Yellow Beet Salad with Pears & Pecans

"Yellow Beet Salad with Pears & Pecans" (page 64) takes advantage of fall and winter fruits and vegetables, and if you are lucky enough to find the beets and pears from your local farmers market, this wonderful salad will be even better. (If yellow beets are hard to find, the recipe suggests using red beets in their place. Either way, you really can't go wrong.) A bed of red leaf lettuce is the layered with cooked beets and diced pears, topped with a creamy-herby dressing, and sprinkled with toasted pecans. The combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy creates some sort of culinary magic, and I could have made an entire meal out this salad. I suggest baking the beets (each beet individually wrapped in foil, and baked for about 45-60 minutes, depending on size), rather than steaming them as the recipe calls for, as baking really brings out the best flavor. Pressure cooking them is also an alternative, which is almost as good as baking. This salad takes a little advanced planning, since everything is made from scratch, including the dressing, but you won't be disappointed for taking the time.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use vegan oil-free mayonnaise in the dressing, either store-bought or homemade.
• Use vegan oil-free sour cream in the dressing, either store-bought or homemade.