Citrus Beet Salad with Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing

Yield:4 servings

for the salad:

• 3 medium/large red beets
• 3 medium/large golden beets
• 2 navel oranges (or any variety)
• 1 grapefruit (Ruby suggested), optional
• Greens of choice (I used a mix of baby romaine and blanched beet greens)
• Avocado Lime Dressing (below)

for the dressing (makes ~2/3 cup):

• 1/2 cup avocado flesh
• 1/4 cup coconut cream (the cream from the top of the can)
• 5 tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 1 tbsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp grapefruit juice (optional)
• tiny pinch of salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 425F. Trim both ends of each beet and wash well. Place a few beets on a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap up. Do the same for the other 3 beets on another sheet of foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45-75 minutes, until a fork pricks through fairly easy. Check beets after 30 mins of roasting, and every 15 minutes thereafter. Cooking time will depend on the size…mine took 60-75 minutes.
2. With oven mitts on, carefully open the tin foil and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Now peel off the skin and discard. Slice beets into wedges.
3. While the beets roast, prepare the citrus. De-pith and slice into segments (as shown in post). Set aside. Reserve the scraps of juicy flesh as you can use this to squeeze into your dressing.
4. Blend the dressing ingredients together in a processor. I used my mini processor and it worked well. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more sweetener, juice, or salt if desired.
5. To assemble, add greens (I used a mix of blanched beet greens and baby romaine), followed by the beets and citrus segments, top with nuts, seeds, and/or cooked grains, and finally the dressing. 

 http://ohsheglows.com/

Lemon Tart

For the pastry:

• 8 tbsp (113g) butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp flour

For the filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar (depending on how much sour power you crave)
• 2-3 medium lemons for the following:
• 1/2 cup (and then some, should you so desire) fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 t. freshly grated lemon zest
• Powdered sugar for dusting.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch cake pan. (As usual, I favor the fluted, removable bottom kind.)
Bake time: 20-25 minutes

Make the pastry:

Combine the melted butter and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the extracts, salt, and flour, and mix well. The consistency will resemble cookie dough. (Incidentally, rolled out and stamped with mini-biscuit cutters, this pastry also produces delicious little tea cookies.) Squeeze the dough together into a lump, and transfer it to the prepared pan. Using your fingertips, press the dough along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until slightly puffy.
Meanwhile,

Make the filling: 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, and sugar until smooth. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
Pour the filling into the partially baked crust, and carefully slide the tart into the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is set. Do not over bake; the delicate crust burns easily. Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature.

http://www.sweetamandine.com/