Red Red Salad (Beets, Pomegranates and Bacon)

I voted. Did you?

I think you should go out there and exercise your rights. I was talking to one of the visiting scientists in my lab and she was asking if I was going to vote. I said, yes. She replied and told me she has never voted and that that is what happens in communism. You see, she's from China. But here in the United States, despite all the problems our government has, the imperfectness of our society and the people (no matter who you vote for, they aren't perfect) that make and pass the laws, we still have the ability to go out there and make our voices heard.

So I really hope you have voted already or that you plan on doing it today. You may have to wait in a long line in the bitter cold, but it is worth it. Get out there, make an informed decision, and act on it!

Ok, that's it. I'm done being political. Let's get back to food that is important to everyone no matter what your political affiliation. Here's another easy fall salad. It's beautifully red from the beets, pomegranates and bacon.

Roasted Beet, Pomegranate and Bacon Salad
Ingredients:
2-3 cups green leaf lettuce (or other lettuce)
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled
handful croutons (homemade or storebought)
2 roasted beets, peeled and sliced*
handful pomegranates
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp salad dressing (I used poppy seed, but raspberry vinaigrette would be great too)

Directions:
*To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash the beets and cut off the stems. Cut large beets in half, to decrease cooking time. Place the beets on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Bring together the ends of the foil to seal into a package. Bake for 35-55 minutes until the beets are softened through. Let cool until you can handle them, peel and slice.

Place the lettuce on a large plate. Top with the red onion, bacon, croutons, beets pomegranates and cheese. Finally top with the salad dressing.

Serves 1.