this is a three part recipe due to the beets and almonds needing to cool before adding to the salad greens. ideally, both are served at room temperature atop a cool bed of greens. if you make a day ahead, bring glazed beets out of the fridge w/ enough time for them to warm up to room temp.
part I - balsamic glazed beets
2-3 med beets -peel, cut in half and slice thin
1-2 tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tbl olive oil
1-2 teas san-j tamari
filtered water
1 tbl honey
remove beet greens (btw: these are highly nutritious and taste great sauteed w/ butter and oil!), peel and slice beets. you are looking for bite sized pieces, not too thick (1/8-1/4"). in a large saucepan bring about a 1/4" of water to a boil (this will not be enough to cover the beets), add the beets steaming them in the water, stirring occasionally. keep at a medium heat until the water is just gone, then add the olive oil, tamari and vinegar and saute bringing the heat to medium-high (keep an eye not to let the oil get too hot). stir the beets often, adding more vinegar/oil (little bit) if the pan gets dry. it'll take about 5-10 minutes to get the beets soft and glazed. remove from heat and drizzle w/ the honey. let cool to room temp.
part II - pan-roasted almonds
1/4 cup almonds -chop (in lieu of almonds, any nut will do, tastes great w/ pecans or walnuts)
olive oil**
heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small cast-iron pan, add almonds and roast at a med-low temp, stirring often until almonds crisp and brown. remove from heat. let cool to room temp. **can use the same technique w/out the oil for a dry-roast
part III - grecian beet salad - putting it all together
salad mix or 1-2 heads of nice lettuce (we like red butter and claremont varieties)
handful or two of fresh snap peas -chop into thirds or shell
basalmic glazed beets
pan roasted almonds
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
pepper -fresh crack
place lettuce in a large bowl (im a fan of chopping lettuce into bite-sized pieces). add snap peas, basalmic glazed beets and pan roasted almonds and give it all a good toss. apply a fair amount of pepper and a quick drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. this salad works best if the bulk of the "dressing" comes from the glazed beets... so don't overdo by adding too much olive oil/vinegar at the end!
enjoy!