Vegan Harvard Beet, Cranberry, and Quinoa Salad

This sweet and savory salad is essential for this time of year. It has a hint of Fall flavors, with a little reminder of summer. The beet juice, lemon juice, and rosemary leave little room for anything to be desired, so seasoning is minimal in this recipe, and dressing is unnecessary. The arugula gives this recipe a little tang as well. Harvard beets are different from pickled beets. They're sweet and syrupy...perfect for this recipe!

NOTE: This salad can be served hot or cold. I served it cold, but it still tastes delicious hot if you don't have the time to cool the quinoa. To save time, cook the quinoa the night before and let it cool in the fridge overnight. 

I'm just hanging out today. I have to clean and do some school stuff. It's a beautiful day, so I'll probably try to get outside at some point. The semester is quickly winding down, and I'm getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving: 8 classes, 2 papers, some reading and outlining, and a few days of work are all that stand between Thanksgiving and I. I'm hoping for snow and lots of good food.❤

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions

1 to 1 1/2 cups Harvard Beets (diced) + 2 tsp. of the extra  beet juice from the jar

1 1/2 cups cucumber, diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Dash of Kosher salt

2 cups argula

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour to cool the quinoa.

Instructions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Let cool in the fridge for about an hour (optional).

2. While the quinoa is cooking or cooling, chop the cucumbers and beets. Once the quinoa is ready, add the cooked quinoa, cucumber, beets, dried cranberries, lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, and salt to a large mixing bowl, and mix together. Add the remaining beet juice (if you didn't add it with the beets), and toss to coat.

3. Serve over a bed of arugula or mixed greens.

Thanksgiving Farro Salad:

My cousin decided to call me yesterday and tell me that she's flying in for the weekend, and that we're going to a music festival. Haha, so anyways, that's what I'm doing for the weekend. Despite the fact that the hurricane is causing high winds and colder temperatures, I'm excited. I just hope that her flight gets in on time and isn't delayed because of the wind.

Anyways, I've been trying to stock up on food for her arrival. She loves Spaghettio's, hence the last post's recipe. I also bought veggie dogs because she's like...obsessed with them, and I'm dragging her to my school's Halloween party tonight. I'm being a leopard, but I don't think that she even has a costume. Serves her right for spontaneously booking a flight down here on the weekend before Halloween in the middle of a hurricane. I really do love her ridiculous soul unconditionally though. Pictures to follow!

Oh, as far as the recipe goes, this is perfect for Thanksgiving or any chilly fall day. It's sweet, savory, and just plain amazing. I bought a package of farro from Target that cooks in the microwave in 90 seconds, so this took me less time. I can never find regular farro, and I don't know exactly how long it takes to cook, so this may take you longer that 20 minutes if you're not using the kind that I used.

I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

2 cups  farro, cooked according to package directions (I used Archer Farms from Target)
1 cup Boston Lettuce leaves
2 sweet potatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. agave nectar or other natural sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
A few sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

Serves 2.
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Cook the farro, add the olive oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Toss to coat and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, add the sweet potatoes, garlic, and a few cups of water. Bring to a boil, and boil until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes or so. Drain and return to pan. Add the agave and remaining salt. Toss to coat.

3. Add the cranberries, sweet potatoes, and garlic to the farro and mix together. Sprinkle the thyme on top, and serve over a bed of Boston lettuce or arugula.