Category: lime

Creamy Avocado Dressing

This tangy and creamy avocado dressing is great drizzled over salads, sandwiches, wraps, bowl meals, nachos, tacos, fresh vegetables, and more.

The post Creamy Avocado Dressing appeared first on Budget Bytes.

If you’re a fan of my Lime Crema, I think you’re going to also love this Creamy Avocado Dressing. It has the same bones as the Lime Crema, but is dressed up with a few more flavors to really make it a flavor bomb. This dressing comes together super fast, so you can make it fresh on the spot whenever needed.

P.S. It’s great on a lot more than just salads!

Creamy avocado dressing in a mason jar with a black spoon in the center

What’s in Creamy Avocado Dressing

This recipe is SO simple. It starts with the same ingredients as my Lime Crema: sour cream, garlic, lime, and salt. Then I added an avocado and fresh cilantro to freshen it up and make it a total flavor bomb. It’s so simple, but SO good.

Do I Need a Food Processor?

I found my food processor to be the easiest tool in my kitchen to make this dressing, but it is definitely soft and fluid enough to use a good blender if you have one. This recipe makes about one cup, so you’ll need something with at least a 1.5 cup capacity to allow for movement.

How to Serve Creamy Avocado Dressing

I used this avocado dressing on a really great taco salad (recipe coming later this week!), but I found myself dipping all sorts of vegetables into the jar throughout the rest of the day. This dressing is so good that I was looking for anything and everything to dip into it!

Try this dressing on your sandwiches, wraps, tacos, salads, nachos, bowl meals, fresh vegetables, and more!

Creamy avocado dressing dripping off a spoon into a bowl
Creamy avocado dressing dripping off a spoon into a bowl

Creamy Avocado Dressing

This tangy and creamy avocado dressing is great for both salads and for dipping your favorite vegetables. Mixes up in minutes!
Total Cost $1.93 recipe / $0.48 serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 ¼ cup each
Calories 122.88kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado $0.89
  • 1/2 cup sour cream $0.24
  • 1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
  • 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime) $0.50
  • 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro $0.20
  • 1/4 cup water (or as needed) $0.00

Instructions

  • Add the avocado, sour cream, minced garlic, salt, lime juice, and cilantro to a food processor or blender. Puré until smooth.
  • Add water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and purée again until it reaches your desired consistency (leave thicker for a dip, add more water for a pourable dressing).

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 122.88kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.58g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 11.3g | Sodium: 160.63mg | Fiber: 2.6g

How to Make Creamy Avocado Dressing – Step by Step Photos

Avocado dressing ingredients in a food processor

Add 1 avocado, ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and ¼ bunch cilantro to a food processor or blender.

finished avocado dressing in the food processor

Purée until smooth. Add water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and purée again until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. To use as a dip, leave it thick and don’t add any water. For a more pourable dressing, add about ¼ cup water.

Creamy avocado dressing in a bowl with a black spoon in the center

Serve over your favorite salad, tacos, nachos, wrap sandwiches, chips, or fresh vegetables!

The post Creamy Avocado Dressing appeared first on Budget Bytes.

lemon and lime mintade

Last week was a Lot. I ventured into it buzzing with adorably ambitious New Year’s intentions to, like, get things done, and spent most of it glued to a screen, furious and frustrated. As I mentioned in this morning’s newsletter, I…

Last week was a Lot. I ventured into it buzzing with adorably ambitious New Year’s intentions to, like, get things done, and spent most of it glued to a screen, furious and frustrated. As I mentioned in this morning’s newsletter, I’ve often felt that January is a blur and this one is particularly so. Armed insurrections are not a subject I know how to discuss in any meaningful way in a recipe headnote. But if you’re feeling like you’re in a fog, do know that you’re not alone.

Because feeding times at my zoo must go on as scheduled or it gets particularly feral around here, I did make three new things last week, all from The Flavor Equation [Amazon, Bookshop], a fascinating new cookbook from Nik Sharma in which he uses his molecular biology background to apply what he knows about the science of taste to recipe development. He also has an excellent palate, demonstrated through years of blogging at A Brown Table. I made the book’s shaved brussels sprout salad with crispy shallots, the coconut chicken curry, and then, because it sounded so impossibly refreshing, this lemon and lime mintade. It was inspired by one Sharma had on a long intentional flight that, although 16 hours long, sounds positively dreamy right now, some 1600 weeks into this pandemic.Read more »

Superfoods Green Lemonade Smoothie

Introducing our latest obsession: an incredibly delicious, tart-sweet smoothie that immediately transports you to vacation mode or summer reminiscing. It tastes just like the name suggests: lemonade, but GREEN.
This plant-based, naturally sweetened sm…

Superfoods Green Lemonade Smoothie

Introducing our latest obsession: an incredibly delicious, tart-sweet smoothie that immediately transports you to vacation mode or summer reminiscing. It tastes just like the name suggests: lemonade, but GREEN.

