Beets! That's right-beets!

If you've read my blog at all you know I am not a beet fan. What you might not know is that I have tried to like beets. My famous and favorite! cousin Lisa, the incredible chef and cookbook writer, could not even convert me. I decided to give them another try because I found this recipe from Tyler Florence at the Women's Health website. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/start-fresh-tyler-florence

If you've read my blog at all you know I am a complete roasted vegetable fanatic. Turns out Abigail and Mike like beets so be a grownup, Sebia, and try 'em again, after all they are wildly good for you.

The verdict was pretty darn yummy. Thank you Tyler! How can you go wrong with quinoa, fresh spinach and feta? When I make this again (and I will) I will slip off the skins and then chop the beets into smaller pieces and continue to roast until caramelized and crispy outside.

Roasted Golden Beets with Quinoa And Feta my way

3 medium golden beets, scrubbed and cut in half
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup quinoa
~1 ounce fresh spinach, stems removed, shredded
3 tablespoons raisins
1/3 crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the beets on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the beets until you can slip off the skins, ~45 minutes. Cut beets into bite size pieces and return to oven and roast until caramelized and tender, about 15 more minutes.

Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and cook according to package instructions. Place quinoa in large bowl and add the spinach, set aside.

Mix together the quinoa mixture, beets, raisins, and feta and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice.

I served this with one of my favorites, wild King salmon from Alaska. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, 2 garlic cloves pressed and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Mike grilled it to perfection! Thanks to Tyler and this salad I am becoming a beet fan. Mike and Abigail loved it. We sat outside, listened to the SF Giants game on the radio and I felt blessed. Enjoy!