Hearts of romaine salad has sweet oranges, thinly sliced red onion, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy orange vinaigrette drizzled over the top. It’s a healthy salad that’s loaded with flavor.

This post was originally published in the Greenwood Daily Journal on Saturday, February 11, 2012

Never in my life have I had such an exciting weekend! Well, I am not including the births of my children or when I got married, so lets assume that is a given.  But it sure was a whirlwind of excitement from the downtown activities to making my own bottle of ketchup at the Red Gold factory and ending with a bit of celebrity watching at the Taste of the NFL.

The Superbowl

I think I can speak for most of us when I say that Indianapolis is suffering from a bit of a Superbowl hangover. Late night people-watching, family activities downtown, and staying up late watching the game with friends and family means we are bound to be a bit off of our routine.  Fun was had by all including all of the out of towners that enjoyed their visit to the  Hoosier State.  I mean, you couldn’t watch one television interview on game day without hearing numerous compliments about the Circle City.

But it was well deserved. Countless people worked around the clock so they deserve a round of applause. I didn’t realize until after the fact that several Center Grove area band members participated, along with other alumni, in the national anthem and halftime show.  I enjoyed every minute of the game and as you know, sports aren’t my thing. Listening to Madonna during halftime instantly transported me back to a time of wearing my hair in a banana clip with high poofy bangs and  tight rolled acid washed jeans.  You know, the eighties.

But after all of the glitz and glitter is swept off of the streets and the stages are taken down, what is left behind is renewed pride in our state capital and the afterglow will most likely hang around for some time.  This Goliath event was pulled off without a hitch and that has really placed us back on the map.  Not only just known for the Indianapolis 500, Indiana now has another claim to fame.

The Superbowl Food

I decided to throw caution to the wind and eat what ever I wanted over the weekend.  I had been on a pretty strict diet for the month leading up to SB46 so that I could be sure that the dress I bought for the gala event would still fit on the big night.  Staying on track was hard, but I did it. So after completely over indulging in all of the rich food offerings I was presented with, I decided that for the next few weeks I am going to cut back on the calories. A food detox, if you will.

The Food Detox

When I think of dieting, I think of salad, and I bet that most of you think the same way.  It’s common for people to think that salads can be boring, cold, and unappetizing, but they really do not have to be!

I like to have a small salad or slimming vegetable soup before dinner to help keep my eating in check.  It also helps to have a protein like eggs in the morning to get your day started off right, (I love deviled eggs in the morning) and also making sure you have a small snack close at hand to fend off the munchies in the late afternoon.  Some of my favorite snacking foods are nuts and bananas.  Easy to transport, fruit and nuts make an excellent snack.

When it comes to scaling back your eating, keep it simple.  Don’t over do it with pre-portioned frozen meals or supplements. Think about what people ate before processed foods were around. This may sound obvious, but I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the beginning of a diet change is overthinking your meals.  Think clean, simple and fresh.

This hearts of romaine salad is by no means revolutionary, but it makes a great light lunch or a dinner accompaniment to baked chicken or grilled salmon.

Hearts of Romaine Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Heather Tallman

Total Servings 4

Hearts of Romaine Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Crisp hearts of romaine, oranges, onion, blue cheese and crunchy walnuts are dressed with an orange vinaigrette. Healthy and delicious!

5 minPrep (inc. refrigeration & rest time)

5 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 3 Romaine hearts, washed and roughly cut
• 3 navel oranges, peel cut off and sliced into disks
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced into slivers
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
• coarse salt, to taste
• cracked black pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• 1/2 navel orange

Instructions

1. Layer the first 3 to 5 items in a pretty dish. Add desired amount of fresh pepper and coarse salt over the top (a few pinches sprinkled about).
2. Then drizzle a little olive oil and vinegar over the salad. Not a lot, but shake a little here and there. Squeeze orange juice over the salad.
3. Toss lightly and serve.

Recipe Type: Side

7.6.6

154

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