No matter what year, what season, or where I am, the numero uno top food item on my list is always avocado. I once read that some ultra-thin celebrities avoid eating avocados because they are fattening (never mind that avocados contain good fats, the ones your body need). That is reason enough for me to never ever want to be an ultra-thin celebrity. Yikes! Give up avocados? Never! There are almost always a few in my fridge, at various stages of ripeness. So it’s easy enough to whip up a salad that makes use of avocados, like this lovely beet salad with pistachios and a citrus vinaigrette. Any color beet will do, though the red ones will tend to stain everything around them, so for presentation purposes I love yellow or orange beets. The tanginess of the citrus vinaigrette balances the sweetness of the beets and the richness of the avocados. So tell me, are avocados on your list?
4 medium beets (any color), green tops removed, beets scrubbed clean 1 just-ripe avocado 4 ounces mixed green lettuces 2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
Citrus Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon minced shallot 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon orange zest Pinch salt 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Place the beet wedges in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Arrange the beet wedges and avocado wedges on top of the salad greens. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the salads.