This plant-based, naturally sweetened smoothie is potassium-rich, loaded with greens, and sneaks in superfoods like baobab, moringa, and spirulina! Just 1 blender, 10 minutes, and 10 ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done!

Superfoods Green Lemonade Smoothie from Minimalist Baker →

Christmas Margarita

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities. Looking for a Christmas cocktail that’s fun and a little…unexpected? It’s not often that tequila features in holiday cocktails. But this one is absolutely stellar: try the Christmas Margarita! Why not bring everyone’s favorite drink to your holiday festivities? This one keeps all the character of a classic margarita and adds cranberry juice for a vibrant color and sweet tart nuance. With a garnish of fresh cranberries and rosemary, it’s holiday perfection. We created this drink especially for a virtual holiday party with our friend Sierra: it could not be more festive! What’s in a Christmas margarita? Who doesn’t love a good margarita? (No one.) This classic cocktail is one of the most iconic in the world: it was invented in the 1930’s and is even more popular today. In fact, the classic margarita is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means there’s an “official” definition of how its made: it’s just three ingredients: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. The Christmas margarita is a spin-off on the classic. We’ve kept all the classic ingredients and added 100% cranberry juice. […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities.

Christmas margarita

Looking for a Christmas cocktail that’s fun and a little…unexpected? It’s not often that tequila features in holiday cocktails. But this one is absolutely stellar: try the Christmas Margarita! Why not bring everyone’s favorite drink to your holiday festivities? This one keeps all the character of a classic margarita and adds cranberry juice for a vibrant color and sweet tart nuance. With a garnish of fresh cranberries and rosemary, it’s holiday perfection. We created this drink especially for a virtual holiday party with our friend Sierra: it could not be more festive!

What’s in a Christmas margarita?

Who doesn’t love a good margarita? (No one.) This classic cocktail is one of the most iconic in the world: it was invented in the 1930’s and is even more popular today. In fact, the classic margarita is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails. This means there’s an “official” definition of how its made: it’s just three ingredients: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila.

The Christmas margarita is a spin-off on the classic. We’ve kept all the classic ingredients and added 100% cranberry juice. Because it’s unsweetened and very tart, we added a splash of simple syrup to balance things out. Here’s what you’ll need to make a Christmas margarita:

  • 100% cranberry juice
  • Tequila (use blanco or reposado)
  • Cointreau
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Simple syrup or maple syrup
Christmas margarita recipe

100% cranberry juice vs sweetened: what to know

When you’re shopping for the cranberry juice for your Christmas margarita, make sure to find 100% cranberry juice, which is unsweetened. You can easily find it at most grocery stores, but it’s right next to the sweetened cranberry juice. Here’s what to know for when you’re shopping:

  • Sweetened cranberry juice aka cranberry juice cocktail has added sugars and sometimes high-fructose corn syrup as sweetener. This type of cranberry juice has been available since the 1940’s for making classic cranberry cocktails like the Vodka Cranberry. However, we like using the modern 100% juice.
  • 100% cranberry juice is unsweetened and made only with cranberries: no added sugar! The benefit? The color is brighter, and you can sweeten your drink to taste.

Did you buy unsweetened? That’s ok, just don’t sweeten your drink as much. Use half of the simple syrup in the recipe below — or even add it to taste.

How to make a salt rim

Of course, a perfect Christmas margarita needs a salt rim! Why is salt used in margaritas? Salt brings out the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. Plus, it’s ultra classic. For the Christmas margarita you could also make a sugar rim if you’d like! Just use superfine or granulated sugar and follow the instructions below. Here’s how to make a salt rim:

  1. Use kosher salt or flaky sea salt (not table salt!). These types of salt are chunky and make for just the right texture on the rim. Or, you can make festive Margarita Salt!
  2. Take a lime wedge and cut a notch in the middle. Then slide it around the rim of the glass. This moistens the rim without having to use your fingers.
  3. Rim the outside edge only. Spread the salt on a plate in an even layer. Tilt the glass into the salt so that the sugar sticks to the outside edge. Shake off any loose salt into the sink.
Christmas margarita

How to make a Christmas margarita!

