Beet greens chop-chop

Beet greens chop-chop

                                                  Yield: 1 - 2 servings

This dish of beet greens is called chop-chop because everything, except the sunflower seeds, is chopped. Whatever it is called, the beet greens make a cooked salad which is handy as a main meal or as a side dish. For instance, you might prefer to omit the balsamic vinegar and eat it warm with bite-sized chicken or pork cubes that have been stir-fried in a wok or steamed.

Beet greens chop-chop

The quantities are only roughly estimated since each bunch of whole beet greens will yield a different measure of chopped beet greens. Likewise with the spring onions and Chinese celery.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of beet greens, about 6 whole leaves with stalks

4 spring onions
1 clove fresh garlic

2 - 3 whole stalks of Chinese celery

1 - 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon whole flax seeds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Black olives

Preparation:

1. Wash the vegetables. Separate the stalks from the leaves. Chop the beet leaf stalks, the celery stalks and the spring onions. Peel garlic clove and finely chop it. Slice the beet greens and celery leaves, or chop them; whichever you choose, they should be in bite-sized pieces.

2. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add chopped onion, vegetable stalks, garlic and sunflower seeds. Stir and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the red beet stalks begin to look a bit translucrent. 

3. Add the beet greens and celery leaves. Sprinkle flax seeds over the greens. Stir for 2 minutes until beet greens have wilted. 

4.  Grind black pepper over the mixture. Stir. Remove from heat.

5.Turn out onto a warm plate. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Add black olives.