Wilted Beet Green Salad

Wilted Beet Green Salad

Growing up I often ate dinners of warm spinach salads my step father would cook in his cast iron skillet with salty bacon and a few eggs. It became one of my favorites. This salad is very similar in its flavors and textures with a few twists based on the goodies I have in my kitchen in the late Spring.You'll notice I often have a variety of vinegars suggested in my recipes, like the Pineapple one listed here. You don't have to spend too much money to have them. Check the food shelves at your local Home Goods or TJ Maxx, you'll be surprised by what you might find.

Yield: 4 Individual Salads, About 7-9 Cups

Note: This recipe is designated "ME" for Mindful Eating and is generally lower in fat and calories than some of the other recipes on this site. You can search for other mindful recipes in the navigation bar above under Food Love, Recipes and Mindful Eating.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 Cups Tender Beet Greens, stems removed and cut into ribbons*

• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/2 Cup Pancetta, diced

• 8 Tbsp Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

• 4 Hard Boiled Eggs, sliced**

• 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese

• 1/2 Cup Fresh Strawberries, sliced (optional)

• Freshly Ground Sea Salt

• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*To cut greens into ribbons, pile leaves on top of each other in a single stack and roll into a long cigar shape. Cut along the cigar in 1/2 inch cuts. Note: Beet greens are in the same family as Chard, and are tender in the late Spring and early Summer. The longer the beets are in the ground the more hardy and coarse the greens will become. They are too bitter and not as tasty later in the season. So pull a few smaller beets earlier in the season to enjoy the greens.

**For perfect hard boiled eggs I follow the Barefoot Contessa's method here. Note: Grey yolks come from over cooking the eggs.

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm Olive Oil and Pancetta in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add Greens and Vinegar and cook for about 3-5 minutes until greens begin to cook and are slightly wilted but still bright in color. Add Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste. The salt and vinegar will cut any bitterness in the greens. If they're still too bitter add more vinegar or salt based on your taste preference.

2. Remove pan from heat and toss in Hard Boiled Egg. Divide Greens and Egg into 4 bowls.

3. Top each salad with 1/4 Cup Ricotta cheese, fresh strawberry slices, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!