Once you’ve rimmed the glasses, making a Christmas margarita is very simple: all you have to do is shake the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker! Here’s what to do:

  1. Rim the glass with salt. See above!
  2. Shake in a cocktail shaker. Shake the cranberry juice, tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and simple syrup together with ice in a cocktail shaker (or use a mason jar with a lid).
  3. Strain into a glass and add ice. Strain it into a glass and serve with ice! You can also add fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary as a beautiful garnish. Speaking of ice…

Step it up with clear ice

Want to have the most beautiful look for this Christmas margarita? Look in the photos: see that beautiful crystal clear ice block that looks like it’s cut off a glacier? It’s called Clear Ice. Clear ice is artisan style ice that’s crystal clear, unlike normal ice that’s cloudy. It’s very easy to make at home: Alex created a method that we do with all of our cocktail recipes! Go to How to make clear ice.

Salt rim and clear ice

What to serve with a Christmas margarita

This Christmas margarita is ideal for holiday gatherings: especially a holiday cocktail party! We made this cocktail and our Christmas martini for a special virtual cocktail party with our friend Sierra from Eclectic Kurves. These drinks pair perfectly with nibbles and appetizers! You can make up a holiday platter with some of the ideas below:

When to serve a Christmas margarita

The Christmas margarita is ideal for holiday gatherings in the fall and winter. It works as a:

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Christmas margarita

The Christmas Margarita

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

The Christmas margarita is the best holiday drink! This brilliant cranberry spin is irresistible and perfect for festivities.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) tequila blanco or reposado**
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened)*
  • 3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) Cointreau
  • 3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoon) fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon simple syrup or maple syrup*
  • Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim (optional)
  • Ice, for serving (try clear ice)
  • For the garnish: cranberries, rosemary sprig

Instructions

  1. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
  2. Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake until cold. Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice, garnish with cranberries and a rosemary sprig, and serve.

Notes

*If all you can find is sweetened cranberry juice, use half the simple syrup quantity (or add to taste). 

**To make a pitcher of 8 servings, mix together in a pitcher: 1 1/2 cups tequila, 2 cups 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, 3/4 cup Cointreau, 3/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons simple syrup. Add three handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses. 

  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails

Keywords: Christmas margarita

More Christmas drinks

There are so many great cocktails to serve in the holiday season! Here are a few ideas:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Steak Street Tacos with Chipotle Lime Coleslaw

Here’s a satisfying street taco recipe that comes together in a flash. It’s topped with a tangy chipotle-lime coleslaw that provides flavor, spice and crunch to these satisfyingly savory street tacos. When Aristotle said the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, he was talking about tacos, right? Because these tacos are made […]

Here’s a satisfying street taco recipe that comes together in a flash. It’s topped with a tangy chipotle-lime coleslaw that provides flavor, spice and crunch to these satisfyingly savory street tacos.

When Aristotle said the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, he was talking about tacos, right? Because these tacos are made up of some seriously good parts: thin slices of savory seared steak, toasted flour tortillas, a tangy chipotle-lime slaw, and a sprinkle of pickled jalapeños and fresh cilantro.

Four steak street tacos on a black rectangular plate, with limes, pickled jalapenos and chipotle slaw

The perfect taco hits all the right notes, combining spicy and sweet, soft and crunchy, salty and tangy.

And these steak street tacos do just that, with thin slices of steak browned to perfection, and topped with a bright and crunchy slaw made with a mix of Duke’s Mayonnaise, smoky chipotle, and fresh squeezed lime juice.

Closeup of the filling of a steak street taco, topped with micro cilantro leaves and pickled jalapenos

What makes it a street taco and not just a regular taco? The size, essentially.

Street tacos are generally smaller, about 4-5″ in diameter versus a more typical 6″ corn tortilla or 8″ flour tortilla. The handheld size makes them easy to eat standing in the street. We’ve found both corn and flour tortillas labeled ‘street taco size’ recently, and although we opted to use flour here, you could really use either.

