Heart of Palm and Crab Salad

Heart of palm is the edible inner portion of the stem of the cabbage palm tree. It’s sweet, firm in texture, and has a delicate taste similar to an artichoke. You can buy it canned in any grocery store. It makes a great salad ingredient, especially when paired up with crab. Go easy on the salt in this recipe; the canned heart of palm already has a high sodium content, but it also high in vitamins and minerals.

1 can heart of palm

1 bunch watercress, arugula, or your favorite salad green

6 ounces crabmeat

1 ruby red grapefruit, sectioned and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon julienned basil

1 tablespoon julienned mint

Unsweetened coconut

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk the dressing ingredients together to blend. Marinate the heart ofpalm in ¼ cup of the dressing for about an hour.

When ready to serve, place your greens and heart of palm on each serving plate. Mix together the crab, chopped herbs and a teaspoon or two of the dressing. Divide and place over greens. Top with grapefruit pieces and a sprinkle of coconut. Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad.