They don't call it "fat and happy" for no reason. The train here at Running With Tweezers has pulled away from Motivation Station...and come off the tracks. There is so much wonderful stuff going on right now...and there have been many amazing meals to go along with it. A delightful dinner with a client last week with half a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to go with it. My dear friend (and mash the button guy) Tony is now a year older...so we celebrated with red meat and red wine. Add to that, several (yet not nearly enough) moments of making googly eyes at a great boy over - yes - more great wine...you see where this is going. Monday, the only thing I could think of consuming was a liter of water and a popsicle.
When I finally did get a craving for something that was not booze or bacon, it was hearts of palm. I normally drizzle them with a little dressing and eat them as is. My body is needing its fruits and veggies...so I found this wonderful salad recipe on Food and Wine's website. It's the perfect combination of flavors and textures: salty olives, zippy juicy tomatoes and citrus fruit (i substituted mandarin oranges for the navel oranges more out of laziness than anything), and peppery watercress...all while letting the hearts of palm be the star of the show. It was the perfect break from bringing gluttony back.
Hearts of Palm and Cress Salad - serves 4 - recipe originally found here at foodandwine.com
- 2 large navel oranges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 pound watercress (2 bunches), tough stems discarded
- 3 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
- One 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 cup pitted Calamata olives
- Using a sharp knife, peel the oranges, taking care to remove all of the bitter white pith; working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the membranes to get 1/4 cup of the orange juice. Save the remaining orange juice for another use
- In a large bowl, whisk the orange juice and lemon juice with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the orange sections, watercress, tomatoes, hearts of palm and olives and toss well. Serve immediately.