Beet Salad with Pecans

I have been exploring beets a bit recently, and I think I've found my favorite beet salad so far. For me, I prefer to mix the beets up with other vegetables rather than having the beets make up the bulk of the salad, and, thanks to a friend of mine, I've discovered that lemon juice and pecans are a great compliment to the beets.

I also find that a little beet salad goes a long way, so this is a small portion of salad. For one person, it could last up to several days if you eat a bit of it with the rest of your meals. It may sound odd, but in somewhat Israeli fashion I actually had some with breakfast one day, and its light sweetness and crunch was quite pleasant.

Beet Salad with Pecans
4 baby beets (raw or uncooked)
1 C broccoli slaw
1 daikon radish
handful of pecan bits
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Splenda or honey

If your beets are raw, cut the stems off about 1 inch above the beet, cover them with water in a medium saucepan, and boil them for 45 minutes. Then drain the beets, and once they are cooled use your fingers to rub off the outside skin - it should just slip off.

Toast the pecan bits in a frying pan on the stovetop; add a few teaspoons of brown sugar if you want to caramelize them a bit. Stir continually over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When they start to brown, remove them from the heat and spread the nuts out over a piece of foil or parchment paper. Allow the nuts to cool while the beets finish cooking. When the nuts are cool you'll want to break them apart from each other with a wooden spoon.

Take the cooked beets (either purchased cooked, like the small package of baby beets at Trader Joe's, or the ones you just cooked) and slice them into thin shreds.

Wash the daikon radish and shred it (with a grater or in a food processor with a grater attachment).

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust to taste.