There is a long story behind this recipe but as usual, I´ll try to make it short 😉
I´ve entered the contest for Best Portuguese Food Blog organised by Teka and am happy to announce that
My Gut Feeling got to the top 20. Not bad, hein? I´m quite honoured and happy to share the “stage” with some of my favorite Portuguese Food Bloggers.
After receiving a food basket with lots of fresh vegetables (parsley, cilantro, mizuna, beetroot, lettuce and chard), we were challenged to create original recipes with them.
My proposal was this take-to-work salad in a jar (also known as mason jar salad, named after the American brand of glass canning jars with a metal lid) that you can easily prepare, store in the fridge and carry with you. You just need to shake it before eating in order for the vinaigrette to work its magic 😉
Then I thought about how to use beetroot, that I love but can only eat a small portion, due to my dietary restrictions (the low FODMAP diet allows only 20 grams/ 0,7 ounces of beets). So, if I extended the hermetic jar concept, I could easily make some low FODMAP quick pickled beets and use them in different occasions. This way I was able to enjoy my small portion of beetroot without worrying about what to do with the rest of it. Ah and these pickled veggies are very easy to make 😉
Last but not least, while thinking of what to do with the chard, two things came to my mind: chard leaves stuffed with ground meat and Dolma, the Greek dish with olive leaves stuffed with rice. I love them both so I decided to make a combo: stuffed chard leaves with rice.
Mission accomplished 😀
Salad in a Jar with Stuffed Chard + Quick Pickled Beets
Ingredients
For the Salad
- Bunch of romain lettuce
- 2,65 oz |75g of mizuna or arugula
- Fresh parsley and coriander chopped
- 2,29 oz |65g zucchini julienned "zoodles style" (optional)
For the Pickled Beets
- 1/2 cup | 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup | 100 ml water
- 1/4 cup | 50 g brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 medium beet cut into paper thin slices
For the Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
For the Stuffed Chard
- 2,65 oz | 75g of Swiss chard
- White rice cooked
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Start by making the pickles: combine all the ingredients except the beets in a small saucepan and bring to medium heat until the sugar dissolves (about 1 minute after boiling). Remove from heat and set aside. Cut the beets into thin slices and place in an airtight container. Add the warm liquid and let stand without lid for one hour. Seal the jar and refrigerate until use. You can save the remaining pickles in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by putting all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well until you have a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary and place in a large airtight jar.
- Wash the lettuce and mizuna and place them in the jar after the vinaigrette. Add a layer of pickled beets (approx. 20 thin slices), another layer of lettuce or mizuna and end with the zucchini noodles. Before sealing the jar, add parsley and chopped coriander.
- Your salad is ready. Shake the jar before eating so that the vinaigrette is mixed with the rest of the ingredients.
- Serve with ...
Stuffed Chard
- In a large saucepan of boiling water, put the chard leaves, add a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes or until the stems are soft. Remove the chard leaves and drain well. Gently open each leaf and put a bit of cooked rice in the middle of it. Fold from the sides, covering the rice then close with the tip of the leaf and turn toward the stem. Repeat until all the leaves are stuffed with rice.
Hi Joanna, this is my kind of dish. Full of vegetables, colourful and the pickles… I am so into pickles lately, not sure why this addiction. I enjoy them in my salad, sandwiches, with meat… I think I could even eat pickles for breakfast!! seriously! I have to try your beet version in my next pickle adventure in the kitchen! By the way congratulations for making the top 20, this is more than deserved! Parabens!
Thank you, Georgina 🙂
Oh my goodness, this recipe sounds so delicious! I would’ve never thought about stuffing chard leaves with rice, but now that I’ve read it here I don’t even know why. I’m definitely going to make this as soon as I can find some fresh chard here in Austria 🙂
Happy to hear that, Kat. Hope you can find chard and enjoy them 😀
Parabens, gostei muito
Thanks for this recipe. I have a lot of Swiss Chard in my garden, that I needed some ideas of what to do with them.
You are welcome 🙂 these loaded potatoes with swiss chard are also a good option 😉