Winter Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

It's so easy to throw together a salad in the summer; in the winter, salads can get ho-hum. This bright salad can be made any time of year, but its colors and flavors are especially welcome in winter.

These vegetables will be quite happy with any sort of dressing, so please use anything you like - a simple vinaigrette, olive oil and lemon juice, or even (gasp) Ranch dressing would be just fine. I was in an Asian frame of mind, so I created the Sesame-Ginger dressing.

I enjoyed this as a side dish with an entree of Orange-Maple Glazed Scallops last night. Today, I had it for lunch on top of brown rice, with a bit of goat cheese crumbled on top. Who knows what I'll do with it tomorrow.

Winter Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
Serves 4

1 head organic broccoli
1 bunch organic carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup of cooked chick peas
1 - 2 beets, peeled and grated
Optional: Sunflower seeds or sesame seeds

Dressing:

1 T. minced shallot
1 t. tahini
2 T. rice vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. canola oil
salt and pepper
squeeze of ginger

1. Cut florets from broccoli. Place in a glass bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.

2. Combine steamed broccoli with shredded carrots and chick peas. DON'T ADD THE BEETS until you are ready to serve - otherwise they will turn the whole salad purple.

3. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in the bowl of an immersion blender and blending until combined. Taste and tweak ingredients to you taste.

4. If preparing ahead, store the vegetables, beets and dressing separately. When ready to serve, add the beets to the salad and drizzle the dressing over the top.

5. Add sunflower seeds or sesame seeds if desired and serve cold or at room temperature.