Food As Medicine
Beet and Carrot Salad
This time of year, even when there is not a pandemic sweeping the planet, I love to cleanse. Fresh ingredients that support the body's detoxification and elimination system also allow our whole system to hum in a cleaner and more effective fashion, which bodes well for our immune system, too.
In this take on a recipe I learned from Rebecca Katz, detox allies beets and carrots pair up with immune supporting (and delicious) ginger and mint, with vitamin C and limonene-rich sweetness in the dressing that makes it sing.
Golden beets and red beets are both rich in nitric oxide and betaine, which support healthy circulation. Limonene, found along with other flavorful flavonols in the orange's zest, "induce" or make more of the detoxification enzyme glutathione, which is nice and helpful. Cinnamon helps to keep our blood sugar under control, which is essential for immune function, and whole body health.
Beauty is a central ingredient here, with either the red of the beets contrasting beautifully with the orange carrots, or, one could choose golden roots and garnish with gorgeous edible (and rich in anti-inflammatory gamma linolenic acid) borage flowers and (beta-carotene rich) calendula petals, as we've done here.
Ingredients:
zest of one orange and one lemon (organic)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup peeled and shredded carrot
1 cup peeled and shredded red beet (golden works, too. just a different color palette)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Borage flowers, forget-me-not flowers and calendula petals for garnish
Zest the orange and lemon (please, please choose organic citrus for zesting. We don't want to have to do extra detoxification.) Combine zest and juice with olive oil, ginger, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, and whisk together. Shred beets and carrots, put into a medium size bowl. Pour dressing over the beets and carrots, stirring until evenly coated. Decorate with beautiful borage, calendula and forget-me-nots. Enjoy!