Raw Citrus Beet Salad

Ok, so I'm in love!  As an avid beet-hater (until last year), I never thought I would mix the words "love" and "beets" in the same sentence...yet here I am, proclaiming my love to the whole world wide web for these gorgeously purple little root vegetables...sure, they're disgusting to look at until they're peeled, and at times they can taste like dirt, but this amazing vegetable is a huge helper to your liver, and is loaded with all sorts of goodies for the rest of your body!  Don't love them?  Seriously, give this recipe a try...you'll look at beets through completely different eyes!  I came across the original recipe when my Aunt Peg made a variation of this salad at Thanksgiving...it was love at first taste, and I've been craving it ever since!  I made up a nice big batch this morning, (with my own variations of COURSE), and plan to keep this as a regular dish in my household!

3 medium beets, grated (I would HIGHLY recommend using a food processor with a grate attachment...otherwise it's so much work you probably won't ever make it!!)
3 oranges, sectioned (for those of you who don't know how to section an orange, basically all you do is take off the peel, and cut between the white lines that separate the segments)
1 c. chopped cilantro (if you hate cilantro, you can certainly leave this out...however it does add a huge degree of freshness that you'll be missing out on!)
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 c. fresh cranberries, pulsed in a food processor (cranberries are SUPER high in antioxidants, and you won't even notice them in there, but they will add an great boost of health to the dish...however, if you don't have them/don't want to buy them...go ahead and leave them out...we're being flexible here!)
1-2 c. matchstick carrots
1 c. slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds (raw of course...and unsalted)

-Toss everything together and serve over sliced avocado...devour!

-Note:  if you're just making this for yourself, toss everything together, but as you may or may not know, beet juice will stain everything a purple color...so it's not much for presentation.  If you're serving it to people that you want to impress, I would recommend only tossing the beets, cilantro, and cranberries in the citrus juices, and sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on the top, right before you serve...that way all the colors remain vivid!

-Another thing you could do is serve this over fresh spinach and eat as an actual salad...OR toss in some cooked quinoa for an additional protein boost!

-When served over avocado slices and topped with nuts or seeds, you're getting a very low calorie, high antioxidant, high enzyme meal that has no added sodium, yet is sustaining and satisfying!  Give it a try...you're going to LOVE it so much!