Fresh and zingy 2024!
Eat Plentiful #36
Whoops…I put Eat Plentiful on pause for a week early in December and it snowballed into 4 weeks. December was manic with work deadlines and I just did not have much time to cook or write about it. I figured you would do just fine without me, considering the festive season newsletter overload with everyone sending their festive menus, annual recaps and gift lists. I am back though so count me in to be your weekly ray of sunshine.
We eloped to New York for Christmas and had the most relaxing time. Bizarrely, I have rarely slept so much than when in the city that never sleeps. I ate delicious yet always very expensive food and sipped on some great dirty martinis in various cocktail bars. We were back in Lisbon for new year’s eve and decided to completely ignore the festivities, having been spoilt in New York. We nursed our jet lag, had homemade dumplings and soup, and tucked ourselves into bed at 9.30pm. I felt very smug waking up early on 1st Jan to go for a run. Of note, last year at the same time I woke up in bed fully dressed still wearing my boots after having spent most of the evening flashing my boobs to my fellow dinner guests, after one to many vodkas on the rocks, or was it tequila?
But 2024 is a different story all together, and just to rub it in your face even more, I am completely riding the healthy January wave. I feel rested, I feel excited and I am full of beans. I am a Leo and so I have been told 2024 is our year - so watch this space! I even started doing face gym exercises, which might delay using botox for a few months or years, let’s see.
I'm seizing onto this lively energy and plan to hold onto it for as long as I can. As if unconsciously, I am craving energising food. I have been wanting to eat plates which taste like sunshine. I feel like zing, crunch and zesty flavours and that’s what I will be sharing with you to start this year, dragging you onto the happy train.
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Avocado citrus salad
I am quite dubious of Instagram sensations and the avocado citrus salad has definitely been flying around my screen for a while. I thought it was one of those visually sexy but flavours didn’t work kind of dish…I got it completely wrong. This is my revelation of 2023, I could eat it almost everyday. It tastes better than what it looks, and that’s hard to beat.
For 2 people
Preparation time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
1 large ripe avocado, sliced lengthways
1 large orange, segmented
1 large tablespoons capers, drained
3 sprigs coriander, picked
5 slices of finely sliced onion or spring onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, thinly sliced (adjust according to your spice preference)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Assemble the Salad. In a large plate, combine the sliced avocado, orange segments, capers, coriander, onion and chilli.
Add the dressing. Directly on the plate drizzle the olive oil, vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
You can also add some protein like cooked prawns or chicken to make it a more substantial meal. Enjoy!
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Chicoy salad with horseradish dressing
Inspired by a ranch dressing I had in New York this salad has a great bite to it. It covers all fronts, crunch, citrus with comforting dressing. Have it for lunch or serve it as side.
For 2 people
Preparation time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
3 whole chicory, washed and separated into leaves
1/2 an avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
4 sprigs of mint, leaves picked
half a baguette or 2 large slices of bread
1 garlic clove
50gr of freshly grated parmesan (or more depending how naughty you’re feeling)
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish (adjust to taste for desired spiciness)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the breadcrumbs. Tear up the bread and put in the blender with the garlic. Heat up some olive in a frying pan and the breadcrumbs on medium heat constantly stirring. Cook until golden brow and set aside.
Make the Dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to loosen it up with a little bit of water if need be, you want it slightly runny. If like your dressing with a kick, add some more horseradish.
Assemble the Salad. Arrange the endive leaves on a serving plate and place avocado slices on top of the endive leaves. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and finish with breadcrumbs and the mint leaves.
Serve: Although in the photo I used kumquat, it actually looked better than it tasted. Don’t bother with the kumquat, grate parmesan on top instead.
Serve the salad allowing each person to mix the ingredients as they prefer.
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What made me smile this week :
Reading the latest
, it’s witty and clever. She’s tackled her first restaurant review and I loved it, brutally honest, obviously intertwined with some fashion tips otherwise that wouldn’t be her.Discovering rather late Krispy Kreme’s marketing campaign which was placarded all over Paris to announce their arrival in France in December. Their first store has absolutely killed it!
Recently discovered Case Kenny on Instagram, he is a mindfulness author/ podcaster. I have just ordered his book, will let you know about it. I really enjoy reading his quotes, one of them always resonates with me: ‘ hey, I couldn’t help but notice you choose to lift others up instead of tearing them down. Keep shining.’ Cute and uplifting.
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If like me you’re on a high, keep it going and if not look at the bright side starting with what’s in your plate. Get yourself outside, get moving and smile, it’s all going to be ok. Even better than that, the best is yet to come.
All the best for 2024 and thanks for your continued support.
A. x
