We Got the Beet

Some things just belong together. Like peanut butter and jelly, mashed potatoes and gravy or macaroni and cheese.

But rarely do you ever hear someone say, "We go together like Pineapple and Beets".

Until now!

This week's salad adventure comes from Better Homes and Gardens "So Good with Fruit" cookbook (1967), and it lives in the chapter entitled "Shimmery Molded Salads". (again - 3 words that should NOT go together, but I digress).

I was attracted to this salad because it seemed unique and daring. A can of crushed pineapple. A can of sliced beets. And a box of lemon jello. Ummm. How could I not?! Seriously!

This salad came together quite easily. The hardest part was remembering to reserve the juice from the canned items to be used as the liquid for the jello mixture. I got carried away and almost totally forgot!

But after 4-5 hours in the fridge, this baby popped right out of the mold and was indeed "shimmering"!

Shine little salad...

Glimmer, Glimmer

The recipe suggests we serve it with a horseradish-spiked mayonnaise. "Really?" - I said to myself with some trepidation. And then I quickly answered myself, "Oh, what the Hell! I'm feeling adventurous. We are already mixing pineapple and beets and lemon. Go ahead and add some horseradish for good measure."

So that's what happened...

Just so you know, I always cut myself a slice of each jello mold I make. I also always take at least one bite so that I can report the verdict here. Sometimes I stop at one or two bites because it is just too horrid or intense. Other times I eat the whole slice. It just depends...

I wrote a little message on top with mayo...
Can you see it?

VERDICT: This was a winner! I would have never believed this combo would work, but it did! Even the horseradish mayo was a yummy addition. I actually had FOUR BITES of this mold. And, believe me - that's saying a lot!