Even better… warm the tortillas in the same skillet with all the flavorful fat and brown bits leftover from cooking the steak. Inspired in part by a drool-worthy binge-watch of the Taco Chronicles series (which I highly recommend checking out), specifically the episode on Suadero tacos. This particular kind of taco is made with seasoned beef cooked long and slow in a bath of its own fat (beef confit, essentially); the tortillas are also drenched in fat and toasted prior to being loaded up with the juicy, flavorful meat and simple toppings.

While our steak tacos are not even close to authentic Suadero tacos (the thin slices of steak cook in mere minutes, rather than slow cooking for hours as is traditional), we were certainly inspired by the preparation and especially the brilliant step of fat-soaking the tortillas.

Since we can’t exactly travel to Mexico right now to enjoy the real thing, this will have to do.

(more…)

Chicken Fajita Soup

Warm up with a bowl of Chicken Fajita Soup loaded with your favorite toppings. All of your favorite fajita flavors are combined in an easy and comforting soup that’s perfect for weeknights or easy entertaining. Some chilly days just demand a bowl…

Warm up with a bowl of Chicken Fajita Soup loaded with your favorite toppings. All of your favorite fajita flavors are combined in an easy and comforting soup that’s perfect for weeknights or easy entertaining. Some chilly days just demand a bowl of soup! Luckily, one of my family’s favorite soup recipes is also one…

The post Chicken Fajita Soup appeared first on Two Peas & Their Pod.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

Make this Southwestern corn chowder for a cozy dinner at home! This vegetarian corn chowder recipe is fresh, wholesome and delicious. It’s perfect for cool late summer…

The post Southwestern Corn Chowder appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Southwestern corn chowder recipe

Make this Southwestern corn chowder for a cozy dinner at home! This vegetarian corn chowder recipe is fresh, wholesome and delicious. It’s perfect for cool late summer or fall evenings when fresh corn is at its peak. Or, you can make it any time with frozen corn.

I wanted the corn flavor to shine and balanced its sweetness with some Southwestern spice. You’ll find bell pepper, poblano and chili powder in this atypical chowder. I promise you will not miss the bacon.

corn chowder ingredients

I purposefully avoided using the heavy cream that you’ll find in most chowder recipes. Heavy cream has a tendency to dull flavors and also makes me feel weighed down. Instead, I blended a bit of butter into the soup (one of my favorite soup tricks) and stirred in some crème fraîche or sour cream at the end. These dairy ingredients offer some creaminess, of course, plus some tanginess that you won’t get from plain cream.

You can easily make this soup dairy free or vegan, if desired. You’ll love the end results either way!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Southwestern Corn Chowder appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Lime Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Quick Guac.

Sheet pan chicken fajitas are the most perfect weeknight meal.  Everything on one pan, perfectly charred and flavorful and shoved in warm tortillas with lots of lime! And cheese! And GUAC! If this isn’t the definition of my ideal meal I don’t know what is. We loooove fajitas in this house. They are a great […]

The post Lime Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Quick Guac. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Sheet pan chicken fajitas are the most perfect weeknight meal. 

sheet pan chicken fajitas

Everything on one pan, perfectly charred and flavorful and shoved in warm tortillas with lots of lime! And cheese! And GUAC!

If this isn’t the definition of my ideal meal I don’t know what is.

sheet pan chicken fajitas on tortillas with sour cream

We loooove fajitas in this house. They are a great meal to prep ahead of time (I often marinate both the meat and peppers a day or so ahead!), easy to throw together and usually provide us with a good amount of leftovers. We’re obsessed!

And that’s just the “regular” old fajitas – these sheet pan ones are even simpler!

sliced peppers and onions

As we enter the season of squash, where basically everything I want to eat tastes like a mixture of pumpkin and brown butter and sage, it’s so nice to occasionally have a dinner that doesn’t have those flavors. During this season I always find that having tacos or some sort of pasta tastes incredible, but the other things I’m making are so buttery and spiced. 

This totally makes up for that!

fajita marinade

Now, I do have a nacho sheet pan chicken – which is incredible. I use peppers in that too, and you can shred it and put it in tortillas, or just eat it as is.

