I re-read Skinny Bitch this week. BIG MISTAKE.

Once again, I swore off my beloved vices: coffee, Dr. Pepper and white wine. After a mind-melting headache that lasted four days, I am feeling clean and clear (and maybe a little cranky.)

But now I have to figure out the food. If I can’t cook with bacon and brown sugar, what do I eat? In a state of utter confusion, I walked into the grocery store and grabbed every crunchy thing in the produce section. By God! I can eat like a skinny bitch!

While I assembled the crunchy-salad-of-goodness, my sister and the man turned up their noses at every ingredient: “I don’t really like fennel” “Can you leave the jicama out of mine?” “Do sprouts even have any flavor?” But they ate it … They liked it … They thanked me for saving them from imminent heart disease.

Here is the cast of characters:

Arugula: peppery leaves rich in Vitamin C and Potassium
Jicama: sweet and crunchy and high in dietary fiber
Sprouts: crunchy and rich in Vitamins A, E, C and B complex which all aid digestion
Fennel: licorice (anise) flavor that is supposedly good for whatever ails you
Red Onions: sweet onion rich in flavonoids which are said to fight allergies and cancer
Walnuts: delicious and woody and said to strengthen kidneys, back and knees
Pear: Sweet and juicy and high in dietary fiber

Assemble ingredients and drizzle with olive oil, a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt.