Hearty Roasted Beet & Orange Salad

The salad is full of textures and flavors.  The orange balsamic vinaigrette over the beets and roasted potatoes is fabulous.

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, sliced

¼ red onion sliced

1/3 cup fat free balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

2 bunches beets

2.75 oz. quick cooking wild rice, prepared

8 cups fresh assorted lettuces with herbs

3 oranges, peeled and slice in rounds

1 bunch scallions, chopped

2/3 cups pistachios

Dressing Ingredients

½ cup orange juice

2 T. balsamic vinegar

½ cup water

2 t. honey

Pinch of salt

Fresh cracked pepper

1 clove garlic

Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off all but 1 to 2” of beet greens and discard greens.  Clean the beets under running water with vegetable brush.  Wrap each beet individually in foil and lay on flat cookie sheet.   Bake the beets for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife can slide through easily.  Once the beets are done cooking, take out of foil and clean the beets.  Remove outer skin and stems and then quarter beets and set aside in bowl.  Mix potatoes, red onion and balsamic dressing in a bowl.  Spread the veggies out on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cook wild rice according to directions.  The quick cooking method takes 5 to 10 minutes to prepare.  After the rice and potatoes have finished cooking, mix together. Prepare dressing, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Assemble salad, put a nice handful of lettuce greens on plate.  Spoon about 2/3 cup of potato rice mixture on next followed by some beets and orange rounds.  Pour dressing and then sprinkle with scallions and pistachios.