Don’t hate me, but I’m not in Chicago buried under piles of snow, suffering along with everyone else. My husband and I got the 2 very last stand-by seats on the last plane out of O’Hare Sunday morning before they closed the airport and before 20 inches of snow pelted the area.
I’m laying on a beach in the Caribbean….
My thoughts are with everyone stuck back home so I tried to come up with a recipe that would work no matter what the weather sends your way. I found this beautiful baby red chard at the local market which I think makes a great base for a salad all year round. The beets and blanched green beans add heartiness and the toasted pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch. If you can’t find baby red chard, then use regular chard, remove the leaves from the stems and cut into 1 inch square pieces. Delicious!
BTW, I’m having numerous equipment challenges being away from my office, my props, etc. I’m editing these photos on a tiny screen and have no idea how they turned out. Hopefully they make this salad look as gorgeous as it really was!
Ingredients (makes 2 large servings)
4 cups tightly packed baby red chard (or regular red chard cut into bite-sized pieces)
8 ounces canned beets (cut into strips)
4 ounces green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)
4 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey for vegetarians)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (leave off for Dr. Fuhrman followers)
Directions
1. In a non-stick skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over high/medium-high heat until the start popping and turn golden brown. Remove from pan onto a cool plate or they will keep cooking and burn.
2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes until they become bright green. Immediately place in ice water or run under cold water until they have completely chilled to stop the cooking. You want them to still have a bit of crunch left, but not raw.
3. Mix the apple cider vinegar, agave, and olive oil in a small dish.
4. Place the chard, cut beets and green beans in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss well so everything is coated. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top and serve.
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