Greens and Grains Salad

It is a very light and satisfying way to eat a salad. It packs a lot of protein and fiber because of the grains, beans, and greens.

Aesthetically speaking, plating these salads is very beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I have included a few grains that I have used and a lemon vinaigrette recipe.

One of my favorite additions is pickled beets. Keep in mind you will need to prepare the beets in advance (unless you buy them). I hope you all enjoy this, and remember, the possibilities are endless with this type of salad.

You can use whatever you have on hand, and whatever veggies you want, cheese, greens, dressing, mix and match. Here are some ideas to get you started!

Greens, Grains and Beans Salad

½ C Tri-color Quinoa, cooked and cooled

¼ C Farro (Bulgur Wheat and Farro work too), cooked and cooled

¼ C Israeli Pearl Couscous, cooked and cooled

1 can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch fresh Kale, stems, and ribs removed and chopped into small pieces

5 oz. Feta (Goat Cheese or your favorite sharp cheese)

Directions

Cook all the grains separately to directions on packages. While the grains cook, get a few cookie sheets, lightly coat with olive oil (pan spray works too), and set aside. Once grains are cooked, spread out on the cookie sheets to cool down quickly; while the grains cool, you can make the vinaigrette and croutons.

• After the other steps are complete, combine the grains, beans, and greens in a bowl.

Coat with the lemon vinaigrette, reserving some for serving. Place pickled beets, croutons, cheese with whatever veggies you’d like before serving. Now, take a nice picture to remember how awesome your salad turned out!

Lemon Vinaigrette

½ C White Balsamic Vinegar (Can use Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar)

1 ½ C Light Olive Oil or Salad Oil (Not EVOO)

1 medium Lemon, zested and juiced

2 t Dijon Mustard

½ Shallot minced

1 T Sugar

S+P to taste

Directions

Have all ingredients measured out and set aside. In the bowl of your food processor, combine the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, shallot; pulse a few times to combine. Turn the processor on and stream the oil into the mixture. (This creates the emulsification needed to bind the dressing so it doesn’t separate. Remove the lid and add salt and pepper to taste; reserve the dressing.

Croutons

4 to 6 Slices Favorite Bread

Olive Oil

S+P

Parmesan, shredded

Directions

Cut bread into small dice and arrange on a cookie sheet — drizzle olive oil over the diced bread, using your hands to toss and coat them.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top, and then bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven, toss the croutons around to crisp the other sides, bake for 2 minutes more. Remove sheet from oven, sprinkle shredded Parmesan over the top, put back in the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. When melted, pull the sheet from the oven, and set it aside.

Pickled Beets

2 bunches Red Beets (Can use gold beets too)

1 C Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ C Sugar

1 T Pickling Spice

Olive Oil

S+P

Special Equipment Canning Jar (or another non-reactive airtight container)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tops and root ends off the beets. Place the beets in a roasting pan, drizzle olive oil over beets turning them to coat each side. Sprinkle with S+P and place in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the beets are fork-tender.

While the beets are roasting, combine the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice in a small saucepan, let heat to a low simmer to dissolve the sugar and absorb the flavor from the pickling spices. Let this simmer for 35 minutes. Then remove from heat and strain the pickling spices out.

Have your canning jars ready; you will need at least 2 quarts, but this depends on the size of the beets, so have a few extra on hand.

Once beets finish baking, let them cool a little, and then using a pairing knife, peel the skin off the beets. Now, you’ll want to slice, dice, or cut the beets to the desired shape and place them in the canning jars, not crowding too much and leaving room at the top of the pot. Using a measuring cup or something with a spout, pour the warm pickling liquid over the beets and seal the jars. Let them cool slightly before refrigeration.

Let the beets sit for at least two days to pickle and absorb the flavors.