Beet and Avocado Salad

I like recipes that make my life easy, because some days, I just don’t have the time for complicated.

Lately, my life has been complicated.  I’ve had AC/Heating problems, car issues, water dripping through my ceiling problems, washing machine problems, lots  and lots of problems. And Christmas is here,  so I have the last minute, “What to buy everyone” problems as well.

But one of the worst problems has been mice.

Recently, I was sitting with my dog downstairs around dusk when we both heard a knocking noise coming from upstairs.

While I tried to figure out if maybe Casper had decided to do a load of whites, because it sounded like an unbalanced washing machine, or a SWAT team was conducting a practice mission on our second floor,  Chloe was fiercely guarding the TV room, barking and growling, but not actually inclined to get off the couch and see if someone was being murdered upstairs.  Now if it had been someone unwrapping a cheese stick, she would have mowed me down to beat me to the stairs.

Cautiously, I climbed the stairs, phone in hand ready to dial 911.  I crept up to the landing, poked my head around the corner, and tracked the noise to a wall, where apparently every mouse in the greater tri-state area decided to congregate for the evening.  It sounded like they were holding the rodent version of WWE Smackdown!

I pounded on the wall, closed all of the bedroom doors, and seriously considered borrowing a cat for the night to keep watch.  A really big cat.  Like maybe Simba.  And Mufasa.  Or even Scar.  And get them high on catnip.  Lots and lots of catnip.

The next day, I called a company to come out and figure out what was going on (I actually at this point thought it was squirrels or a raccoon making that much noise.  I had no idea mice could sound so, well, GIGANTIC!). You know it’s not good when the expert is looking around your storage areas saying things like, “Oh, wow.  That’s a lot of mice.  Boy, look at all the mouse poop. You’ve got a really big problem,”.

Gee.  Thanks. I couldn’t have figured out I had a problem all on my own.  So glad I You came all the way here to confirm what I already know!!!  Now, any solutions, or should I call Siegfried and Roy?

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium beets ( save yourself time and effort and buy the precooked, packaged ones in the grocery store.  They are generally smaller, so you may want to use 4 or 5 if they are really tiny) if your store doesn’t have them, wash the beets, wrap them in foil and roast them at 400 till tender, about 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
• 1-2 ripe avocados
• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• Pomegranate seeds

Dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, plus a bit more for sprinkling on the avocados so they don’t turn brown
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon liquid sweetener of choice ( honey, agave, vegan honey)

Directions:

1. Cut the beets into small, bite-sized pieces.  Cut the avocado into small bite-sized pieces as well and sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to keep from browning.
2. Put the mixed greens on a a plate and arrange the avocados and beets on top.  Sprinkle with onion slices and pumpkin seeds.
3. In a jar with a tight lid ( I use a small canning jar), combine the dressing ingredients and shake well.  Pour over the salad and serve immediately.

Variations: Use a combination of red and golden beets.  Swap out the pomegranate seeds for pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy!