getting Out Of My Comfort Zone: Carrot Beet Salad

Hi! My name is Eileen and I hate beets.

I know they are good for me but the truth is, I can’t stand them and I consider myself to be very open-minded (obsessed may be a better word) about vegetables. For years, I have used The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz as my food bible. Well almost… you see there is one particular recipe that I constantly skipped over, that is until recently. I have been dying to pre-order her book, The Longevity Kitchen, which comes out on February  26^th but I made a pact with myself that I would not be allowed to purchase it if I did not try a recipe with beets in it. Much to my surprise, the shredded carrot and beet salad was more than good, it was delicious. Once I started preparing the ingredients, the colors alone made me excited to eat it. The thin-sliced vegetables were perfectly sized for my fork and the portion was just enough to satisfy my hunger. The combination of crunchiness with the tangy flavors in the dressing had me dancing in my kitchen. I take that back, I’m always dancing in the kitchen but that’s a story for another day. Even my 2 youngest (and toughest to please) daughters were caught off guard by how “yummy” this salad tasted.

The ingredients in this recipe are loaded with health-benefits worthy of your attention. The rich color in beets comes from the phytochemical betacyanin which helps protect against cancer by inhibiting cell mutations and the high fiber content is especially beneficial against colon cancer. Glutathione, also referred to as “the mother of all antioxidants”,  helps to cleanse toxins from cells and the bloodstream. Not to be outdone, carrots are loaded with vitamin A and the beta-carotene, responsible for it’s bright orange color, helps prevent lung, mouth, throat, stomach, intestinal, bladder, prostate and breast cancers. You combine these two anti-inflammatory foods with digestion-aiding mint, and the fresh juices from lemon and orange (which are in season now) and the kick of the medicinal powerhouse ginger, and you better just brace yourself because this. . . is. . . good. . . stuff!

This recipe allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, to stop acting like a bratty child and to deal with the things that make me uncomfortable. In the end, I realized that it was another one of those stories I had been telling myself that was a complete lie. Now let me see if I can do the same thing with wheatgrass… ewwww ! Oh and let me go order that book on Amazon, which by the way, is offering a great bundle price if you purchase all three of Rebecca Katz’ amazing books.

For a little help on how to easily cut these vegetables into matchsticks, click here to watch a 2-minute video. It’s super-easy.

Happy Crunching!

Related Posts: “Keepin it Real” Recipes

Getting Out Of My Comfort Zone: Carrot Beet Salad

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup peeled carrots cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup peeled beets cut into matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon sea vegetable flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, ginger and sea salt together until thoroughly combined.
2. In a separate bowl, place carrots and beets in a mixing bowl, drizzle dressing and toss until evenly coated.
3. Top with mint before serving. Enjoy!
4. Source: The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

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