Wilted Watercress Salad

2 weekends ago, hubby and I went for luxury on a budget by cooking a seafood meal at home and pairing it with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. I was desperate to pair the seafood with some greens while working with whatever I have in the pantry and fridge. I always try to incorporate some vegetables in each meal.

I soon found a recipe I really liked and was able to incorporate the stuff I already have without running to the store to get more. I did change the recipe a little to my liking by adding some caramelized onions and substituting ground mustard for dijon mustard. The result was a delicious sweet and tangy salad with hint of crispy bacon pieces. Here’s the recipe 

WILTED WATERCRESS SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch Water Cress (About 5 Oz)
• 4 Slices Bacon, Cut into 1”
• 1 Medium Onion, Sliced
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp Sugar
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• A Dash paprika

Method:

Rinse thoroughly the watercress and remove any yellow leaves. Cut watercress into about 2”.  Set aside in a serving bowl.

Heat a small stick-free pan on medium heat and cook the bacon until done, several minutes on each side. Remove the bacon from the pan and put on a paper towel. Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Add onions and sauté until soft. Then add 1 tsp of sugar and let onions caramelized before removing onions and keeping fat in pan.

Add the cider vinegar and sugar to the bacon fat. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add dijon mustard and a dash of paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning. This is a sweet-sour dressing, so if it is too acidic, add a bit more sugar, if too sweet, add a bit more vinegar.

Bring the dressing to a simmer. Pour over the watercress. Add in caramelized onion and sprinkle cooked bacon. Toss and serve. Serves 2-3.

June’s Comments: I served with delicious tangy Wilted Watercress Salad with some Chilean Sea Bass and Tiger Prawns (Bottom Left). We both enjoyed the salad so much that we repeated the recipe and used Spinach leaves instead. The Wilted Spinach Salad (Bottom Right) was equally delicious!!! =)