All the Hearts Salad

Roses are red.

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

Violets are blue.

I made you a salad with hearts,

to say I love you.

(see what I did there.  It’s a poem!)

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

This is like a conversation hearts salad.  Actually, it’s not.  It’s more like a heart salad to have a conversation about.

Let’s have a conversation about Valentine’s Day.  I think my favorite part of elementary school was getting to pass out Valentine’s Day cards in 2nd grade because I remember we got to make mailboxes out of construction paper for people to ‘deliver’ Valentine’s to.

But then life changes and people stop giving you Valentine’s Day cards, which is like the worst part of adulthood.  I should bring the Vday cards back.

But for now…salad.  And heart-shaped bacon.

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

I knew I wanted to make something heart-shaped for Valentine’s.  I was gonna do a chocolate covered cookie dough thing, but decided to go with a salad instead.  We’ll save cookie dough for another day.  

For this salad I was like, what vegetables can I shape into a heart? I came up with carrots and potatoes, but I think you can really heart-ify most vegetables…beets, zucchini, onions, etc.  They could all work to bring a little heart-shaped excitement to your Valentine’s Day. 

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

Ohh and I used red wine infused jelly to make the salad dressing.  Hatchery sent me one of their tasting boxes to play around with and when I peaked inside I saw the wine jelly and immediately opened it to smell it.  Is that weird?  I also do the same thing with a new container of oats.  As soon as I open it I take a deep inhale.  Raw oats are my favorite smell EVERRRR.  Other than like the smell of beach air.  Specifically, Southern California beach air.

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

But red wine jelly.  I whisked it up with balsamic vinegar to make a dressing and it’s just SO full-bodied tasting.  It tastes like a fancy schmancy dressing.  And I’m all about fancy schmancy…I’m so fancy schmancy that Andrew and I have already decided that we’re eating takeout pizza for dinner on Vday.

So you are welcome to join us OR make this ALL the hearts salad.

heart salad | immaEATthat.com

All the Hearts Salad

Yield: serves 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

heart salad
1 large carrot
2 red or white potatoes
3 cups kale
4-6 pieces bacon
1/4 cup goat cheese
2 hard-boiled eggs 
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

red wine jelly dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine jelly
pinch sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Cut carrots into hearts using this tutorial.  Cut potatoes in a similar way.  Make heart-shaped hard-boiled eggs using this tutorial.  Drizzle carrots and potatoes with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.  Roast for 30 minutes, flipping a couple times thought out cooking until veggies are soft.  While veggies are baking, fold bacon into a heart shape.  Bake until crispy, ~12 minutes.  Allow excess oil from cooked bacon to drain off by placing bacon on paper towels.  Assemble salad by layering kale, roasted veggies, bacon, eggs and goat cheese.

Make dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients.  Pour salad dressing over salad and toss.  SERVE!

heart salad | immaEATthat.com