Palm Hearts & Avocado

by | Jan 17, 2017 | Recipes, Uncategorized

Palm Hearts (also called palmito, burglar’s thigh, chonta, palm cabbage, swamp cabbage or Hearts of Palm)

The palm heart is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees. While Costa Rica is the primary source of fresh palm hearts in the US, of late we also import it from Hawaii.

Hearts of palm are slender, ivory-colored, delicately flavored and expensive. They resemble white asparagus, sans tips. Their texture is firm and smooth and the flavor is reminiscent of an artichoke.

For obvious reasons I rarely use this vegetable but when possible I do buy it to celebrate a festive occasion or a birthday. When I do buy it, I use it to make Avocado and Hearts of Palm salad.

Recipe:
Avocado Salad with Hearts of Palm
Preparation: 25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
Dressing (you’ll use about 1/2 to serve 4 people):

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
  • 1 teaspoon freshly made garlic paste
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • Juice from 1 1/2 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad:

  • Lettuce leaves – leafy green, red leafy, spring mix, etc.
  • 1 – 2 avocadoes, diced
  • 7 ounces canned hearts of palm, drained
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped

Directions
Dressing: Mix all the ingredients in a blender.

Salad: Arrange the lettuce on four small plates. Stir together the avocado, hearts of palm and onion in a small bowl. Stir in enough dressing to just wet the ingredients. Arrange in mounds atop the lettuce. Serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATES
Made with 1
Avocado
137 Made with 2
Avocadoes
209
Weight Calories Weight Calories
Protein 3 g 12.33 14.63
Total Fat 11 g 87.68 17 g 93.16
Saturated Fat 1 g 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 mg
Carbohydrate 14 g 32.88 14 g 50.16
Fiber 5 g 8 g
Calcium 67 mg 73 mg
Iron 3 mg 3 mg
Sodium 311 mg 315 mg
Weight Watcher Points 3 5