Contributed by (Recipe adapted from “King County” at www.metrokc.gov/health/nutrition)

Ingredients

1 Red onion, thinly sliced
2 slices Whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
8 oz. (or 2 small) fresh Beets
2 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 small Shallot*, minced
1 Tbs Honey mustard
¼ C Red wine vinegar
2 Tbs Sugar
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp freshly Ground pepper
1 bunch of Spinach, thoroughly washed, stems removed
4 oz. Button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill a medium sized bowl with water and ice then add onions. Let stand for 30 minutes, drain and set aside. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden, tossing occasionally then set the croutons aside. Place beets in a small saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool until easy to handle. Peel the beets and then cut into ½ inch cubes then set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the honey mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved (about 1 minute.) Add remaining oil then reduce heat to low. Add beet cubes and toss to coat. Arrange spinach leaves, onions and mushrooms on plates. Drizzle with the beet dressing and garnish with croutons. Serves 4.

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