Easy Cooking 101: Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad

Here's an easy, delicious way to take advantage of summer's vegetables, without turning on the oven or stove:

Using the shredder attachment of a food processor (or a hand grater), grate one or two raw beets (peeled) and a like amount of raw carrots. Combine in a bowl with some chopped herbs, such as parsley or basil. Add a dressing; one that I've been showing people quite often lately is a simple mixture of plain yogurt and Dijon mustard, plus a little lemon or lime juice, a bit of honey, unrefined sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

As is usually the case, I'm not giving exact proportions. The number of beets, carrots and parsley you use doesn't really matter (but do realize you'll get a lot from two medium-sized beets and carrots). For the dressing, I use equal parts yogurt and Dijon, but tinker according to your taste buds.

Oh, I added a little paprika to the last dressing I made. Why? I saw the paprika in my spice cabinet when I was grabbing the salt and pepper. Cooking does not have to be (and shouldn't be) difficult, stressful or expensive.