Pickled Veggie Salad

Celery -- you buy it, knowing you'll throw away most of it. But wouldn't you like to use it up? And those scallions and carrots, too... Well, here's a recipe that revitalizes your fresh veggies by steeping them in a vinegar and water solution. This is a combination of several different recipes for Asian-style cucumber salads. I like to pour it over a salad, but you could just pick out the veggies and them solo. Use any veggies you like -- I've chosen the ones I most often have waiting around!

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 96 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 stalks celery
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 teaspoons granular no-calorie sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda®)
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks (Optional)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced (Optional)
• 1 small cucumber, sliced (Optional)
• 1 small white onion, sliced (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sesame seeds, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Scrape into a metal mixing bowl, and cool to room temperature.

Step 2

Whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, ginger root, and sweetener into the sesame seed mixture. Stir in the celery, green onions, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion into the sesame dressing until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until cold before serving.