Roasted Beet, Orange,
and Avocado Salad
Serves 2
Cook Time: 35 to 60 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium beets
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 orange, halved, one half zested and juiced, one half peeled and cut
into segments
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 avocado, split lengthwise, pitted, peeled, and diced
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Rinse the beets thoroughly and carefully stab all sides with a fork.
Place in a medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, tossing or mixing to thoroughly coat. Wrap the oiled beets in aluminum foil, pinching the top
closed to create a seal. Place the beets in the center of a baking sheet and
roast for 35 minutes. Check them by carefully opening the foil and sticking a
thin knife into the center of a beet: If it goes in easily, the beets are done.
If there’s resistance, close them back up and put back into the oven for 10
minutes. Repeat until the knife slides into the center of the beet easily. Let cool until cool enough to handle.
2. Remove the skin from the beets — you may want
to wear gloves and an apron, as beet juice will stain your skin and clothes.
Dice the beets into 1-inch pieces and place in a serving bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the
vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk until combined.
4. Add the orange segments and avocado to the beets. Drizzle with the
dressing, sprinkle on the orange zest, toss to coat, and serve.
If you’re planning to double this recipe
for leftovers, double everything but
the avocado. The dressed beets and orange slices will hold up well in the
fridge for a day or two, but avocado tends to turn brown and mushy. Your best
bet is to add a fresh avocado to your leftovers right before serving.
Pro Tip:
Beets
If you get whole beets with the stems still
on, you’ll want to remove them before roasting. Cut them about an inch above
the root, not any closer. You don’t want to risk cutting into the beet itself,
as that will allow juice and flavor to leak out while roasting. Beets can
really vary in their cooking times, so don’t be surprised if yours require a
full hour to fully roast. Plan ahead, or roast them on your meal prep
day — they’ll keep in the fridge for three to four days. Make sure you peel them before
storing, though — they’re easier to peel when they’re still warm.
Serves 2
Prep
Time: 20 minutes
Marinate
Time: 1 to 8 hours
Cook
Time: 15 minutes
Total
Time: 35 minutes plus marinating
Ingredients:
For the kabobs:
1
lb lean steak (sirloin, strip, flank), cut into 1-inch dice
1
red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into 1
1/2-inch squares
1
onion, cut into 6 wedges
1
zucchini, cut into 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds
For the chimichurri:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1. If
using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent
them from burning.
3. Place
the steak in a resealable plastic bag or nonreactive bowl with a lid. Cover the
steak with enough chimichurri (about 1 cup) to coat thoroughly. Seal the bag or
cover the bowl and marinate the steak in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours;
more is better, especially for tougher cuts. (Feel free to leave your steak
marinating overnight, or start your dinner prep in the morning before work.)
4. Remove
the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the grill to
high heat (500°F). (See below if you don't have a grill.)
5. Remove
the steak from the marinade; discard the marinade. Prepare the kabobs by
threading the steak, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini onto soaked wooden
skewers or metal skewers, alternating meat and vegetables. You should be able
to make about 6 skewers.
6. Grill
the kabobs directly over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat
to medium (or move the kabobs to indirect heat) and brush with 1/2 cup of the remaining chimichurri. Grill to desired doneness, 12 to 15 minutes. (The easiest
way to check is to remove one of the kabobs from the heat and cut into the meat,
checking for color.) Serve the kabobs with extra chimichurri sauce for dipping; any leftover sauce can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days or frozen in ice cube trays for up to 6 months.
If
you don’t have a grill, you have two other options for the kabobs. First, buy a
grill plate for your stove and follow the same directions — it’s just like a
barbecue, minus the mosquitoes. Or, you can broil and then bake the skewers:
Preheat the oven to broil (or 500°F) and place the skewers on a foil-lined
baking sheet. Broil the kabobs for 3 minutes, then flip the skewers and broil
for another 3 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and brush the
skewers with chimichurri. Bake to desired doneness, 12 to 15
minutes.
Pro Tip: Marinating
Don’t
marinate in a bowl made of copper, cast iron, aluminum, or easily stained
plastic. When you add high-acid foods like citrus juice or tomato sauce to
these kinds of bowls, they can react with the metal and impart a metallic taste
to your foods. Instead, use a nonreactive bowl like glass or stainless steel.
Always marinate in the fridge to avoid bacteria growth, and make sure to
discard any remaining marinade, since it’s been in contact with raw meat.
Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 bone-in pork chops (about 1 lb total)
3 tbsp cooking fat
1 onion, sliced
1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1 pinch nutmeg
2 generous handfuls frisée
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl and use to season both sides of
the pork chops.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, add the pork chops and sear until you
see a golden brown crust, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and sear the other side for 2
minutes.
3. Transfer the pork chops to a baking dish and roast in the oven until the
internal temperature reaches 140°F, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness.
4. While the pork is roasting, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon fat and
the onion in the same skillet. Cook over medium heat until the onion is
translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the apple, apple cider, ginger, allspice, and
nutmeg. Cook, scraping all the tasty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon, until the apples soften, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the applesauce to a food processor or blender and blend until
smooth. Place the frisée on plates. Top with the pork and spoon the applesauce over
the pork and greens.
Don’t have access to frisée? You can use arugula, baby kale, or baby
spinach. This dish can also make a delicious reappearance at breakfast — fry an
egg or two and place over the top of the leftover pork, using the applesauce
and freshly wilted greens as your side.
Serves 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp minced cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1. To “rice” the cauliflower, place half of the florets in a food processor
and pulse into a rice-like consistency, 15 to 20 pulses. (Don’t over-crowd the
cauliflower in the food processor, and don’t over-pulse or the florets will get
mushy.) Repeat to rice the remaining florets.
2. In a large skillet, melt the ghee over medium heat and swirl to coat the
bottom of the pan. When the ghee is hot, add the onion and carrot and cook,
stirring, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic
and cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute.
3. Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and mix thoroughly with the
rest of the vegetables. Add the chicken broth, cover the pan with a lid, and
steam until you’ve arrived at a rice-like consistency, 10 to 12 minutes. (The
cauliflower should be tender, but not mushy or wet.)
4. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the chopped cilantro. Adjust the
seasoning with salt and pepper.
This is an incredibly versatile recipe. Make a Moroccan-style rice
by adding 1/4 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 teaspoon
ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Make rice Asian-style by adding 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 2 minced green
onions. Or make this a complete meal by adding a serving of your favorite
chopped protein (like chicken, shrimp, flank steak, or pork) and any leftover
sautéed vegetables you have in your fridge.
Pro Tip: Grating
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a box grater to shred
the cauliflower into rice. Patience, however, as it will take quite a while!
You can also make fried “rice” by omitting the chicken broth, adding more
cooking fat to the pan, and pan-frying the rice until tender, about 5 minutes.
For an even more authentic fried-rice experience, stir two egg whites into the
cauliflower while pan-frying.