
My dear friend, Shayda, who lost 100 pounds on my Ultimate Weight Loss Program, gave me this incredible recipe, which I tweaked to my liking.
8 ounces of steamed or roasted beets
8 ounces of mango
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
Fresh mint – ¼ cup (about ¼ of an ounce, or more, to taste)
House Dressing 2.0 (recipe below)
1. Dice the beets and mango so they are the same size and place in a bowl.
2. Finely chop the mint and red onion and add.
3. Whisk the dressing together and pour over the salad. Serve chilled. This looks beautiful over a bed of arugula.
Notes: You can buy beets already steamed at Trader Joes or Costco. You can also buy diced organic mango at Costco if you don’t want to cut your own. If you don’t care for mint, substitute another fresh herb like cilantro or Italian parsley.
House Dressing 2.0
This is my favorite salad dressing and it’s so easy to make from three simple ingredients. (Because I previously had a delicious house dressing I named this one 2.0.)
2 tablespoons lime juice (add zest if using fresh)
2 tablespoons low acid (4%) Balsamic vinegar (like Napa Valley Naturals Grand Reserve)
1 tablespoon salt-free mustard (I use Westbrae) or your favorite low-sodium Dijon mustard
1. Whisk together all ingredients. When making a large quantity, use a blender.
Notes: Mustards and vinegars vary widely in their taste so make sure you are using brands you love on their own.

Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-based diet for almost 40 years, and is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol. She is the host of the television series Healthy Living with Chef AJ, which airs on Foody TV, and also hosts a weekly podcast of the same name. As a comedienne as well as a chef, she has made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show with David Letterman. She is the author of the popular books The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss: A Revolutionary Approach to Conquer Cravings, Overcome Food Addiction and Lose Weight Without Going Hungry, and Unprocessed, the co-producer of Healthy Taste of L.A., and the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program, which has helped hundreds of people achieve the health and body they deserve. Chef AJ was also the executive pastry chef at Santé Restaurant in Los Angeles, where she was famous for her sugar-, oil-, salt- and gluten-free desserts, which used the fruit, the whole fruit, and nothing but the whole fruit. Chef AJ holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell University and is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.