Hazelnuts, toasted, have got to be one of my favorite nuts! Here is another simple, colorful, and delicious salad for summer that I know you will love.

Beets are incredibly nutritious, antioxidant packed and fantastic for heart health. Hazelnuts too are good for your heart, and like beets, are rich in vitamins and minerals.  Prepare as many servings as you like with desired amount of each ingredient. You’ll probably wish you had more! (for tips on cooking beets refer to recipe: Golden Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula salad) Makes 4 side salads

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

  • Bed of your choice greens. I used baby spinach and Belgian endive. (About 8 cups or 2 cups greens/plate)
  • 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 cup cooked beets, diced
  • 1/2 cup gorgonzola blue cheese crumbled[/ingredients]For Salad Dressing: [ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
      • 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
      • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
      • 1/2 tsp Dijon
      • 1 Garlic clove crushed[/ingredients][directions title=”Directions”]
        1. Toast hazelnuts by chopping in half.  Brown for a few min either on a baking sheet in 400′ oven or in a dry skillet on the stove, tossing frequently.  Toast until nutty and fragrant, being careful not to burn.
        2. Mix salad dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake until well combined.
        3. Assemble salad with bed of greens as a first layer, then endive, beets, avocado, then gorgonzola and hazelnuts
        4. Drizzle 2-3 Tbs dressing over each prepared Salad

        [/directions]