Monday, June 4, 2012

Meatless Monday: Vinegret Beet Salad

Today's extra yummy Meatless Monday recipe comes from a good friend of mine who brought this delightful salad to my Memorial BBQ. It contains my favorite vegetable as the main ingredient- beets! This is a salad the entire family will love- I swear! Even kids who get turned off by vegetables should like this one. It turns a bright magenta color once it's all mixed together which may help entice them further. Lily gobbled it all up and so did everyone at the party. Luckily my friend made more than enough, so there were leftovers all for me to enjoy for the rest of the week!  


Vinegret (vee-neh-GRET)
(serves a party! cut amounts in half to serve a family)

Ingredients

1 lb beets, peeled

1 lb carrots
1 lb potatoes, peeled
1/2 lb sauerkraut
1/2 lb dill pickles
1/3 lb onion
1/2 lb sweet peas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Apprx. 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Boil or steam beets, carrots and potatoes until soft, then allow them to cool down. Next, chop them into small pieces (very small cubes). Chop pickles and onion into small pieces too, then add to vegetables in a large serving dish or bowl. Next, add the sauerkraut and salt. Pour the oil on top then mix it all together. It should become a bright, magenta color. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Delicious on lettuce or as is. 


Note: it may not look this pink right away, this image was shot a couple of says after the salad was originally made

Some pickier children may think this looks "weird", but get them to try it and I will be surprised if they don't like it. The sweet and salty combination is a real crowd-pleaser, and it's so easy to make and relatively inexpensive. This is a recipe I will be using very often in the future. 

Sauerkraut is something I don't eat often enough, especially after finding out just how healthy it is. First of all, it is probiotic which is a big plus for many people who understand the benefits of having good-for-you bacteria in your body. The fermentation process causes this and this helps to strongly aide in gastrointestinal health. Here is a direct quote from Natural News' awesome website touting the magnificent cabbage:
"Cabbage offers a host of health benefits. It is high in vitamins A and C. Studies have shown the cruciferous vegetables can help lower cholesterol levels. Cabbage also provides a rich source of phytonutrient antioxidants. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties, and some studies indicate it may help combat some cancers. However, this already helpful vegetable becomes a superfood when it is pickled."
Read more about the amazing benefits and history of sauerkraut and other fermented and pickled vegetables here, at NaturalNews.com. If you are not familiar with that website, I suggest you become so. It offers a wide variety of verified information on health, food, psychology,  environmental concerns, social concerns, and much more. 

Any of these vegetables can easily be steamed and mashed for baby to enjoy along with you and the fam (or any of the other vegetables in this salad!). Beets are very good for babies, and they can eat them as early as 8 months. If you are pregnant, eating sauerkraut right now will help improve your iron and folate intake, and also aide in digestion. 

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday recipe! Please link up any meat-free dish you'd like below. Link as many as you want! Grab a button and spread the word! Thanks for stopping by :)



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10 comments:

  1. I didn't realize you had a Meatless Monday party. I will add it to my party list to let people know about it. You might try submitting your blog to:
    http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

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  2. I agree that kids really love the veg in your salad if parents are willing to give them to the kids. Once I brought my son to the dentist when he was 4 and she said, "I know you don't give him red wine...but what does he eat that is so red?" Beets!

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  3. My Bunny, as well as our playschool children, eat slots of vegies. Especially the ones they pick from the garden!

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  4. Hey there! Love your blog! I found you via the MMM blog hop and just added myself to your followers! Also I wanted to invite you to come enter a fabulous Steve Madden giveaway I'm having right now!!
    Hope to see you there! And thanks so much lady!
    Emily

    http://emilymmeyers.blogspot.com/2012/06/steve-madden-giveaway.html

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  5. This looks so yummy and colourful,thanks for joining us at Creative Mondays :)

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  6. What a wonderful, healthy salad! I'm with you on the sauerkraut, I love it and it has such wonderful benefits for digestion. Thanks for sharing this with Summer Salad Sundays, look forward to seeing you again soon!

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  7. Hello, new follower from BSN!! Your blog is just coming at a perfect time for me who's about to start family life and desperately need to get back into shape after months of cravings indulgence!!
    Esmeralda @ sciencesosexy.blogspot.com

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  8. Yummy!! I'm always looking for new salads to try. Thanks for linking up!

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  9. I tried beets for the first time this year (I'm 43) wish I had known what I was missing a long time ago, thanks for linking up at the Best of the Best Blog Hop

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    Replies
    1. I have lots of beet recipes on here! And I'll have more ;) I'll be sure to link them up at the next hop ;)

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Thanks for stopping by! I love comments and always want to know what you think :)

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