Moroccan Red Beet Salad

Another recipe from the kitchen of Momma Simo. This is my best guess from watching her make it. I have since tried this at home with measuring and this is pretty darn close. There is one optional ingredient which while not terribly authentic works really well in this dish.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs beets
• 2 -3  teaspoons sugar (at home I make this with Splenda)
• 1  large  lemon, juice of
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄8 teaspoon sweet paprika (pimenton)
• 3 -4  tablespoons parsley
• 2  teaspoons water
•  salt
• 1  tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)

Directions

1. Trim the the long root tip off the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem on the tops. Scrub the beets rather well taking care not to damage the skin.
2. Place the cleaned beets into a large heavy saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the beets are cooked tender. This can vary from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the size of your beets.
3. When the beets are cooked, pour out the boiling water and run the beets under cool running water. Reduce the temperature of the beets to a point where they can be handled. The skins should be fairly loose.
4. Peel and trim the beets. Dice into bite sized cubes about 1/2 - 3/4 inches.
5. Mix together all remaining ingredients and pour over the slightly warm beets. Toss and place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.