However, I decided to share these fajitas with you too because so many of you want to make my shrimp version with chicken! 

pouring fajita marinade on peppers and onions

Yes… 

This is basically the chicken version of my lime sheet pan shrimp fajitas that we all flip over. Lime loaded, if you will. A favorite weeknight meal. One that truly everybody loves.

sheet pan chicken fajitas with cilantro

To make them come together in the best way possible, I cook the peppers and onions first, allowing them to get super caramely and roasty. Then, I push them to the side and add the chicken pieces. And we roast it all together so it’s done to perfection. 

This method is IDEAL for sheet pan meals. I’ve always struggled with them because items on the sheet pan rarely require the same cook time. 

This solves that! 

sheet pan chicken fajitas

My (and Eddie’s!) favorite fajita toppings? A simple sprinkle of fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. Cotija is just the best – it’s probably one of my favorite cheeses of all time. It adds SO much to a dish. 

Most of the time, I’ll add a few avocado slices or guacamole too. Eddie isn’t it to it, but the kids adore guac, so we almost always have it on hand.

My quick guacamole recipe here is one I throw together constantly. Bare bones, but tastes incredible. Skip the fancy add-ins for this guac and throw it on top of your fajitas.

sheet pan chicken fajitas on a tortilla

Finally, a drizzle of sour cream or even mayo for that creamy favorite. A big spritz of lime.

Lots of chip.

And a margarita please!

sheet pan chicken fajitas

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

These sheet pan chicken fajitas are the easiest weeknight meal! Loaded with lots of lime flavor and super easy to throw together.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bell peppers, red, orange, yellow
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
  • lime wedges, for serving
  • warm tortillas, for serving
  • cotija cheese, for serving
  • sour cream, for serving

quick guacamole

  • 2 avocados
  • 1 to 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons diced onion
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Note: if desired, you can marinate the peppers and chicken 24 hours ahead of time in separate bags or dishes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prep a baking sheet (line with foil or spray with nonstick spray!) to use for the recipe.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, zest, honey, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic.
  • Place the peppers and onions on the baking sheet. Add half of the marinade and toss them well, until they’re all covered. Stick the sheet in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once or twice during cook time.
  • In the meantime, place the chicken in a bowl and pour the remaining marinade over top. Let sit until the peppers are roasted.
  • Once the peppers are finished, toss them a few times and scoop them over to one side of the pan. Place the chicken on the sheet in a single layer. Roast the chicken for 15 more minutes or until and internet temp reads 165 degrees F.
  • Once the chicken is done, assemble your fajitas! Start with peppers and onions, add on the chicken. Spritz with lime, sprinkle with cotija cheese and top with sour cream, guacamole and fresh cilantro if you wish.

quick guacamole

  • Mash everything together in a bowl until combined!

sheet pan chicken fajitas

Definite crowd pleaser for sure.

The post Lime Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Quick Guac. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Quick Citrusy Cabbage Slaw (Mayo-Free)

If you tried our Beet Relish recipe, you’d know our fondness for the flavors in this Latin-inspired Roasted Plantain Black Bean Bowl, which is 100% inspired by the vegan bowl at Teote in Portland, Oregon. 
Picture this: a bowl of fluffy rice, smok…

Quick Citrusy Cabbage Slaw (Mayo-Free)

If you tried our Beet Relish recipe, you’d know our fondness for the flavors in this Latin-inspired Roasted Plantain Black Bean Bowl, which is 100% inspired by the vegan bowl at Teote in Portland, Oregon. 

Picture this: a bowl of fluffy rice, smoky black beans, citrusy beet relish, guacamole, fried plantains (have mercy), crunchy cabbage slaw, and an arepa on the side. If that’s not heaven in a bowl, I don’t know what is.

Quick Citrusy Cabbage Slaw (Mayo-Free) from Minimalist Baker →

Simple Roasted Beet Relish

This simple, citrusy relish is inspired by the Vegan Bowl at Teote — a Latin restaurant we love in Portland, Oregon. In fact, I already shared my take on the bowl itself here. But there was something missing: The mysteriously delicious and addictive be…

Simple Roasted Beet Relish

This simple, citrusy relish is inspired by the Vegan Bowl at Teote — a Latin restaurant we love in Portland, Oregon. In fact, I already shared my take on the bowl itself here. But there was something missing: The mysteriously delicious and addictive beet relish.

I don’t know how exactly they make it at Teote, but my taste buds tell me I did a pretty good job at deconstructing it here for you all.

Simple Roasted Beet Relish from Minimalist Baker →