I’m doing so well on my 2019-get-healthier program, y’all! We’re 8 days into the new year, I’m feeling great and looking good…okay, better. I’m doing my regular 2-3 miles about every other day and am enjoying the benefits of a more plant-based diet. Shrimp, fish and ground turkey feature more as a side dish than the entrée. I’ve been leaning heavily on leafy green salads bulked up with the addition of some Greek legume salads. So, yeah, it’s the Mediterranean diet around here. When in Greece we take delight in discovering new dishes…well, new to us. Some of these salads were eaten starting in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and have been the main stay of the Greek diet since. Typically Greeks would pair these salads with bread and a little wine, all very local products Hundreds and hundreds of years later, Greeks are still eating these salads the exact same way. And I am, too. The meatiness and fiber of the black-eyed peas in this recipe squelch any craving for meat and never leave one wanting another meal. This is one satisfying salad. Dill, fragile and feathery, brings a celery/anise flavor. A tangle of paper-thin, red onion slices cuts through the olive oil. Freshly squeezed lemon juice finishes the salad with bright acidity and jacks it up to an almost umami level. So here it is. Oh, and I have more good news about this recipe. If you haven’t jumped on the “let’s get healthy” bandwagon, well, how great would this dish be served as an appetizer with FRITOS CORN CHIPS? Omg. Could you imagine?
Greek Black Eyed Pea, Dill & Red Onion Salad
- 2 15.8-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed well and drained
- 3/4 cup fresh dill leaves, chopped
- 3/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup Greek olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place peas, dill, garlic and onion in a large bowl.
- Using both hands, gently combine the salad trying not to break up or mash the peas.
- Add the lemon juice and olive oil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, gently toss again and serve.
The Irreverent Kitchen 