Rai Singh’s “No Bones About It” Recipe for the Week, July 15, 2010

Sat Nam, Hope you all had a great week. This week I’m bringing you a ttreat that I’ve made at the Level 1 Teacher Training retreats the last two years. And on Tuesday, July 27th, I will be doing a special cooking event at Yoga Phoenix and this will be one of the recipes I make. The cost for the event is $20, and you can register on-line at www.yogaphoenix.com and follow the link to special events.

Carrot, Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinegar, Caramelized Onions, Dried Cranberries and Fresh Thyme
(Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free)

I know, I know. BEETS, YUCK!! THEY TASTE LIKE DIRT!!! Yes, they do, yummy earthy, grounding goodness. And believe me, those students needed lead boots to keep their feet on the ground.

Here you go:
1# Peeled and diced carrots, 1/2” cubes
1# Peeled and diced beets, 1/2” cubes
3/4cup Dried cranberries
1Tbl Fresh thyme
1ea Red onion, julienne
4Tbl Olive oil
2Tbl Brown sugar
2Tbl Balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper

-Blanche carrots and beets, separately, (http://www.ehow.com/how_13887_blanch-vegetables.html is a good link to explain blanching). Blanching is simply putting the veggies in boiling water long enough to just barely cook them, and immediately putting them in iced water to stop the cooking process. After the carrots and beets are blanched and cooled, drain them and let them sit to dry.
-In a heated sauté pan add 2Tbl olive oil and the julienned red onion. Saute onion until dark brown, add brown sugar, and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
-In a large bowl add the cooled beets, carrots, onions, cranberries, thyme and mix together. At this point you will simply mix, (mix with a fork is fine) the remaining 2Tbl olive oil and the 2Tbl balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Add this dressing to the mixture, salt and pepper to taste, making sure to mix well.

Tips and comments about this recipe:

-Beets are a little tricky to chop, so be careful
-You can substitute any herb, or you can add goat cheese, feta, or any other cheese. The white cheeses give a good color contrast.

Once again, your comments, suggestions, and concerns, are much appreciated. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at raisingh108@gmail.com.

Sat Nam and enjoy your food, it tastes better when you make it yourself.

Rai Singh