Zest and juice 1 orange. Place the juice in a medium bowl. Working over another bowl, cut the remaining 2 oranges into segments and set aside. Measure the juice from the first orange -- if it isn't quite 1/3 cup, squeeze the juice from the membranes until you get 1/3 cup. Add the zest, vinegar (or lemon juice), and pepper to the juice; gradually whisk in oil in a thin stream until well combined. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley.

When cool enough to handle, peel and dice the roasted beets. Add to the quinoa along with dates and gently combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve garnished with the reserved orange segments, pomegranate seeds and the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Tips

--Cover and refrigerate beets (Steps 1 and 2) and quinoa (Step 3) in separate containers for up to 1 day. Prepare the salad up to 2 hours ahead; garnish just before serving.

--To segment citrus, slice both ends off the fruit. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith; discard. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Squeeze juice into the bowl before discarding membrane, if desired.

--To seed a pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water. Lightly score the fruit into quarters from crown to stem end, cutting through the skin but not into the interior of the fruit. Hold the fruit under water, break it apart, and use your hands to gently separate the plump seeds (arils) from the outer skin and white pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl, and the pith will float to the surface. Discard the pith. Pour the seeds into a colander. Rinse and pat dry. Seeds can be frozen for up to 3 months.

--Red quinoa gives this dish a stunning color. If you can only find white, that's fine too. Rinsing removes any residue of saponin, quinoa's natural, bitter protective covering. Check the label to see if you need to rinse it first.

Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 305 Calories, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Fiber: 8 g, Total Sugars: 20 g, Added Sugars: 0 g, Protein: 8 g, Sodium: 449 mg, Potassium: 625 mg, Folate: 161 mcg, Calcium: 65 mg

Carbohydrate Servings 3

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)