Greek Salad with Pickled Beet "Olives"

Greek Salad with Pickled Beet "Olives" might be just the Mediterranean recipe you are searching for. Watching your figure? This gluten free and vegetarian recipe has 252 calories, 8g of protein, and 12g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 4. Head to the store and pick up romaine heart leaves, pepper, peppercorns, and a few other things to make it today. It works well as a rather inexpensive side dish. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 45 minutes. epicurious.com.

Instructions

+ To make your pickled beet "olives," start at least a day ahead.

Ingredients you will need

Olives

Beet

+ In a small pot or saucepan, mix the vinegar, water, and the sugar.

Ingredients you will need

Vinegar

Sugar

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Pot

Add theorange juice, mustard seed, and the peppercorns. Bring the pickling liquidto a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook, 6 to 8minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Mustard Seeds

Peppercorns

Juice

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes orlonger.

+ While the liquid is cooling, cut the beet into olive-size cubes and place themwith the garlic in a clean container.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Olives

Beet

+ When the liquid is lukewarm, pour it into your container, covering the beets.Close the container tightly, give it 5 or 6 good shakes, and stick the beets inthe fridge to cool. In 24 to 48 hours, they will be ready to eat and will stayfresh in the fridge for 1 week.

Ingredients you will need

Beet

+ Once your beets have pickled, it's time to roast your bell peppers.

Ingredients you will need

Bell Pepper

Beet

Put themin a baking pan and place under the broiler. Turn the broiler to high andcheck every 5 minutes or so to see if the skin has blistered and charred.Then, using tongs, rotate the peppers to blister and char the other sides.

Ingredients you will need

Peppers

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Broiler

Tongs

Remove the bell peppers from the oven and put them in a paper bag. Closethe top and allow them to steam for 15 minutes. When cool to the touch,slide the skin off the peppers and discard. Slice the fl esh horizontally intothin strips and then chop in half. Set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Bell Pepper

Peppers

Equipment you will use

Oven

+ To prepare the fennel, cut the stems and the bottom nub from the fennelbulbs and remove the outer layer if bruised.

Ingredients you will need

Fennel

Cut the bulbs vertically in half.

Place the fl at side of each half on a cutting board and slice the fennel intothin, crescent-shaped spears. Discard the hard core and set the fennelspears aside.

Ingredients you will need

Fennel

Equipment you will use

Cutting Board

+ Chop the romaine leaves into bite-size pieces and put them in a large mixingbowl, gently tossing with the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Next, place thericotta, sun-dried tomatoes, and fennel seed in another bowl and mix.

Ingredients you will need

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Red Wine Vinegar

Fennel Seeds

Olive Oil

Romaine

Equipment you will use

Bowl

+ To assemble the salad, spread the romaine on a serving dish or platter.Cover with rows of green peppers, fennel, tomatoes, beet, cucumbers, andred peppers.

Ingredients you will need

Peppers

Cucumber

Tomato

Romaine

Fennel

Spread

Beet

Sprinkle with ricotta and freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Ground Black Pepper

Ricotta Cheese

+ sodium count:Beet: 64mg per beet; Fennel: 45mg per 1 cup, 122mg per bulb; Low-sodium ricotta: 24mg per 1/4 cup depending on brand; Sundried tomato: 5mg per serving depending on brand; Cherry tomatoes: 7mg per 1 cup

Ingredients you will need

Cherry Tomato

Ricotta Cheese

Fennel

Tomato

Beet

Sodium Girl's Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook

Reprinted with permission from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. From Sodium Girl's Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook: How to Lose the Salt and Eat the Foods You Love by Jessica Goldman Foung. Copyright © 2013 by Jessica Goldman Foung; cover and interior photography copyright © 2013 by Matt Armendariz. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Ingredients you will need

Salt